Creating a cozy sanctuary in college with mood boards, books and movies

I jumped for joy the day I opened my acceptance letter to Hopkins, but the excitement lasted only two minutes before dread set in. One second, I was screaming at the top of my lungs, “I’M GOING TO HOPKINS!!” and the next, it hit me — I actually had to go and face the daunting challenge ahead. To cope with the pressure from heavy coursework, I turned to what has always grounded me: my hobbies. Surprisingly, I haven’t lost touch with them. In fact, they feel closer to me than ever. The flexibility of college has even brought back some of the pastimes I thought I’d left behind in high school.

Starting with my living space, I’ve always been drawn to visual aesthetics and how they can transform a physical space, shaping the way we engage with the world around us. Now that September is here — the start of a long onslaught of holidays stretching all the way to New Year’s — I’ve fallen back into my former obsession with creating autumn mood boards on Pinterest. 

These boards inspired the decor for my room in Wolman. With scattered leaves pinned above the window, pumpkins and orange tree art on the walls, decorative pillows on my bed, plaid throw blankets across my sheets and Bath & Body Works fall candles burning on my desk, I’ve successfully created a cozy environment. It provides a sense of solace and a small dose of joy whenever I’m swamped with assignments.

It’s always been my philosophy that two of my favorite leisurely activities — reading and watching TV — should be the last things I do in a day. So, whenever I feel fatigued while studying for organic chemistry or calculus, I have something to look forward to at the end of the day that motivates me to keep trudging forward. 

I recently finished Jade City by Fonda Lee, and it’s by far my favorite book of 2024. It’s an urban fantasy set in an Asian-inspired metropolis, following the complex politics of rival clans in the city of Janloon, all fighting over jade — an illustrious substance able to give people immeasurable physical and mental powers. I’m currently devouring the sequel, Jade War, and I’m excited to see how the story unfolds. As for shows, I’ve just caught up on season four of Emily in Paris and have been using my free time to binge-watch Reba.

Not all my ways of de-stressing and practicing self-care happen indoors, though. In fact, there’s nothing I love more than a spontaneous day out. This past Saturday, I walked a couple of blocks west to the Warehouse Cinemas at the Rotunda to watch the new Beetlejuice Beetlejuice movie — because it feels like a rule to watch anything with Jenna Ortega as the lead. Tim Burton’s productions always have a way of grabbing my heart, and this movie was no different. The acting was phenomenal, and overall, it was a wonderful addition to the original from the 1980s. Growing up in Northeast Ohio, going to the movies was one of the only sure things you could do to have a good time, so getting a piece of home right in Hopkins’ backyard was the perfect way to end the week.

I’ll admit, I was super nervous about coming to a school like Hopkins, but it’s turned out to be a place where I’ve been able to jump back into activities that I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed. Whether your freshman experience has been amazing, bumpy or somewhere in between, there are plenty of great hobbies to pick up — whether from the comfort of your bed or out on the streets of Baltimore.