Home Is Where the Heart Is

Subtle ways to bring that home to ‘Cuse…

BY Anna Altman ★ July 13th, 2025

Design: Zoe Xixis

As an incoming freshman at Syracuse, you might be bubbling with the nerves about feeling homesick your first few weeks at school. Moving into a new environment with new people can be intimidating but also extremely rewarding and fun. 

Let’s talk about some creative, subtle ways you can genuinely add a sense of home to your dorm room. 

Add an oil diffuser with a familiar scent 

My absolute favorite candle constantly lit in my house is lavender-scented. So, when I moved to college, I packed lavender oils for my diffuser, which immediately transported me back home. Inhaling that familiar scent can quickly put your mind at ease, giving you a brief moment to bask in the smell of your home again. 

Find a scent that truly takes you back, whether it be holiday pine or fresh cotton – and, remember that smell is one of the most powerful memory triggers. 

Bring accessories from your home bed

Consider reusing a decorative pillow or throw blanket from home. Freshman year, I made my bed a safe space to truly reconnect with my home by leaning on my favorite pink pillow and snuggling up in my familiar white knitted blanket. 

Calling your friends and family while surrounded by the peaceful, comforting space of your bed will be an instant reminder of your life and connections outside Syracuse. 

Bring letter-writing materials

While you’ll have plenty of electronics at school with you, writing letters and cards to your loved ones will not only be a lovely surprise for them but also a distracting activity when you're feeling down or nostalgic for home. 

Write down everything you’ve been enjoying about ‘Cuse, or share what has felt like a struggle. Sending and receiving physical mail will give you something to look forward to – and perhaps feel more intentional than texting and calling those you miss. 

Bring a loved mug from your home to use in the dining hall 

This item might seem a bit random, but one of my most beloved items in my freshman dorm room was a strawberry mug my best friend bought me from home. I found so much comfort in using the mug in the dining hall for coffee, and would even snap photos some days to show her I was missing and thinking of her.

If you bring a mug from home, you’ll have something every morning to carry with you to breakfast, and you’ll start your day with a reminder of those you love. This suggestion may seem trivial, but I assure you it can really alter the course of your day. 

Keep these few niche dorm room essentials in the back of your mind to truly transform your new room into a place that feels like home. No idea is too outside-the-box, and no item is too basic or random to bring.