Second-hand and gifts
Amer El-Sarie, master’s student in science of religion, had mostly clothes with him when he arrived
in 2014 to Lund from Syria. However, his room is far from empty.
“Most things in the room I’ve either got as gifts or bought at second-hand stores”, says Amer.
His best tips to students is to shop at second-hand markets because you often find fun things there. He, for example, was very happy when he found his stuffed parrot in such a store. He also advices that there is a free store at Smålands nation, where everyone can donate things they no longer need and find something new. Amer himself usually donates things to people he meets.
“When I got here I brought ten small pictures with views of Damascus to give to friends. I don’t need to see them; I know how it looks there”.
No wi-fi
Jeremia Karlsson is a graduate from the School of Social Studies, but currently still lives in the fraternity house at Laurentiistiftelsen. He feels he does not need more space in order to live comfortably.
“I often play music, and nowadays it’s easy to find cheap music equipment that doesn’t take up a lot of space so there hasn’t been any problems”.
In the kitchen Jeremia has an extra desk that has a special purpose.
“I’ve chosen to have a place to write where I don’t have access to the internet. It’s too easy to just start browsing when you really should do something productive. That is why I don’t have Wi-Fi in the apartment. As a student you have a lot of free time, so you have to spend it right.
Jeremia bought the sword in his room for himself as a birthday present when he turned 20. Along with items such as a stone angel and old hardback books, they contribute to a personal atmosphere.
“I thing I’ve have a form of gothic style for my room. You can’t find everything second-hand, but a lot of it. With odd things you can make your room a little more personal”.
Living together
In a double room at Klostergården live Nada El Nahass and Olivia Nabbosa. They recently moved in
to their dormitory, two people who did not know each other from the start. But despite the fact that they are both new students and had not counted on getting a double room, they were sympathetic.
“It’s nice to live with someone, so that you don’t have to live alone”, says Olivia who came to Lund from Uganda.
For students who have travelled far to study some days can be pervaded with homesickness. Then it feels good to decorate your rooms with something that is usually found at home.
“For me for example it’s important to have photos and definitively coffee close at hand”, says Olivia.
Loft with much cosiness
After moving three times in the span of three years, 22-year-old Anna-Clara Örtendahl landed as a lodger in a house in Lund. She has now lived in her 28 square meter room for one and a half years.
There are two things Anna-Clara thinks you must have for a home to feel well-settled in:
“I’ve have always had plants; it is something I think makes the place you are staying at into a home. Photos is also good as you can get homesick”.
Before Anna-Clara moved to the house she lived in a dormitory and, for short periods, on friends’ sofas. Anna-Clara’s best piece of advice is to be patience and try to endure living at places that you do not love from the start.
Text: Beri Zangana & Paula Dubbink
Translation : Viktor Jönsson