The Daily Illini: Housing Guide Spring 2021

THE DAILY ILLINI Monday, February , 2021

2021 Housing Guide

JONAH OZER THE DAILY ILLINI

Monday, February 15, 2021

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Monday, February 15, 2021

Monday, February 15, 2021

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Add character to your living space with succulents

BY BELLA KEYS STAFF WRITER

There are many cute ways to spice up your living situation and one of those would be buying some plants! Plants are cute little creatures that can make any dull living situation cute. But, there is some care involved in taking care of these cute companions. Some suggestions for this would be buying lowcare plants to start. These plants would be succulents and cacti. Both succulents and cacti are low care plants that need barely any water and a lot of sunlight. In my opinion and current experience, I water my succulents every three weeks and water them very thoroughly. It is also important to make sure they are getting enough light and a pot that drains properly otherwise you’ll risk the plant developing root rot. If you do want to move it up a notch, you could get an anthurium or aloe plant. These plants need to be watered every time the soil is dried out. So, n07-001 to check this, stick your finger in the soil about one inch to test if it’s dry, if the soil is very dry then the plant needs to be watered!

Another good idea if your plant is struggling is to buy special soil for it. I have special succulent soil that has really saved the lives of my plants before. In fact now they

are growing like crazy! You can check if your plant is growing by seeing if there is anywhere that’s lighter green on it and you know that it’s making progress. I find joy in seeing that I’m caring correctly for my plant when I see it growing. Here’s a small tip for finding plants, you could always look at the sale rack at some stores to see which ones you can 09_09_19-Seven07-002 save for very cheap. I’ve gotten many great plants for a low cost.

Now for some places in your apartment or dorm to put your plants! You could put them on your window sill to give your room an earthy touch. These plants could be put in pots that you can find on Amazon. In fact, I search plant pots cute in the search bar on Amazon and find all kinds of adorable pots!

For example, I have some pots shaped like a swan or one that looks like a face with big eyelashes; these were all inexpensive.

Another good idea is to buy a larger plant that can act as good decor in any room. You 09_09_19-Seven07-002 could place the plant in a large pot near the window or next to your couch. It’s also a great way to take care of something and practice responsibility while still staying fashionable.

Additionally, a low light plant and place, somewhere where it isn’t directly facing the light, but close enough to get sunlight. Finally,

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Various succulents and other plants line the walls of the Plant Mode store in Champaign on Oct. 09_09_19-Seven07-003 30. Succulents are a great way to liven your space.

to make arrangements with your plants, you Happy decorating and I hope you find joy can go to Walgreens, Lowes or Home Depot in saving the lives of adorable little plants! and pick out two or three plants and plant them together. This is a great way to make Bella is a junior in LAS. a larger arrangement and house them in a ikeys@dailyillini.com bigger pot that can be a staple in any room.

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Monday, February 15, 2021

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First-year dorm experiences have their struggles

BY ABBY GREETIS STAFF WRITER

The beginning of your college experience is an adjustment, to say the least. For the first time, you are living out from beneath your parents’ roof, released from their rules and free to make decisions that revolve around your time table, nobody else’s. First-year college students deal with many struggles during this adjustment whether it be balancing their social life and school life, grappling with homesickness or meeting new people. One struggle in particular is the adjustment to dorm life.

At the University of Illinois, first-year undergraduate students are required to live in housing certified by the vice chancellor of Student Affairs or designee for their first academic year unless a waiver request is submitted and approved. This means the majority of firstyear undergraduates get the full dorm-living experience.

For many students, this is an exciting experience. Some students become roommates with old high school friends while others join newstudent Facebook groups in hopes of finding someone they might get along with. New college students flood Targets across the world to buy their many essential dorm items, whether a carpet, shower shoes, a 10-foot long charger,

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A common area in the Weston Exploration LLC sits quietly. There are several things to get used to when living in a dorm freshman year.

a Keurig or whatever else they deem necessary to have at college.

Move-in day quickly rounds the corner and the excitement is brimming as students finally put their dream dorm room together. Yet, amid all of this excitement comes the realization this new home is nothing like the home they know.

In the first year, students will encounter many differences in lifestyle in the dorms. Suddenly, your bathroom is a community bathroom where you have to wear flip flops every

Dorm living is no luxury. While some halls provide more comfort than others, this adjustment nonetheless can be a shock to many students. Yet just as there is to every adjustment in life, there lies a significance behind the struggle. This is the first time students from different backgrounds are placed in the same situation: Every student in a particular hall is experiencing the same dorm life challenges no matter their backgrounds. It’s learning to make do with these changes that set students up for life beyond college. Learning to embrace the shower shoes, the mediocre food, the cockroaches and disagreements with your roommate is learning to roll with the punches of life and knowing that not everything is within your control.

So, as you call the front desk to report a disgusting cockroach infestation and as you long for the days when you could take a shower without walking down a long hall past all of your neighbors, just remember this is only preparing you for the many punches life will hit you with further down the road. This is the real world; not everything is glorious.

time you shower. The food from the cafeteria quickly loses its charm as your left aching for the home-cooked meals you had with your family. You have to learn how to live with another person, how to compromise and how to be flexible with your sleeping schedule if you and your roommate are on different pages, or, worse yet, if you prefer going to bed early while your neighbors like to blast music late Abby is a freshman in LAS into the night. In addition, of course, you have greetis4@dailyillini.com the occasional cockroach encounter.

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Take advantage of your kitchen, go vegetarian

BY MEGHAN LYONS SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR

A year ago, I would have never thought that in 2021, I’d be a vegetarian. Initially, the task seemed impossible. The thought of becoming a vegetarian made me shudder in fear of my pockets being emptied.

My freshman and sophomore years, I had a meal plan; my meals included large portions of meat. When I lived in my sorority house, our chef especially loved cooking meat for us, which was more often than not undercooked. Many of my friends who were vegetarian complained — even I, a meat eater at the time, found myself agreeing with their points. I found myself frequently getting sick and feeling malnourished.

Fast forward to now, I no longer have a meal plan. I have my own kitchen, my own spices, my own fridge, my own space and, lo and behold, I can actually develop my own diet! No longer do I have to be limited to ingredient choices of mediocre overpaid chefs. When I started shopping for my own, I thought about my diet for the first time in my life. Learning that the pandemic was connected to wet markets and the much time spent reflecting in quarantine, I started to rethink what I had been eating. I was never a huge meat person. I did, however, love chicken nuggets — and I still do.

Because I did not like red meat, I decided to start off as a pollo-tarian — a person who does not eat meat with the exception of poultry and fish. Doing so was surprisingly easy, and then I set a goal to become a pescatarian. Still, I did not think I would go completely vegetarian, and when New Year’s Day came along, I decided to make a vow to see how long I could go without consuming any meat. In the process, I’ve actually saved a lot more money rather than spent more.

If you are thinking about going vegetarian, don’t doubt yourself; it’s easier than you think. Here’s how you do it:

Invest in a food processor.

Having a food processor completely revolutionized the efficiency of cooking my meals.

Although food processors do cost some money, the return greatly outweighs the cost. I use my food processor almost every day. Because vegetarians are at risk for iron deficiency, I incorporate a large amount of beans into my diet, with my favorite of all being chickpeas.

With a few cans of chickpeas, or any kind of bean, really, you can remake all the food and meals that you love. So far, I’ve been able to cook vegetarian tacos, black bean burgers and dumplings. And the best thing about it?

I’ve saved money in the process.

JULIA EVERSMANN THE DAILY ILLINI

Be prepared to change your palette.

I used to hate beans. The texture of beans originally used to make me gag — some vegetables were another story, still being just as difficult to eat. Slowly, I started experimenting with different vegetables and beans I did not completely despise: spinach and cauliflower. The more time passed, the more I adjusted my intake. When I had made the full transition to vegetarian, I knew I was not going to lead a healthy vegetarian lifestyle without a sufficient protein source, not just including eggs. Because of this, I practically forced tofu, chickpeas and other plant-based proteins into my meals. Since then, my palette has evolved. Now every now and then, I find myself craving things like hummus, which used to make me turn up my nose.

Do sufficient research

Before making the big decision, think ahead and scope out nearby grocery stores to see if you have access to the products you need. Some great stores for vegetarian products on campus are Fresh International and County Market. Fresh International has a huge selection of soy products, including soy chicken, soy burgers and more. You can discover vegetables you’ve never even heard of.

Going vegetarian is not for everyone, especially if you have any particular health conditions. Additionally, there are different types of vegetarianism: lacto-ovo, which includes eggs and dairy, ovo-vegetarian, which includes eggs, lacto, which only includes dairy, and veganism, which involves no animal products. Each type of diet restricts different types of nutrients. If you are considering cutting out all animal products, be wary of vitamin deficiencies, especially B-12 and iron, and consult your doctor.

Be gradual and forgiving with yourself.

As I mentioned previously, going vegetarian was a gradual process for me, starting with eliminating red meat, then eventually all meat. This took me a few months and has been an entire process. Just like any other new lifestyle, you’re bound to have a slipup every now and then. Even if you are concerned about iron deficiencies, you don’t have to become a full on vegetarian to make a difference. Look into semi-vegetarian diets. By going pollo-tarian or pescatarian, you are still taking action to minimize your carbon footprint.

Meghan is a junior in LAS mslyons2@illinois.edu

Monday, February 15, 2021

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Do these throwback activities at your apartment Change it up, rediscover your love for old hobbies with your new roommates

BY NOAH DAVIS STAFF WRITER

vertently stealing a gaming system bought with my hard-earned Hanukkah money is pretty traumatic in my book.

Rediscovering my love for something I frankly stopped thinking about once I got a Play Station 4 was unexpected, but now, finding accessories for other games, such as Dance Dance Revolution, is a lot cheaper than scouring Craigslist for a used one. I found that my console still has all the old avatars I made when I was in elementary school, which was a more mind-blowing experience than scrolling through your contacts and seeing all the people you met early in college but no longer keep in touch with.

Another purchase worth making is those clear plastic cups they serve drinks in at The Red Lion or KAM’s. By purchasing these plastic cups, you can still get that same feeling of waiting in the line in the freezing cold, only to pay cover and $3 a drink and to sit at a table with the only people you talk to anyway. Change it up by opening up a nearby window to make it significantly colder in your apartment or living space. And on the bright side, you don’t have to risk getting COVID-19.

Miss the good ole days? Here are a few throwback activities as well as more remnants of a lost time you can bring back home, making a lot of people want to slide up on your snap stories.

Remember when you and all your friends would spend hours upon hours playing Rock Band? There was always that one person who insisted on singing, but their voice was utterly tone-deaf. I yearn for those moments, as I plan on spending more time trying to pass the days playing “Through the Fire and Flames” on hard instead of the Spanish class I put off taking.

All of this came from when my mother basically forced me to rummage through our attic to clean out everything our family had ever owned throughout my life. I stumbled upon my old Wii gaming console, the one she took away as a punishment when I was a kid. She ended up forgetting where she hid it. Taking Noah is a senior in Business. away a Wii for a week is one thing, but inad- noahd3@dailyillini.com

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Trials, tribulations of moving back home

CAMERON KRASUCKI THE DAILY ILLINI

Pedestrians walk across Wabash Avenue in Chicago on May 30. Many Illinois students hail from Chicago, but living at home with your parents has positives and negatives.

loud morning antics that seemingly always wake you up at the crack of dawn? Actually, yeah. Food is one of life’s greatest gifts, and any opportunity someone gives you to enjoy that for free, should be appreciated. Even if you kick in for groceries at your house, any amount your family is saving you is something to be grateful for. You can show your appreciation by making the absolute most out of your par-

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Like most people, I love my parents. That being said, would I trade out my roommates with my parents right now and live exactly the life I live here in Champaign? Probably not. First of all, my mother doesn’t fancy flags and liquor bottles as décor. Contrary to differences in interior design taste, as of 2016, more young people are living with their parents longer, mostly in a fiscally responsible attempt to save as much money as possible.

Now, living expenses are rising, and the job market is more unpredictable than ever. Even you, soon-to-be graduate from a prestigious school, may find yourself in a predicament in which it is just more fiscally plausible to move back in with your parents. But maybe this hypothetical situation isn’t as bad as you make it out to be. Perhaps, just perhaps, there is something to gain and learn from moving back in with the ex-empty nesters.

Whatever your status as a graduate or student means about your future housing status, there’s something to take away from your parents’ support, the good and the bad. There are things you will miss about independence when you’re with your parents, and there are things you will miss about your parents’ home when

you are on your own. Use what you don’t enjoy about one situation to appreciate the other.

The downfalls of living with your parents become clear in high school and increasingly apparent as you return home throughout college. There is an everlasting struggle for independence that begins in high school, as you start to feel like an adult but are treated like what you still are — a minor. You begin to feel like you are being stripped of your independence and then bam you’re off to college to choose what they call a major. This timing is the perfect example of nature taking its course.

But that is perfectly ok. My parents and I butt heads. We disagree. I get aggravated because they aren’t woke enough. These things happen.

Life often teaches us two lessons at once, double-edged swords if you will. True, being away at school has taught you to appreciate your independence, but it has also opened your eyes to the immense benefits of going home every once and a while. You’re telling me I can go from considering a Kraft single on a piece of cheese a proper nightly nourishment to gourmet meals every night? Most other parents I’ve met share this passion for feeding. One day, you will live and love to feed, but for now, just enjoy being the beneficiary. Is this passion for filling stomachs a redeeming quality for their

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ents’ help in life.

Rather than being upset that you are at home, save up and invest money, time and energy to your career goals. It’s best to look at living at your parents as both an opportunity to embrace gratitude and smash some food.

Matthew is a senior in AHS mebeyer2@dailyillini.com

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THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

Students wait to enter the PAR dining hall on May 1, 2018. You will meet many different types of people during your freshman year at Illinois.

UI dorms symbolize people from your freshman year

BY ALLISON CONNELLY STAFF WRITER

Freshman year is full of unknowns; you’re thrown into this enormous campus knowing only a handful of people you went to high school with.

You’re bound to meet a wide variety of people during your time on this campus, but there are few types of people that you’re guaranteed to meet. If University’s dorm halls were caricatures of the people you meet your freshman year of college, they would look a little like:

FAR/PAR

FAR/PAR is the really chill guy you met on Quad Day but never saw again. Now, six months have gone by and you’re watching their Snapchat story desperately trying to remember where you know them from.

Allen Hall

Allen is a art major that spends most of his time at Caffe Paradiso, drinking black coffee and reading The New York Times articles. He’s been debating on switching his major to Media and Cinema Studies because he loves Quentin Tarantino (a little too much) and has the classic Pulp Fiction poster hung up on his wall.

Bromley Hall

Snyder

Sleep in, Walk to Class

Snyder attempts to dissuade you from going to The Red Lion by listing off statistics on drunk driving and alcoholism. He’s never been to any of the bars on Green Street and instead chills in the lounge on the weekends, playing World of Warcraft with three other guys in his dorm.

Busey

Busey is the overly-nice girl in your PSYC 100 class that you’ve spoken a total of two words to the entire semester; however, she never fails to whisper the answers to you when she can tell you’re clearly struggling. She texted you individually in the class GroupMe once to see if you wanted to go to an Urbana house party with her.

Newman

Newman has a bible verse in his Instagram bio but tries to hookup with every girl he sees at Joes — which he only got into because of his fraternity brother’s passback. He’s pissed he didn’t get into a Top Haus but hides it by saying “they’re all douchebags anyway.”

Weston

Weston is similar to Bromley, but he’s a little more down-to-earth and can actually make it past the pregame. You can count on him to let you know what the move is, and you can usually find him at 57 North on Sunday morning grabbing wings as his “hangover cure.”

Bromley was the queen bee back in high school.

She has LED lights lining her walls, attempting to become TikTok famous. She doesn’t know how to clean her own room. (Why would she? There’s a maid for that). The only 22S she knows are her sorority sisters.

Allison is a senior in LAS. aconne5@dailyillini.com

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Consider college life without roommates

BY SHIVALI SHUKLA ASSISTANT SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR

Living with roommates obviously has its perks; it can be one of the most exciting things about moving to college. So when asynchronous classes have become the new normal and your roommates decide not to return to campus or even if you chose to live alone after experiencing life with a roommate, solo life might turn out to be an adjustment. For the extroverts out there, it might even be painful. For the introverts, it could be a utopia. But no matter how you feel about it or what your expectations are, living alone has the potential to become your saving grace in trying times.

For all you control freaks out there, living alone is a gold mine. You control almost everything when you’re only accountable for yourself: when you eat, when you sleep, how you decorate, how loud your music is, whether or not it’s socially acceptable to talk to yourself — you name it, you’re the judge of it. If something you struggled with when living with someone else was not being able to do whatever you wanted whenever you wanted, living alone is for you. You can sleep all day and eat cheeseburgers all night without feeling like your roommate is judging

you, or you can binge “The Office” without worrying about your roommate waking up.

It’s a control freak heaven.

If you don’t feel the need to be making every decision in your living space, living alone can be your chance to figure out who you are and what you like doing in your own time. When you have roommates, chances are you spend a lot of time around them and your activities center around theirs. Even if you still do your own thing around roommates, the schedule you do it on and the actual activities you engage in likely revolve around their needs and expectations. You can’t exactly be painting in your living room if the scent bothers Karen. When you’re on your own, though, there is no Karen. Crack open a window and paint on your bed for all anyone cares. You can explore yoga or commit to a workout schedule designed by Chloe Ting without worrying about your roommates judging how out of shape you are — or being green with jealousy over how ripped you are.

While you can explore your hobbies and interests alone, living by yourself doesn’t mean you won’t have a social life. The experience might even teach you to reach out to your friends and family more often and

could potentially help you forge better relationships. If you feel lonely, you can always text your favorite person and ask to catch up or host a rager in your place. You make the rules. It’s also important to remember being lonely and being alone are two very different things. You can exist on your own without being lonely, especially if you remember the people you can turn to when you need some company.

As you continue to experience what it’s like to live on your own, you’re likely to face some fears and revel in your bravery along the way. It’s actually fairly common to be afraid of bugs, the dark or to have social anxiety about answering the door or checking the mail. But if you don’t have roommates, Karen can’t kill your vibe or those bugs. You’ll have to do it yourself, but facing your fears is one of the best ways to overcome them.

Not only that, but you’ll start to realize how competent and capable you are. The confidence boost will make you glow, and I guarantee you’ll be in awe at the stronger, more independent person you’ll become.

One of the biggest perks of not having any roommates, in my opinion, is not having to deal with passive-aggressive behavior over who left the dirty dishes in the sink and not

having to complain to your friends about how Karen’s boyfriend accidentally used your toothbrush after basically moving into your two-bedroom apartment. There’s zero tension, unless you’re watching Ross Geller get divorced for the third time, but even then, you can find validation in knowing you’re probably luckier in love than poor Ross. But if we’re being real, there’s probably at least one thing that has annoyed you about any of your past roommates, so not having anyone else to worry about can bring you a lot of peace you didn’t know you needed.

Living on your own is one of the most freeing experiences you’ll ever have. If not now, I highly recommend living alone at some point because most of us spend the majority of our lives living in the same space with at least one person. We grow up living with our families, spend college with roommates and then move in with significant others or get married and start families. For a lot of people, there’s a short window of opportunity for independent living, so if you have the means, I’d say go for it.

Shivali is a senior in AHS. sshukl5@dailyillini.com

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Be a courteous roommate, respect living space Avoid miscommunication, create a safe space with people you’re living with to maximize your happiness during a stressful semester

BY JJ KIM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Whether you’re planning on moving into your first residence hall as a freshman or kicking back in senior land, chances are you will be rooming with someone other than yourself. When you’re living with people who aren’t your family members, there are some things to keep in mind to ensure your living situation is, well, livable for the next year.

First things first: Get in contact with your roommates and plan who will bring what to your living arrangement. The last thing anybody wants is to forget to bring necessities to the apartment or residence hall and make a panic trip to Target. It’s easy to forget things like mats, kitchen utensils and shower rings.

Next, gather all your roommates, sit down and have a serious conversation about the ground rules and boundaries you want to set in the apartment. This is a great time to talk about pet peeves, sleeping preferences, how clean you want things to be and general expectations. A huge trap roommates fall into, especially if they are friends, is they fail to communicate their expectations of living together.

However close you may be with your roommates, living together is a whole different ball game.

You see how your friends are when you hang out with them, but seeing how they live may surprise you. For instance, if you’re the type of person to get your homework done in the early evening and be fast asleep by 10 p.m., you may want to know if your roommate doesn’t even start their homework until midnight and falls asleep at 5 a.m.

On a similar note, if you are a clean freak, it may be a good idea to voice your concerns on keeping the apartment clean. If you can’t stand dirty dishes piling up and the garbage can being full, make it clear at the very beginning of the lease so that your roommates know to be conscious about being clean.

If you’re in a relationship, don’t have your significant other over to your place every day. Your roommates might tell you that they don’t mind, but trust me, they do. It’s nothing personal, but it’s hard to fully relax knowing someone who doesn’t live there is around. If you can switch up the location of your hangouts frequently, your roommates will appreciate it.

If you have any problem with your roommates, be sure to address it to them pri-

BRYAN NGUYEN THE DAILY ILLINI

vately rather than let things build up. This is a lot easier said than done, especially for people who are nonconfrontational, but letting things build up will only lead to an explosion and an even worse fallout. If something is bothering you, just say, “Hey, I’m sure it wasn’t intentional or anything, but you’ve been doing this, and it’s been bothering me a little. Can we agree on a resolution?”

This next tip is also much easier said than done, but it’s still worth saying. Clean your dishes as soon as you’re done using them; it’s much easier in the long run. I’m guilty of not doing it right after I’m done eating, but when I do, I feel so much better, and the kitchen sink stays clean. When dishes pile up, it can cause sanitary issues, stink up the apartment

and leave a bad impression on your guests.

On days when you have an early class and your roommates don’t, please don’t let any doors slam shut when you’re heading out. I can still vividly remember the most annoyed I’ve ever been in the morning was when I was sound asleep and rudely awoken by our door being slammed shut. It is not hard to brace the impact of the door, but the little things add up.

Moreover, keep the common spaces such as the living room and kitchen clear of any personal belongings. Hanging up your coats, backpacks and packages in common spaces prevents others from comfortably using these spaces. It’s okay to do it when you first walk into the apartment, but don’t leave it out for

days on end.

Finally, ask your roommates to do things with you! If you were paired randomly with someone, asking them to grab lunch or get tested together is a great way to start your relationship with them. You’re going to be living with them for at least the next year, so you might as well learn to get along with them.

JJ is a junior in Media. jjk7@dailyillini.com

The Daily Illini

Monday, February 15, 2021

15

Should you live in Urbana or Champaign?

BY MEGHAN LYONS SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR

lege bar is located within Champaign: KAM’s, The Red Lion, Legends Bar and Grill, Brothers Bar & Grill, etc.

Champaign is also home to the one and only “Senior Land,” which is a neighborhood where seniors typically spend their final year on the outskirts of campus. Senior Land is similar to Urbana, with older houses where students can — or used to — throw parties. During a normal syllabus week, Senior Land would come alive with parties, most often thrown by fraternity and sorority members.

Finally, living in Champaign has the perks of being near the sporting events, the Six Pack and the ARC. If you are an extroverted, dynamic and sociable person, Champaign is more for you.

You’ve probably heard different conceptions about both Urbana and Champaign, like how Champaign is the place to live, with the nice highrise apartments and the fraternity parties and Bromley studs, while Urbana is not the place you want to live unless you are a slow-drip drinking metrosexual who enjoys listening to The Velvet Underground and cannot be seen in public without a pair of Dr. Martens on your feet.

From observation, this conception is not entirely false: Urbana and Champaign are indeed two cities with seemingly two different realities, with Champaign being the exuberant, dynamic and modern city and Urbana being the grungy and estranged twin, sporting cobblestone streets and odd yet charming idiosyncratic houses that grin as you walk past. Both cities offer two types of lifestyles, but choosing where to live depends As most people say, Urbana is a vibe. Further entirely on the kind of college lifestyle you desire. away from most recreational places and popular dining spots, many students unwillingly end up in Urbana their first year, living in either Allen Hall, ISR, FAR or PAR. People tend to stray from livIf you prefer nightlife and socializing—and not ing in Urbana to avoid having to walk far to class walking in the cold—Champaign is probably best during the brutal Illinois winters. for you. In a non-COVID-19 reality, Champaign For those who do not fear the cold, the beauty is a bustling city, littered with popular dining and nostalgia of Urbana are worth it. In a way, options and bars. Virtually every popular col- Urbana has a darker aesthetic to it. Nowhere else

Urbana

Champaign

THE DAILY ILLINI FILE PHOTO

Cars roll down Green Street in Champaign on Feb. 24. Deciding between living in Champaign and Urbana requires important consideration.

has the same atmosphere as Urbana; it is its own reality. Innovative, creative and open-minded, the quaint city is more progressive compared to Champaign. There are a lot of sights to see in Urbana, such as watching shows in Krannert Performing Arts Center as well as small, independent businesses like Espresso Royale.

Finally, there is a large artistic student body that lives in Urbana and a bustling music scene.

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music. Additionally, there is a lot of nature and beauty to see. Urbana is home to Japan House gardens, which are enticing to see in the spring.

If you are looking for a more unconventional and aesthetic college experience, Urbana is a great place to call home.

Meghan is a junior in LAS. mslyons2@dailyillini.com

Monday, February 15, 2021

The Daily Illini

16

Add simple routines to your busy lifestyle Form healthy habits, organize your daily life with generic schedule

BY SHIVALI SHUKLA ASSISTANT SPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR

I’ve never been one to live on a schedule.

I have always resisted the idea of living on a routine because I thought it would take away my spontaneity and freedom of choice. What I’ve found, however, is refusing to establish a routine can be more physically and mentally draining than adhering to one. There are a lot of benefits to having a routine in your daily life, and though it may take some time to get used to, forming healthy habits can improve your livelihood in the long term. And what better time to start a new routine than when you move into your new place?

According to Northwestern Medicine, there are numerous health benefits to living by a routine. Routines decrease stress levels, offer more time for nutritious meals and exercise, encourage better sleep and improve time management skills, among other things. Sticking to a routine can even improve self-esteem

and increase motivation, thus allowing you to accomplish more throughout your day.

Your routine doesn’t have to be fancy or extremely detailed. It could be generic: exercise, eat, shower, work, eat, watch TV, sleep.

It could even just be one simple thing you do every single day. Maybe you want to add a jog into your schedule sometime around 3 p.m. every day, choose a specific day and time to meal prep each week or add some downtime at the end of each weekday to relax and settle down with a movie.

A routine could also involve making sure you read or watch the news regularly. It doesn’t have to be a long, detailed schedule of what you’ll do every minute of every day.

People tend to equate routines and schedules with neuroticism and high-strung, detail-oriented personality types. In many cases, however, routines actually emphasize the contrary. They demonstrate clear thought and effective communication, and they don’t have to deprive you of your spontaneity.

An underrated benefit of establishing and adhering to a routine is learning to let your decisions dictate your day-to-day activities rather than your fears and emotions. You learn to stick to the choices you make for

yourself. When you let your feelings guide your actions and feed your impulsivity, you can start to feel like you’re losing control over your life. Creating a routine can counteract those feelings of helplessness and remind you that you are in control of your life, day in and day out.

Whether you’re living on or off campus, routine living can improve your well-being in many ways. It could lead to a happier lifestyle and a greater sense of safety and satisfaction throughout your day. People love crossing things off lists, so even if you hate routines, making one thing a regular occurrence each day can serve as a satisfactory check mark on your mental to-do list. For me, adding some routine things to my day felt like a hassle at first, but I’ve started to crave those activities.

It’s important to stay organized and find balance in your life, especially in the stressful environment college can become, and establishing a routine wherever you live is a step in the right direction.

Shivali is a senior in AHS. sshukl5@dailyillini.com

JULIA EVERSMANN THE DAILY ILLINI

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The Daily Illini

Monday, February 15, 2021

17

Fuel your caffeine addiction by leasing near a coffee shop Lincoln Ave.

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Without its coffee shops, Urbana would not have nearly the same amount of charm. Located on Lincoln Avenue not too far from a majority of the Urbana dorms is the renowned Cafe Paradiso. Inside the store, there is spacious seating, an unconventional but charming atmosphere overgrowing with plants and an extensive menu.

In 2018, Cafe Paradiso received a surprise visit from former President Barack Obama.

Closer to the Main Quad is one of the few Green St. remaining Espresso Royales, nestled near the Canopy Club and Krannert Performing Arts Center. Just like the other coffee shops, Espresso Royale offers a satisfying menu and homey seating. Espresso Royale is a common favorite of many students.

Matthews Ave.

Springfield Ave.

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Meghan is a junior in LAS. mslyons2@dailyillini.com

• Fully furnished • Affordable • Minutes to Engineering Campus

Lincoln Ave.

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Champaign shops: BrewLab, Flying Machine Avionics

Urbana shops: Cafe Paradiso, Espresso Royale

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Matthews Ave.

If there is one staple of struggling twentysomethings, it’s coffee. Hands down, coffee has been the one to help me through it all: paper-heavy nights, classes, interacting with people, hangovers. Assuming whoever else is reading this is a caffeine fiend, I’m sure you can empathize with me. And when you run out, you end up plummeting into a world of pain.

The withdrawals classify coffee-drinking with a new kind of hell: piercing migraines and lingering grouchiness. Getting more coffee during a drought is impossible — because you are too tired to get it, but you need it, and the nearest Starbucks is five minutes away, and delivering a coffee is just ridiculous because coffee prices are already obnoxiously inflated, and $10 is despicable for a single, mediocre coffee.

Anyway, I finally got my coffee now as I am writing this, so let me cut to the point: You don’t want to face a situation where you cannot access coffee. So, what do you do? You still need to sign a contract, don’t know who to live with and you are a slave to the bitter bean.

The secret is to locate a coffee shop and lease close to it. Here are some businesses to consider leasing near on campus to support and prevent yourself from a caffeine crisis.

If you are looking to lease in Champaign, there are a couple of great small coffee businesses adjacent to student housing. BrewLab, located near Fifth and Green streets, is a unique business; half of it is a bike shop and the other a cozy, artistic and whimsical shop, often jam-packed with students. Located a little farther away on First Street in Champaign is another gem: Flying Machine Avionics. This coffee shop boasts a menu full of different coffees to fuel your needs.

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Monday, February 15, 2021

19

You can decorate on a budget with these dos, don’ts

BY MATT TROHER ASSISTANT LONGFORM EDITOR

Whether you’re in a dorm, an apartment or sharing a co-op house, one thing is certain — you have to decorate. With vaccinations trickling throughout the community, it’s certain we’ll be cooped up for just a little longer, and no one wants to be stuck inside an unfurnished, undecorated ugly residence. But we’re also college students, and money is tight. We can’t afford to buy into the latest home decor trends — smart mirrors and infinity pools and all. However, we can offer the dos and don’ts of decorating on a budget.

Dos

Pictures: A picture is worth a thousand words.

Luckily, a 4-by-6 photo print from Walgreens is also worth 35 cents. Dirt cheap but also intently personal, printing out photos of your most cherished memories and closest friends may be the best way to decorate a blank wall. Especially for those in dorms, where all you have to work with is the wall to the side of your bed, photographs offer a way to make a patchwork collage of fond memories and scenery.

Posters: Larger and more expensive than their photographic counterparts, posters are a classic college decoration. Posters are perhaps the best way to showcase your taste in music, film and pop culture. Nothing builds friendships faster than seeing the poster of your favorite band on someone’s dorm room wall. However, when it comes to movies, try to showcase some originality. Everyone’s seen the “Pulp Fiction” and “Fight Club” posters a million times. Why not shake it up with some fan-made posters you can buy off Etsy or Redbubble or, better yet, some different movie posters. My favorites are “The Social Network,” “The Tree of Life” and “Midsommar.”

Books: Nothing says classy and well-read better than an adorned bookshelf. Plus, with all that reading you’re doing for class, you’re bound to have a bunch of books lying around anyway. A nice line of books, especially if they’re arranged by height, or better yet, color, says you can read and decorate. Plus, some books’s cover art are so beautifully designed that they function as their own piece of artwork — face those outward on display. My favorites are the vintage edition of James Joyce’s “Ulysses” and Tyehimba Jess’s “Olio.”

Tapestries: Perhaps the most expensive item on this list, tapestries are still a good way to fill a blank wall without totally breaking the bank.

With the internet being as wide and weird as it is, you’re sure to find a tapestry with any design on it, from landscape sceneries to pop culture icons. Redbubble, the most popular source for ordering niche interest-oriented tapestries, runs at around $35 for a 60-by-50 textile. If you want to go even bigger, Redbubble’s largest tapestry size measures 104 inches by 88 inches — cer-

RYAN ASH THE DAILY ILLINI

Sophomore Natalie Bizon decorates her apartment on Oct. 2. It’s important to wisely decorate your living space.

tain to convert a wall into a full-sized work of art.

The Readymade: Readymade is a pretentious art term for an object that already exists — any object can be art if you want it to be. If you’re strapped for decoration ideas, often the best decoration has been right in front of you all along.

Perhaps that mug in the back of your cabinet will make a great accent piece, or that sweater you haven’t worn in years will look better hung up on your wall instead of collecting dust in the back of your closet. Finding readymades to turn into decor takes a bit of creativity, so don’t be afraid to try something new. The worst that can happen is it doesn’t look good.

Don’ts

LED Lights: You know the ones I’m talking about. Those color-changing LED strip lights all over TikTok are ugly, overdone and, worst of all, tacky. You’re not in high school anymore. There are better ways to light a room without looking like you’re trying to recreate a social media trend.

There’s nothing worse than standing outside of ISR or Weston Hall and seeing window after window with the same blue or red glow. This isn’t to say all lighting options are bad; try Christmas lights or miniature Edison bulbs instead. Target will have tons of sleek yet mature lighting options for under $15.

Buy into Minimalism: The case for clutter is strong. There is nothing more lifeless than a sterile house void of any decorations, the color palette consisting of whites only accented by grays with spotless shelves and a TV on the middle of the wall. Do something! Don’t be sloppy, but nothing creates a warm, inviting environment like some thoughtful decorations. After all, it’s your living space, even if you’re just renting it for the year. Make it your own!

Matt is a sophomore in LAS and Media. mtroher2@dailyillini.com

Monday, February 15, 2021

20

The Daily Illini

Cherish overall convenience of a college town

BY SAMANTHA BOYLE MANAGING EDITOR FOR REPORTING

paign-Urbana, the entire area became like a bigger dorm. Now, our friends are a quick walk down the street or a simple bus ride away. I know it’s hard, but if you think about your life post-college, you and your friends may be in different cities, states or even countries.

It’s hard to think about, but after I had some friends graduate and leave Champaign, I never fully understood the blessing a college campus is. I complain all the time when I have to walk all the way from Urbana to Champaign to meet up with some friends, but one day, I might have to take a plane or a much longer drive.

I always hear people talking about how it’s harder to make friends when you finally become a full-functioning adult, and I definitely think the way we live is a part of that reason. After college, everyone goes off to do different things, but now, we’re all here taking classes and just trying to graduate. We’re in similar life stages, and that makes our social lives a lot easier.

The fact of the matter is we live so close to our friends, and it took me until this year to fully start realizing and appreciating that.

People often say their college years are some of the best years of their lives. I obviously haven’t experienced anything beyond college yet, but as a senior, I can say I have loved every minute of college, and if I could do it all over again, I would. Something I have always thought and talked about with my friends is how we will never really live this close in proximity of each other ever again. That’s what I’m going to miss most about college.

College typically starts with a dorm room and is one of the first communities you’ll experience as a freshman. My dorm experience led me to some of my best friends and a community I feel like I will have for the rest of my life.

We would do homework together, eat together, play games together and all it ever took was a quick walk down the hall and a knock on the door. I became friends with our dorm neighbors and am still great friends with my freshman year roommate, who ended up being my roommate the following three years as well. My dorm made a huge campus feel small and tightknit, and even though we all eventually moved out, the feeling remained.

Samantha is a senior in Media.

After moving out of the dorms and into sjboyle2@dailyillini.com houses and apartments all around Cham-

KENYON EDMOND THE DAILY ILLINI

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Monday, February 15, 2021

Roommates represent best part of pandemic

BY SAMANTHA BOYLE MANAGING EDITOR FOR REPORTING

KENYON EDMOND THE DAILY ILLINI

Two roommates relax in their dorm room on Feb. 15, 2020. Having solid roommates is a great boon during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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ing a pack of White Claws or a bottle of wine. I became more of a homebody than I ever was before, and we kept ourselves and other people safe while we did so. I know day in and day out at least one person will be at home and someone will always be around and down to hang out at the end of the day. There’s always someone around to sit and eat lunch with if we both have a free hour during the day.

Also, now that a lot of classes have moved online, my roommates and I have taken the same classes and joined our Zoom meetings together. It’s sad not being able to be in classrooms with the rest of our class and professors, but we made it work and had a makeshift classroom in our own house. It also helped when we would have homework questions; the answers would just be a couple doors down the hall.

All throughout our lives, we hear roommate horror stories, roommate success stories and everything in between. With the tough and disappointing year we’ve had, though, roommates have played such a new and unique role in my life.

A lot of people can relate when I say I don’t like to be alone and thrive off interactions with other people — a very extroverted mindset.

When the pandemic first hit and we all had to go on lockdown, many of us started to feel lonely, sad and hopeless. Although that experience has made me like hanging out with myself a bit more and more comfortable being alone, I’d still prefer to be socially active and have some human interaction on a daily basis. It’s because of this that I say having roommates during this time has been one of the biggest blessings of all.

I like to think of roommates as built-in friends that pay to live with you. And honestly, it doesn’t get better than that. This year, it helped that I was already friends with all my roommates before we moved in together and that made it a lot easier to stay inside and follow social distancing guidelines. Of course, there is nothing wrong with living alone, and living alone has many benefits itself, but when our government and administration are telling us to stay inside, that can definitely get tough. Samantha is a senior in Media.

I started to realize this year that sometimes, sjboyle2@dailyillini.com there is nothing better than just sitting inside your living room with your roommates and kill-

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Monday, February 15, 2021

Every college kitchen should have these items

BY SAMANTHA BOYLE MANAGING EDITOR FOR REPORTING

Before college, I was never big into cooking or really knew how to cook, for that matter. While I may not be Gordon Ramsay — yet — I have learned to enjoy my time in the kitchen and have put out some pretty decent dishes, if I do say so myself. After three and a half years of furnishing my own kitchen, I found some cool and fun devices I think are essential for any kitchen. I use the term essential pretty loosely, and I must admit some of the products aren’t necessities, but they’re certainly fun.

Rice cooker

One of the first meals I learned how to make was stir fry, usually with rice, sometimes with pasta. Stir fry was a staple for my sophomore and junior years and I mastered the sauce and the veggies, but never the rice.

It wasn’t until my roommates brought home a rice cooker that my life was changed. Perhaps I’m alone in this, but I didn’t realize the true power of a rice cooker until I came face to face with its rice. Rice is cheap, healthy and a staple in a lot of college students’ lives, so I think it’s 100% a need for any kitchen.

Lots of Tupperware

Growing up, I hated leftovers. All throughout college, I love them. If I’m ever home for a weekend, cooking with a friend or anything in between, I’m bringing Tupperware.

These little containers have seen it all and are always there for me when I have no idea what to cook. My mom has collected Tupperware for as long as I can remember. I used to be confused why she would keep it all until she started sending me back to school with stacks of leftovers. I’m so thankful for them now.

Random cans of vegetables

Call me crazy, but I love canned veggies! Anytime I go to the store, I stand in the canned food aisle longer than any other aisle and I stock up. I buy at least two cans of chickpeas whenever I’m at a grocery store and am starting to consistently buy diced tomatoes and tomato paste as well. Simply having these items somewhere in my kitchen at all times has saved me many times before, and knowing always have them is a little comforting as well. If you have foods you eat or use consistently, it may be useful to start buying them on a regular basis.

ANGELINA CHAN THE DAILY ILLINI

Reusable K-Cup

I love coffee, and I don’t know many people who don’t. Almost everyone I know has some sort of Keurig in their dorm, apartment or house. You don’t even have to like coffee to own a Keurig. They’re great for teas, hot chocolates and cider as well. K-Cups are expensive, though. Recently, I’ve found just buying ground coffee and a reusable K-Cup is the ultimate solution. Coffee grounds are way cheaper, and the reusable cup is a great investment that will save you money down the line. I will say this practice has not stopped me from spending money at Starbucks or other coffee shops, but that’s something I’m working on!

I was buying sparkling water all the time and wasting my money at the gas station when I just need a quick fix of Perrier. I was gifted a Soda Stream for my birthday a couple of years ago, and it is my favorite thing that I own. If you don’t like sparkling water, you can make soda with it insted. I love my Soda Stream, and I don’t think I will ever go back.

anything — except my Soda Stream. While they may be a silly little purchase, they keep me organized and my fridge fun.

Decorations

Maybe you also don’t think decorations are a necessity for a kitchen, but you know what they say: It’s the little things! Having posters, paintings or art around you while cooking makes it just that much better. I found a food pyramid poster at a second-hand shop and hung it up in our kitchen for a fun look.

The same way you decorate a bedroom, you should decorate a kitchen. I think college is When I talk about these, you may think the perfect time to experiment with decoit’s not a necessity. However, I fully believe rating, and why not do so with your kitchen? it is. I went to the store a while back, and you know what I saw? I saw a container in the Samantha is a senior in Media.

Soda water is not for everyone. But if it shape of an avocado, an onion, a pepper, a sjboyle2@dailyillini.com is for you, you are missing out if you don’t lemon and so many other foods. I bought so have Soda Stream. Before I got one of these, many of these, and I love them more than

Soda Stream

Vegetable or fruit containers in the shape of said foods

Monday, February 15, 2021

24

The Daily Illini

Make your home environmentally friendly

BY SAMANTHA BOYLE MANAGING EDITOR FOR REPORTING

College living often revolves around saving money as much as possible. And while that is important, it may also be good to keep in mind some things you can do to help the planet. Not only will some of these tips lower your carbon footprint, but a lot of them will lower some of your bills, too.

Set shower limits

This might be one thing people do not want to hear, but setting a shower time limit will save you time, money and water. On top of that, using cold water may help a bunch as well. Some other shower tips would be to turn the water completely off while shampooing or conditioning your hair. You may also want to shorten the amount of time your water runs before getting into it. I’ve been guilty of taking long showers and using up all the hot water, but I’ve found that if I time my showers and try to beat my time every shower I take, it’ll eventually help us all.

Use reusable dishes

It’s way too easy to buy dishes and cutlery you can just throw away after using, but I think we all know that may not be the most ideal thing for our planet. Dishes, cups and cutlery can be found for pretty cheap on Amazon, Target or even Goodwill. Prioritizing this instead of paper or styrofoam plates will only add a couple more minutes to mealtimes for cleaning dishes.

Use a water filter and reusable water bottles

Water filters or Britas are another one of the best investments you can make in college. These are items you buy one time and only have to fill with water to continue to use. Making this a habit instead of buying bottled water will eventually save you money CASSIDY BRANDT THE DAILY ILLINI and help the planet. We should be all drinking a lot of water, and there’s no better way sunlight into our living spaces. Again, this the Champaign-Urbana area. There’s also to stay hydrated than when you’re helping is a method that will help you save some the Sustainable Student Farm that has direct Full disclosure, I am vegan and have been the planet as well. money on your electricity bill as well as help ties with the University. since 2017. While it was a great decision for the planet. me and I’ve loved every minute of it, I know it’s not sustainable for everyone’s lifestyle.

However, the meat industry causes quite a Composting reduces the amount of food bit of pollution, and if you were to eat vegWhen farmers markets are in town, go waste in landfills and recycles nutrients back etarian or vegan at least one day a week, it During the day, open as many blinds as shop there! They have some of the best pro- into the soil. If you have the means to make could make a huge difference. you can. This can help your mood, your duce, and most of it is grown or made local- a little compost pile, you could be helping

electricity bill and your planet. Using arti- ly. Going to local farm stands could reduce the planet. Cooking at home and compost- Samantha is a senior in Media. ficial lights while there’s natural light out- the number of synthetic chemicals that are ing any food waste will greatly reduce waste sjboyle2@dailyillini.com side seems a bit counterintuitive. In a time in other produce from bigger grocery store as well. where we are supposed to stay inside as chains. Shopping there also helps preserve much as possible, we should try to get some local farmland, which is pretty prominent in

Go vegetarian or vegan

Use sunlight and windows

Farmers markets

Compost

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Monday, February 15, 2021

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Monday, February 15, 2021

The Daily Illini

26

Learn, prioritize when to choose confrontation Be selective in deciding whether or not it is worth it to get into a tiff with your roommates

BY ELIZABETH SAYASANE FEATURES EDITOR

Almost everyone who has had a roommate can tell a dramatic story about a huge argument they had while living together. One roommate stole laundry detergent, the other never properly cleaned their dishes and a third always blasted music until the early hours of the morning.

While some in the dorms have a simple option of asking for a room change to escape, those in apartments find themselves in a far more difficult position after they sign their lease. Even those in dorms have limited options with COVID-19 precautions in place.

For those with confrontational personalities, it can be easy to address these issues up front, letting the other person know what the problem is. Those who are more passive may find less obvious ways to address the issue, but they can still come up with a way to

communicate what they are struggling with.

The trick is knowing when something is worth causing a fight. In some cases, bringing up a roommate’s frustrating behavior can lead to tension in the relationship that continues building as each roommate fires off their frustrations back and forth. The continuous battling can lead to a stressful living situation for everyone involved that potentially lasts the entire semester.

In some cases, this is unavoidable. If a roommate steals, constantly lies or acts in unsafe ways that could harm those living with them during COVID-19 times, confrontation is necessary. No one should sacrifice their health or safety for the sake of peace in the apartment.

With other issues, though, it is important to ask beforehand what your behaviors are like. Pay attention to how well you keep up with your dishes or how long it takes you to grab your laundry out of the dryer. How often do you take your turn cleaning the bathroom or buying paper towels?

No one can be a perfect roommate. It is also easy to see the faults in others and the ways their habits differ. They might have different methods that are not how you prefer to handle things, but get the job done

KAITLIN MIKRUT THE DAILY ILLINI

nonetheless.

Even if it does get to the point of needing to sit down and have a serious conversation about roommate responsibilities, it will be more helpful for you to have a strong sense of your own behaviors and how others might find them annoying as well.

Every roommate situation is different and

will need work at one point or another. Make sure before getting into a big fight about something small, you know exactly where you stand and what you hope to accomplish.

Elizabeth is a senior in LAS eis3@dailyillini.com

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Peruse this checklist before Move-In Day

BY JJ KIM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Before you set off to move in to your new apartment or residence hall, keep these things in mind before you load up your car and head down I-57 South.

Cleaning supplies • • • • • • • • •

Paper Towels Napkins Disinfectant spray or wipes Hand sanitizer Toilet plunger Toilet brush Sponges Steel wool Rags

Decorations • • • • • • •

Furniture Posters, tapestry Plants Knick-knacks Photos Lights Album covers

Kitchen supplies • • • • • • • • • •

Silverware Cups and glasses Plates, bowls of all sizes Knives Cutting board Microwave safe dishes Oven mitts Kitchen utensils Kitchen utensil holder Trash can

Room necessities • • • • • • • • • • •

Curtains Bedsheets, comforter Shoe rack Mirror Lights Laundry hamper First-aid kit Hangers Nightstand Batteries Toolbox or pocket knife

KAITLIN MIKRUT THE DAILY ILLINI

Bathroom necessities • • • • • •

Shampoo, body wash Shower loofah Shower curtain Shower liner Shower mat Trash can

YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE SO MANY GREAT MEMORIES FROM YOUR TIME AT COLLEGE. HOLD ON TO THEM FOREVER WITH THE OFFICIAL U OF I YEARBOOK.

• • • •

Toothbrush Toothbrush holder Blow dryer Multiple towels

JJ is a junior in Media. jjk7@dailyillini.com

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