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How to decorate your halls room
By Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, on 21 September 2023
Moving into halls can be nerve-wracking in terms of packing, especially if you come from outside the UK as you can’t bring everything you might want to decorate your new room with you.
As a 4th year UCL student, here are my tips on how to decorate your hall room:
- Take a step back and consider the layout. Most rooms come with a standardised layout, which isn’t necessarily the most efficient disposition. See if you could move the bed or the desk to make more space available. This newly emptied space shouldn’t necessarily be filled with stuff since that room is going to be where you spend most of your time; you need to leave yourself space to live.
- Be wary of attaching things to the walls. Most accommodation halls require a safety deposit, from which deductions will be made if there is any considerable damage to the room. Often, this includes paint chips on the wall due to blue tac, command hooks, adhesives, etc. To be able to have posters and pictures up on your room walls, I would recommend laying some painter’s tape before putting any adhesive on the wall, so later you can remove it and it will not leave much of a trace.
- It is also important to have good lighting. One of the biggest shocks for me during the first year was the fact that during winter the sun sets very early (around 4pm). So, it was very important for me to have good lighting in my room since natural light wasn’t an option. I recommend buying an additional bedside lamp with a warm-toned light bulb, especially if the ceiling light feels too white or abrasive.
- Finally, I would recommend not going too crazy on the decorations, since you will most likely be moving out in 9 months. Your room should be cosy and welcoming without it being too crowded.
Welcome, 1st year students, good luck moving and happy decoration!
This blog was written by Ines, MEng Biomedical Engineering
It has certainly been an eventful academic year – one which has flown by far too quickly! Yet in the hustle and bustle of student life, perhaps now is as good a time as ever to take a step back and reflect on the year that has very much characterised the stepping-stone into adulthood.
Choosing the right university can often be harder than choosing your course itself. Which university has the best facilities? The best support? The friendliest environment? The most convenient travel routes? And most importantly – which university is closest to the best food spots?
 
Academia aside, the campus tour – led by current students – was the perfect chance to explore the facilities available and find out the best study spots, libraries and cafes available on campus. I was able to get a sense of the social life at UCL, the support services available to students, and the opportunities for extracurricular activities. Perhaps what stood out the most to me was how welcoming the students leading my tour were – and is ultimately what invited me back to study at UCL full-time.
Finally, attending the Offer-Holder Day gave me the opportunity to meet other prospective students and make new friends. University can be a daunting experience, especially if you’re moving to a new city or country. Meeting other students who were in the same position as me helped me to feel more connected to the university community and gave me a great sense of friendship and support.
If you were considering going to the UCL MPBE Offer-Holder Day, let me make that decision for you – do it! There is so much more to see than what is available on a website or prospectus. The Offer-Holder Day is such a great opportunity to have all of your questions answered by students as well as staff, to get an understanding of the campus vibe, and to make new friends – friends who you may just end up going to lectures with come October.