Most students are heading back to their dorm rooms to begin a new semester. However, they may be in for an unpleasant surprise if they live in a cold region. Many dorm rooms are notorious for being ridiculously cold, which will probably feel a lot worse to students returning back to the dorms from their warm and cozy homes. It may be hard to find a way to keep warm in the dorm too, which will only increase the urge to spend money on items to help out, or entertainment to keep you away from your room. With space heaters being illegal in most dorm rooms, you may find that these simple solutions are your best and cheapest bet to staying warm until spring makes its way to your college. So, bundle up and check out these ten tips for making your dim a little bit warmer during the brutal winter.
1. Hot Water Bottle
For generations, families have used the notorious hot water bottle to get through the long winter months as well as some ailments. If you missed out on this little gem in your childhood, you may recall seeing one at your grandparents’ house and wondering what the contraption was. Basically, this nifty device can be filled with hot water and used to heat up your body and your bed. Simply take it to your bathroom and fill it with the hottest water you can, then stick it at the foot of your bed and within a couple of minutes you’ll be ready to snuggle into a cozy environment. You can also use this items on your stomach or back to help with cramping and to keep your body warmer. You may even consider buying a mini water bottle to stick in the pocket of a hoodie to help keep your body warm as you navigate campus. The best news is the water bottles are incredibly cheap and don’t take any electricity, so your dorm can’t complain. You can even customize them with cute little sweaters and crocheted designs if you’re into that kind of thing.
2. Swap Bedding
Another simple action you can take to stay a little warmer is to swap out bedding. Your cotton sheets aren’t going to do you any favors with the freezing cold pouring straight into your dorm room. Instead, you may want to invest in a nice pair of flannel sheets. These will help use your body heat to help you stay a whole lot warmer during the winter nights. You should also buy a thicker comforter or combine more than one to ensure you stay warm enough during the night. If you don’t have comforters, then compile lots of blankets to bring on the warmth. Now is a great time to stock up on blankets too, as all of the winter themed blankets will be on clearance. This should help you get through the night, but isn’t recommended for studying as it may cause you to doze off.
3. Look For Drafts
One huge problem with many dorm rooms is they are incredibly old. This often means there’s so many drafty areas that it’s hard to keep track of them. This causes a whole lot of your warm air to disappear while making your room feel like it may as well be outdoors. One of the best ways to try to lock in heat in the room is to try to seek out these drafts. You can usually feel around the room for areas that seem to be colder or even those who have excess air coming from the exterior of the room. When you find these areas try to notify your dorm so they can plug them up or use weather stripping. If they refuse to do this then you may have to take measures into your own hands. You don’t want to weather strip or add caulking in your room as this will certainly leave you with a fine when you move out, but you can block the holes with blankets or old clothes. If you’re not sure where the drafts are coming from then invest in drapes or hang a thick blanket over the window. This should slightly help. You may even consider plugging your door frame with a towel when you go to bed, just in case the cold is coming from the hallway.
4. Heated Blanket
Heated blankets are a whole lot safer than what they used to be, so you might want to consider investing in one if you can’t get to sleep in your dorm. As long as you follow the safety instructions, you should be well on your way to a good night’s rest without having to worry about a fire. Of course, you should also give your blanket plenty of time to cool down and should never leave it plugged in when you leave the dorm for any period of time. You may also want to check to make sure they are legal in your dormitory too, as getting caught with one could leave you with a huge fine that won’t make your winter blues feel any better. With a little care and precautions though, this could be one of the best ways for you to warm up while studying or sleeping.
5. Bring on the Layers
Although you may not love doing laundry, you may want to consider making a bit more laundry during the winter months, just so you don’t end up feeling as uncomfortable. Piling on the layers is your key to keeping your body comfortable when you’re in your room as well as when you’re out and about on campus. You may want to make sure you have thermal underwear as this can be one of the best defenses against the cold, especially when you go to bed. Another option is to layer your socks and wear a beanie, even when you’re inside. Try packing on a few shirts and adding a hoodie to the top to keep your body heat locked in too. You may look like you gained more weight than you actually did during the winter holiday, but you’ll be pretty warm.
6. Electric Kettle
An electric kettle can be a life saver for college students no matter the season. However, in the winter time it can be an essential item that every dorm room should have on hand. With an electric kettle, you can have boiling hot water in just a minute or two, which is perfect for keeping hot water bottles filled up without having to journey back and forth from the bathroom. This device is also great for making warm beverages and soup. With the touch of a button, you can heat up your body with tea, hot chocolate or even some instant coffee. If you’re feeling hungry then ramen or a can of soup will be seconds away. With the warm liquid in your body you should be feeling better in no time, plus the warm mug or bowl will also help keep your body temperature feeling cozy as you hold it.
7. Move Furniture
Some dorms make it impossible to redecorate the room, but if you have the ability to move around your furniture you should do so to suit the winter months. Most dorms automatically position bedding in front of the window, which means you’re probably going to be in the coldest area of the room. If you can, move the bed to the other side of the room or as far away from the window as possible. If you have a radiator in your room then you may consider moving the bed a little closer while you sleep, but not so close that your bedding will touch the radiator as you sleep. Another thing to consider is moving furniture away from the vents. Often beds, dressers or desks are positioned over the vent, which makes most of your heat dissipate before it can make a difference in your room. Of course, if you have a roommate make sure all of the changes are okay with them first. Keep fire safety rules in mind as well as you rearrange to get through the cold months.
8. Candles
Since electric space heaters are mostly a no in dorms, you may have to make due with some of the more old fashioned ways of staying warm. One way to do this is to light candles. You can invest in cheap candles on holiday clearance or even buy a large set of tea lights at a price that is next to nothing. Keep the candles close to you while you’re working to ensure the heat from them warms you up. You may not be able to heat up a room entirely this way, but every little bit helps. One way to help the heat radiate though is to place a clay pot over the flame. This DIY heater is pretty popular on tutorial sites and is said to have helped many stay warmer. Of course, always practice safety first when using candles and never leave them going when you’re not in the room.
9. Alter Fan
A lot of college students don’t know how powerful a fan can be in the winter time. Mostly, fans are seen as a way of cooling off when the weather is warm, but there’s quite a bit more to them than that. Most fans actually have a button that will turn the direction in which the fan turns. This easy transformation allows the fan to push around the hot air in the room, thus allowing it to heat the room faster and keep it warmer for longer. If you have a ceiling fan in your room then you’re already doing good as most of these fans have the option. You can also look on other fans to see if there is a special switch to help you move what little warm air you have in the room around. A fan with this function shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg either, so investing in one may be wise.
10. Talk to the Residency Office
Although it may be frustrating, nerve racking or the bane of your existence, heading to your residency office may be the way to get you on the fast track to heat in your room. If the room is incredibly unbearable then make sure you put in a claim with the office as soon as you can. During this time of the year, they are bound to get a lot of claims, so make sure yours is in the stack the moment you notice there’s an issue. If this doesn’t seem to get you anywhere then keep showing up in person and complaining might. The dorm has to keep the area a certain temperature legally, so don’t let them infringe on your rights or the comfort you pay for. The residency office may be able to offer you some pointers as well, or provide you with freebies to help ease the pain of the cold before they can fix your room. Make sure to document all of your claims though, as this will ensure you have proof if you need to take further action.
Dealing with the cold in a dorm room can make you and your studies suffer, so try to follow some of these pointers so you can enjoy your college experience a bit more. With any luck, you’ll be able to heat up your room and feel more comfortable without having to go to extremes or break your budget.
