Some of the biggest questions incoming college freshman have are: What do the dorms look like and what should they bring to put in their dorm?
There are many ways to personalize a dorm to make it feel like home. In this weeks edition of Otterbein Cribs, Kobe Long-Weber showed how he decorated his room to give it a homelike feeling.
Long-Weber is a junior business management major at Otterbein and lives in DeVore Hall. He has given a list of five things that are essential for his dorm and the setup he has assembled.
The first essential idea for Long-Weber's room is his large flat screen TV. His TV serves many purposes. It is most used to play video games, like GTA and NBA 2k, while also frequently using it for watching his favorite childhood movies and shows on Disney+.
Another item that is a necessity is a Bluetooth speaker. Long-Weber often listens to music on the speaker while playing video games, in the shower or when preparing for a basketball game. Artists like Drake and DaBaby are frequent in Long-Weber's daily music rotation.
Hanging posters and artwork is common for students and often represent who they are. Long-Weber has many screen printed photos hanging in his room, but his favorite is of Michael Jordan. The snapshot of Michael Jordan is of significance because the shot captured was the game winning basket that secured the 1998 NBA title for the Chicago Bulls over the Utah Jazz. "MJ was an idol of mine growing up, and his winning mentality is something I strive for with everything I do," said Long-Weber.
Organization is a key to success for college students. As a college athlete, Long-Weber can have busy days with balancing athletics, academics and extracurriculars. He uses a white board calendar to stay on top of his schedule. At the beginning of every week, he writes out his class assignments, projects and his basketball schedule.
The last object in the room is the futon. Long-Weber's futon serves many purposes. It is used most while playing video games so he can be closer to his tv. It is also used when friends come to visit him for the weekend. The futon is expandable and can be used as a comfortable place to sleep.
"I enjoy the location of DeVore, because as an athlete I am in the mid-point of the Rike Center and the campus center. I spend a lot of my time in both of those places when I am not in class and I have easy access to both," said Long-Weber.
Next school year Long-Weber plans to live in the Commons apartments on campus and is looking forward to having his own bedroom so he can make it his own personal space.