Feng shui isn’t a science, but you’ll want to use it in your dorm room

University is a time when you can let loose and live your life to the fullest.

By being away from home and any parental or guardian supervision, you’re mostly on your own, figuring life out and learning things along the way.

Now, this is where we recommend putting some order in the chaos you’re about to experience.

Whether you hoard items, throw laundry all around your dorm room, or place random things where they don’t belong, using some simple Feng Shui techniques can help create harmony and order in your student room.

While the four-leafed clover is considered lucky around the world, in Ireland all Irish Shamrocks are taken as lucky charms. Source: AFP

Why you should give non-scientific things a chance

In our best careers for the elemental signs piece, we found a 2021 study that revealed people who believe in astrology tend to be less intelligent than the norm and more narcissistic.

However, the other side of the story, more of an opinion and less of a scientific report, says that “criticising astrology by focusing on disproven scientific claims very much misses the point. What matters is that people find meaning in the system of thought,” writes Olivia Goldhill in a Quartz article titled “Skepticism of astrology isn’t particularly smart.”

The same goes for Feng Shui.

For the sceptics of Feng Shui — applying it does not mean that you compromise your beliefs or believe in superstition. Rather, in Feng Shui, you’ll be using a set of principles acquired through amassing knowledge in the study of energy.

The literal translation of Feng is “wind”, and Shui means “water.” The two elements work together to create “chi”—  a vital energy that flows through or inhabits living things.

Good Feng Shui techniques avoid constricting or misdirecting the flow of “chi.” Such “chi”-friendly zones can help to improve your studies, stress, creativity, and relationships.

For architect Cliff Tan, “It’s just about architecture and building things in the most practical way,” he said in an interview with Architectural Digest. Tan, an architect himself, has amassed over five million followers across his social media channels @dearmodern on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. “There’s always a logic behind it. It’s all about the energy, the lighting, where the resources are.”

Another Reddit user says, “You can definitely get something out of it if you were unaware or the importance of lighting or what makes a layout feel clamped, but once you start hearing how to position your bed so you can defend yourself when someone comes to kill you for your weekly assassination attempt, you’ve gone too far.”

In a way, it’s sort of like how there are university traditions formed from superstitions, especially around examinations and graduating.

 

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A post shared by Trinity College Dublin (@trinitycollegedublin)

There’s getting good luck by rubbing the nose of the Bentley Bust at Dartmouth College in the US, praying to the National University of Singapore’s “bell curve god,” something derived from the bell curve grading system in Singapore, or avoiding walking under the Campanile bell tower at Trinity College Dublin in Ireland so you don’t fail your exams.

“I don’t consider myself a superstitious person, so I don’t have any particular fear of the Campanile Curse,” said a student in an interview with Trinity News. “That being said, because I hear so many ominous warnings from other students not to walk under it, the urge to distance myself from the Campanile is ingrained in my subconscious.”

So, clearly, there are little things that students do to make their academic journeys a little easier, even if it means believing in these non-scientific ventures.

Which brings us back to Feng Shui techniques.

Sure, using these techniques isn’t going to magically make you valedictorian, but at least you’ll have a nicer environment in your home away from home. That has to count for something, right?

5 best ways to apply Feng Shui techniques to your student room

Position your bed correctly

If you have been sleeping with your feet facing the door or find yourself turning your head to talk to your dorm mates as they stand by your bedroom door, then it’s time to change your bed position as these are inauspicious positions to be sleeping in.

Ensure the headboard of your bed is against a wall. When you are sleeping, ensure that you do not have turn your head to view the bedroom door. Your feet should not face the bedroom door and you should avoid placing your bed directly under a beam or window too.

If the layout of your dorm room makes it impossible to change your bed position, then consider placing a screen, fake partition, a piece of furniture or a shawl behind your bed’s headboard to provide extra “cushioning.”

Getting rid of clutter in your student room can help free your mind and open you up to new ideas and experiences. Source: Ina Fassbender/AFP

Clear the clutter

To promote better chi within your student room, clear the clutter.

Start by getting rid of old clothes, books, papers, files or anything that you no longer need from your dorm room. This will help positive “chi” to circulate better, promote a warm and inviting feeling every time you enter your room and improve your productivity, happiness and peace of mind.

This Reddit user says that they organised their room according to Feng Shui techniques and found that “it did not help at all. It’s just a waste of money on tickets that I hoped might help my dire financial situation, but nope.”

However, they do go on to say that they’ll stick to a few techniques, especially about reducing clutter.

“I’ve always noticed how the house feels so much better after a good spring clean; it frees up space and just feels lighter and cleaner. It also gives you stuff to sell on eBay for a little extra cash. Getting rid of objects that hold bad memories is very good for your mental state, too. Who wants reminders of misery, right? It just makes you think of loss, pain, betrayal, etc., which is not good energetically or emotionally,” they write.

Not all Feng Shui techniques will be realistic for your tiny student dorm, but at least you can do your best to make it a little better. Source: AFP

Get your study table to the right spot

To reap the maximum benefits from your study sessions, it is advisable that you follow these guidelines:

• Your back should be supported by a solid wall
• Ensure that your study table does not face the entryway (your bedroom door), the windows or the wall directly
• Avoid placing your study table directly under a beam.
• Do not position your study table in the middle of the room.
• Your back should not face the windows.

While it is impossible to fulfil all of the criteria given above, being able to fulfil some of the criteria mentioned above could create a healthier and more balanced environment for you to study in.

If your study table has been fixed to face a bedroom wall, check out these Feng Shui remedies to mitigate potential harmful effects on your productivity and health.

Got a new salt lamp for Xmas ..thought I might use it to light up my prosperity corner #fengshui the house up a bit. #SaltLamp pic.twitter.com/36rnQK3MgS

— Taryn (@TarynAnne5) January 2, 2022

Brighten up

Keep your room brightly lit during the day by allowing sunlight into it. If your room does not have a window, then purchase a salt or bright lamp, or hang a brightly-coloured poster or tapestries.

Light helps to get your creative juices flowing and improve your productivity.

Add some colour

One of the many good Feng Shui techniques you can follow to lift your mood is to use different colour schemes in your room to create certain moods.

“Warm colours” such as red, orange or yellow are stimulating and exciting. “Cool colours” such as purple, blue and green give off a more relaxing feeling. It is best to apply warm colours for your study desk and cool colours for your bed. This helps you feel more energetic.

Disclaimer: This article was last updated on August 2, 2024.