Change comes with the territory when moving away from home to go to university. Familiar places and routines are swapped out for new, unfamiliar ones. Trusted friends and family that have come to be relied upon are suddenly no longer just around the corner.
As exciting as it all is, it's a lot to take in, especially for those living on their own for the first time. Creating a cozy living space that feels comfortable can go a long way to helping students settle in and have a place to decompress between classes and other activities and obligations.
We caught up with some of Dal's newest students living in residence to see what treasured personal belongings and keepsakes they brought with them to create a feeling of home away from home.
What we learned is that comfort comes in many forms.
Shada Torhoni — LeMarchant Place
Meeting new people sits atop Newfoundlander Shada Tarhoni's list of activities she's most looking forward to as she starts university. "I come from a small place," she says, noting she is from Southlands, a small area located in St. John's. "Everybody knows everybody."
As the incoming science student gets to know her new peers at Dal, she'll have a reminder nearby of those who she's come a long way with. "My friends gave me a few going away gifts. One is a frame with a picture of me and my friend in Grade 6 and one of us at high school graduation."
Jack Zereneh — Risley Hall
Jack Zereneh, an incoming engineering student from Toronto, packed this beaded belt that was first given to his mother by a mentor when she first went away to university.
"She was the first person to be able to go to university in our family, so it was a big momentous occassion," he says. "Then she gave it to me before I left."
Fiona Thomas — Howe Hall
When incoming science student Fiona Thomas of Ottawa was born, her nanny's best friend made her a colourful knitted throw blanket to keep her warm. She's never stopped using it. "I sleep with it every night," she says. "I felt like I had to bring that."
She's also sure it'll come in handy as the Halifax nights grow colder in the coming months. Most amazing of all, the blanket still looks like new. "It's still intact!"
Jake Winter — Risley Hall
Jake Winter has only been boxing for about a year or so, but he made sure to find room in his suitcase for his beloved boxing gloves.
"I like to spar and nobody gets hurt," says the marine biology student from Toronto. "I met a lot of friends like that and it built up my confidence and keeps me even more active than I already am."
Omar Elsayed — Howe Hall
As Omar Elsayed of Cario, Egypt settles into life in a new country and new school, the aspiring computer scientist brought with him a reminder of a recent accomplishment back home. "My mom and grandmother gave this to me on my high school graduation day in high school," he says, holding up a silver-link bracelet.
Omar says he's already made some friends at Dal and looks forward to getting outside to play soccer when he's not working on his programming projects.
Grace Dwyer — Howe Hall
Grace Dwyer, an incoming psychology student, loves photos. She's plastered the whole back wall of her residence room with them. But the most cherished pictures she brought with her from home in Moncton are in an album given to her by her little sister as a high-school graduation gift.
"She and I are really close. She gave me this little book of photos of her and I all through childhood," she says, flipping to a hand-written note in the back. "It's my favourite thing that I brought from home."
Hannah Daley — Howe Hall
"It's a time capsule from my last year at Brigadoon," says Hannah Daley of Halifax about the jar sitting on the shelf in her room. Hand-written notes, beads, and other momentos are tucked inside, each a memory from her time as a volunteer leader at Brigadoon Village camp. Brigadoon camps are designed so that children living with the same illness or life challenge attend a camp specifically tailored for those living with their needs.
"Younger campers are being given a chance to experience regular childhood things in a way that they haven't been able to do because of their life challenges," says the first-year science student and Loran Scholar. "Getting to be the role model instead of the camper was really cool."
Abby Arlette — Risley Hall
Abby Arlette, a marine biology first-year from Oakville, Ont., brought a lot of books from home. Few hold quite as special a place as Michael Crichton's Jurrasic Park series, though. The Lost World, the sequel to the original, currently sits on the top shelf for the aspiring scientist.
"It's kind of like Frankestein in a way, with people going into something for purely self-interested reason and ending up not fully understanding what they are working with, which leads to a cataclysmic event."