How Well-Organized Living Spaces Can Boost Students’ Success

September 10, 2024

Student Housing Executive Insights National Operations & Technology

ACC recently joined forces with The Home Edit to teach students how to keep the clutter down for better mental health and academic performance.

Well-organized living spaces can do wonders for students’ mental health by fostering a sense of peace and control, which are critical for balancing the pressures of academic life—particularly for first-year students who have never lived away from their families.

An effective organization can transform a cramped room into a comfortable, efficient haven where every square foot matters. To optimize study and living spaces, and support students’ overall wellbeing, American Campus Communities partnered with The Home Edit, a team aiming to turn cluttered spaces into well-put-together ones.

Today, this partnership helps students at five universities across the country create spaces that enhance their productivity, comfort and style. So we asked ACC Chief Marketing Officer Kimmy Kelley and The Home Edit Founders Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin to reveal more about this initiative and how it complements students’ ever-evolving expectations.

How have you adapted your offerings to the needs of today’s students?

Kelley: We design our communities with academic success centers and have expanded the group and individual study spaces by converting unused spaces like closets, some theaters or game rooms, based on valuable student input.

Students want to be part of a community and they tell us they want more events to build and engage with others and be part of a community. For example, to promote sustainability, we encourage reduce, reuse and recycle programs. We also host events to promote physical activity, such as sports tournaments and the ‘Million Mile Month Challenge’ in which residents can track their miles to win prizes. Our ‘Pay it Forward Challenge’ encourages residents to do good deeds for charities, such as volunteering at a food bank, and to practice random acts of kindness.

According to our annual customer survey, 84 percent of residents agree or strongly agree that they can be academically successful at their property.

And feeling that they belong to a community and that their academic performance is supported are both part of their success. How do you balance between creating a sense of community and backing academic accomplishments?

Kelley: ACC aims to adopt a student-first perspective and build dynamic, nurturing environments that help students thrive personally, socially and academically. Our Residence Life program focuses on balancing these needs, including building community and academic success. Our research shows that students who feel connected to their peers in a setting conducive to academic success allow them to perform better in school and feel socially connected and personally fulfilled.

Our many Residence Life activities, such as providing brain food or self-care tips/events during finals, help remind residents that our communities are environments for learning and studying. During peak study and exam times, our residents are respectful of their neighbors as they know they are part of a community dedicated to student success.

What are your strategies to ensure students’ mental health is a top concern for your property managers?

Kelley: Mental health and wellness is a top priority at ACC. That is why we have partnered with the Hi, How You Project to provide peer-to-peer training for staff and Residence Life programs and events for our communities.

In 2022, ACC was a founding member of the College Student Mental Wellness Advocacy Coalition along with the Hi, How Are You Project and 25 other leading student housing companies to promote dialogue and awareness around mental wellness. The Coalition’s first effort was launching a college student mental wellness survey to gather valuable data and release it in the form of an index report to create the most helpful resources for coalition members. Its newest resource is an emergency preparedness guidebook for off-campus student housing managers to help them learn how to handle the sudden and tragic loss of a resident.

In addition, ACC hosted its second annual ResLife Conference, a virtual event that brought 78 property leaders together for training and brainstorming sessions on the theme ‘Making Mental Health Matter.’ Participants developed ideas for staff training, resident events and community-building activities to support students’ mental health.

One thing that can offer a sense of accomplishment and ultimately positively impact students’ mental wellbeing is simply tidying up. How does an organized living space improve students’ lives?

Shearer: Studies consistently show that an organized space can make a student thrive, which should come as no surprise. A cluttered desk is a cluttered mind, but keeping things tidy creates a calmer environment to focus and live a healthier life.

Tell us more about how the ACC-The Home Edit partnership started. Why did you team up and what are the services you’re offering?

Kelley: As students are living on their own for the first time, support around life skills is a valuable resource. This includes tips and resources to stay organized and set up your living space for success. The Campus Edit is a holistic partnership that will equip students with the resources they need to create an organized living space for greater success in college.

For the first year, we have chosen locations that align with where there are resources to fulfill in-person services. These select locations include The James at the University of Wisconsin, Plaza on University at the University of Central Florida, Hub Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan, The Callaway House at the University of Texas at Austin, and The Callaway House—College Station at Texas A&M University.

Teplin: No two students are the same, which is why we created three offerings to meet the needs of everyone. We are confident that there is something for everyone in these packages. We only wish we had these when we were in school. The DIY Virtual Package is designed for the DIY’er looking for the tools to bring function into their space on their own. We’ll send students a comprehensive guide with detailed instructions and product recommendations for their specific space. The Elevated Virtual Service includes direct communication with our services team to provide more tailored solutions for their space and lifestyle.

You mentioned there’s an in-person service, as well. What does it entail exactly?

Kelley: The In-Person Premium Services mean Home Edit’s team of professional organizers brings systems and custom-tailored solutions straight to the students’ living spaces. The team edits students’ spaces post-move-in, working with residents on their individual goals. The team helps create an aesthetically pleasing, organized space that will set students up for success.

How does this partnership align with ACC’s overall management strategy?

Kelley: This new offering will help prioritize students’ success, providing them and their parents with organization tips, tools and supplies they need at a variety of price points. We hope it will make the move-in process easy and personalize their experience to best meet their needs for the college journey with both the dedicated in-person and virtual offerings of The Campus Edit.

What specific challenges do college students face that The Home Edit aims to address?

Teplin: College living spaces are known for being small, so it can be hard for students to create any sort of organizational system that is easy to maintain and delivers what they need. Let’s be honest: Organization is not always a top priority for college students, but with their lives very much spent on the go from one class to another, it’s more important than ever.

Are there any other innovations you’ve implemented across your portfolio to support first-year students?

Kelley: We have several initiatives, including a touchless, ‘cruise ship style’ move-in process to make transitioning to a new living space quick, easy and seamless. We also expanded our partnership with GoPuff to provide student residents with free instant delivery service of everyday needs. Additionally, our ‘For the Greener Good’ campaign is a company-wide effort sharing tips and reminders to help residents do good work for the environment and conservation of natural resources and save money as a result.

How do you stay on top of college students’ constantly changing needs and preferences?

Kelley: We regularly seek residents’ input to understand their needs and ensure we are doing all we can to support the live-learn experience…Some ways we gather feedback and insights on students’ needs and preferences include annual resident surveys that provide feedback that helps shape the student resident experience. This covers topics like move-in, staff interactions, amenity preferences, and satisfaction and sentiment. The team is always looking at social media insights, as well as trends in student preferences. Qualitative insights from our student staff and their peers are also considered.