The idea of living alone in college can sound like one of two ways: freedom and independence or isolation. To most people, an essential part of college is having roommates. These are often your best friends that you do everything with. To me, I knew I needed to live alone my sophomore year. After being out all day with friends, I love to come home and have time to myself, but this could very easily become isolating if I did not keep up with other things. I have compiled a list here of ways I make the best of living alone and how to prevent the feeling of isolation and loneliness.
Spend Time with Friends
I think the most important part of living alone and especially living off campus is to still make sure you hang out with friends all the time. It is so easy to go to class and then come back to your apartment but if you do this, you are always alone and that is truly isolating. You need to hang out with friends during the day and then come back to the apartment alone at night or have time alone during the day and see friends at night. You have to make sure that you still see your friends and hang out with them often.
Have Friends Over
If the silence ever gets too much, invite friends over. I love hosting friends now that I live alone. I do not have to worry about another roommate being annoyed that I have people over or the hassle of planning around their schedule. Make your space welcoming for others and then once they leave, you can have time alone and recharge.
Decorate Your Space and Make it Cozy
Your apartment needs to be cozy and a place that you can call “home.” If after a long day you came home to an empty apartment with no people and very little decor, it might seem isolating. I have filled my apartment with blankets, throw pillows, plants, photos of my family and friends, candles, and artwork. These stuff help the apartment feel warm and as though it is my home. The photos I have all over my apartment of my friends and family helps me remember I am not alone.
Play Music or the TV in the Background
One of the weirdest parts of living alone in my opinion is the silence. I’m from a large family with dogs so it was never silent. There was noise all around. Now, living alone, there often is no noise around me. I found this to be hard to deal with in the beginning, so I have found that putting on music or a tv show in the background is very helpful. It makes me focus less on the silence and adds noise to the empty apartment.
Living alone could easily turn isolating but to me, I see it as freedom and independence. I can watch what I want, cook what I want, decorate how I want, and go to bed when I want. I hang out with my friends often but once I need a break and time alone, I can go home and recharge by myself. It can be isolating, but if you put in the effort, it can be amazing.
