Adrienne, a University of South Carolina freshman, wanted her living space to support her academic goal: earning a 3.5 GPA her first semester.

Together we reviewed her apartment floor plan.  I suggested feng shui improvements to correct certain elements of the interior design which might make it more difficult for her to reach her goal.

First, we checked out the area just inside the front door. As the transition point between the outside world and the home, a foyer affects the head and the thought processes. Adrienne’s apartment foyer had a split view.  Every time she enters the space her right eye focuses on the stairway, while her left eye travels the long distance through the living room and out the back door.

An example of split view in the foyer.

To enhance balanced and decisive thinking, both eyes should focus on the same point when you enter your home.  A split view draws one eye to an object or objects in the foreground and the other eye to objects in the background, thus stimulating the brain unevenly. Eventually, the mind becomes confused and it may become more difficult to make decisions.

To help her reach her academic goal, I gave Adrienne a simple improvement to draw both eyes to the same place in the foyer, and encourage the sort of decisive and integrated thinking necessary for focused study. If you’re experiencing a similar issue in your living space, you might place a tall plant, a string of nine artificial $100 bills, or some other eye-catching item in front of the banister or dividing wall. After we’d outlined her individual adjustments, Adrienne left for college feeling confident and in control.

When students have a floor plan of their living space, it’s helpful to schedule a feng shui consultation before the move-in date. This can help them make improvements to counteract negative interior design elements that might make it harder for them to reach their goals. Students can send their floor plans to me electronically, and consult with me on the phone or in person.

In the consultation, I’ll ask two very important questions: “What are your goals for this year?” and “What are your goals for graduation?” Knowing your short- and long-term goals enables me to suggest improvements to create a living space which supports those goals.

The Mystical Pizza e-Kit Part 1 describes a simple process to name your goals for college. You can download it for free at www.themysticalpizza.com.