Mia

Mia does not sleep in her dorm, opting to sleep at her girlfriend’s apartment instead. Mia's dorm room serves as a multifunctional space where she indulges in her diverse interests and hobbies, despite not using it for sleeping purposes. During the day, she enjoys spending time in her room drinking tea, which she finds calming, and reading books on her balcony. She has set up a tea station (fig. 2) and keeps many books in her bookshelf (fig. 4). “My bookshelf functions as a library,” she explains. “I’m always getting books from people and giving them away, so it's ever-changing and I never know what’s up there.” The bookshelf thus also has sentimental value, as the books remind her of the friends who she shares them with. Mia also has a collection of Hungarian magazines and vintage playboys, both thrifted and gifted to her (fig. 2). Mia is Hungarian, and spends time trying to translate the magazines as a way to connect to her roots.

Mia's creative pursuits, such as jewelry making, music, and painting, are integrated into her dorm decor. For example, she likes to hang album covers on the wall (fig. 1). She also has a setlist from a show her band performed in hanging on her bookshelf (fig. 4). Mia is a film major, and has posters from the Wesleyan Film Series up to remind herself of upcoming screenings (fig. 1). By incorporating these elements into her dorm decor, Mia not only adds aesthetic appeal, but also infuses her living space with functional reminders that contribute to her engagement with her various interests.

Mia also likes to create jewelry, some of which hangs from a corkboard on her desk (fig. 3), and create paintings. She has a painting of her ex-girlfriend placed on top of her bookshelf (fig. 4). “It’s very lesbian,” she jokes, pointing to the stereotype that lesbians have more friendly relationships with exes than heterosexual people do. This painting of her ex-girlfriend is also nostalgic, underscoring the importance of personal relationships in shaping her identity and space. Additionally, Mia is learning how to create spore prints, which she will use as album art for her band’s upcoming single. Her spore print set-up can be seen on her desk (fig. 3). Her room decor both documents and offers space for her ever-evolving creative interests.