Last spring I studied abroad in Japan for the semester. I lived in the international dorm for Ritsumeikan University in Osaka, Japan. In Japan, most people live in apartments and there isn’t a lot of space allocated for rooms. Throughout the semester my room would get very cramped very easily because of how small it was compared to my room back home. My suitcases and backpack from home took up the majority of my room already so there was barely any space available. With the lack of space you could also decorate barely anything, leaving the room feeling more like a prison cell. Eventually I started stacking my excess things on top of my dresser to keep them out of the way. Staying there made me really appreciate my room back home and how to better manage my space effectively.