By: Lillian Sage 

In “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” on Netflix, a young adult romance film loved by Gen Z viewers, the main character Lara Jean (Lana Condor) shares a sentiment that many college students can relate to, saying  “my life was a mess, but I could clean my room.” 

College students throughout the country are currently on the heels of midterms and spring break, and some have begun preparing for their upcoming graduations. With all of these events going on, these students may feel represented by Lara Jean’s messy life, and even messier bedroom. 

On top of schoolwork and having a social life, college students also have to worry about taking care of themselves. This can include cleaning their spaces, and what better time to do that than spring cleaning. 

The act of spring cleaning has its roots in many different cultures. According to Howstuffworks.com, in Iranian culture, the new year is in March, so they clean in preparation of the new year. Jewish culture also has a tradition of cleaning before Passover, which takes place in the Spring. 

Spring cleaning is also a time when people can just feel put back together after the long, cold winter months. Whether it be getting rid of clothes, decluttering drawers, mopping the floors, or even cleaning your room like Lara Jean, all of these can count as spring cleaning.

Aubree Patterson, a senior at the University of Arkansas, is a self-proclaimed “clean freak.” She mentioned that she “spring cleans” all year long. 

“I go through everything I own probably every two months,” Patterson said, “so I have nothing. Pretty minimalistic in [my bedroom], and I need every cleaning product. Like, honestly, a Clorox wipe will not suffice sometimes.” 

Patterson may clean all year round, but she discussed how she does hit some aspects a little bit harder during the spring time. While cleanliness has been a big aspect of Patterson’s character, she feels as if she has gotten better at keeping a cleaning schedule. She thanks living on her own for this.

“Honestly at home, I would not do as much as I did here,” Patterson said. “It is because it’s my own bathroom, my own room. So, I need to be on top of it, because if I don’t do it, then what’s going to happen? It’s just going to be dirty.”

Even though she has so much going on as a student right now, Patterson is able to stay on top of her chores. She believes that keeping her space clean helps her to be more productive. 

Lauren Hawthorn, a senior exercise science major, also believes a clean space helps her to stay productive. However, she does not see herself as a “clean freak.” 

She admitted to always being messy. Her clothes are all over her room, and it has been an ongoing bit with her family since childhood. 

Living in a two bedroom apartment has led Hawthorn to be adamant about making sure the common spaces are cleaned. Hawthorn believes that having roommates in college is what helped her to get better at cleaning.

“Like in a dorm when you’re sharing space,” Hawthorn said, “I think it made it easier, because I have the added pressure of I do not want this person I’m living with to be like ‘she’s a wreck,’ but like my individual space, it’s definitely a mess.” 

While Hawthorn does believe that she is more productive and even sleeps better with a clean room, she has noticed that her room gets more messy the more stressed out she is. 

“I have all this other stuff to do,” Hawthorn said, “and I’m worried about all this other stuff. I’m upset about all this other stuff. I do not want to clean my room on top of that, which I think for some people, though, it might be a de-stress thing, but that’s not the case for me.” 

Blair Prstojevich, a senior health sciences major at the University of Missouri, does see cleaning as a way to destress because she always feels better after a cleaning session. She even stated that she cannot do any of her other tasks until she feels as if her space is tidy. 

Prstojevich has a few tips and tricks for people who might need a little help when it comes to spring cleaning. 

“I normally put on a podcast,” Prstojevich said. “Or I put my headphones in and listen to music, and then honestly after the first five minutes, I’m kind of in the zone. Or if you have something to rant about, call your friend and then rant about it while you’re doing it, because then you’re worked up.”

While spring cleaning has been around for years, it can still be a tough task for college students since they are dealing with so many other things life throws at them. Even if it is just wiping down the kitchen counter or doing laundry, these students can find a version of spring cleaning that works for them.