text: Dylan Miller, a senior studying English and philosophy at Juniata College decided to live in a hut for a research project on simple living . A student at Juniata College has lived in a hut built out of fallen trees, leaves and a tarp since September for his senior research project on simple living. Dylan Miller, a senior at Juniata College, in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, studying English and philosophy, decided for his senior project that he would live in a hut deep in the woods about a half-hour's walk from campus to learn about living with only the necessities. With no plumbing or electricity, Miller has spent the last eight months studying by lantern and chasing away the occasional bear as his fellow students live comfortably in their dorm rooms. He hopes living in  his nine-foot-tall, 17-by-17ft hut will teach him about living simply, away from the luxuries of the present day. Miller, a 21-year-old from Meadville, Pennsylvania, told Philly.com he's 'gotten used to roughing it'. 'I'm comfortable sleeping here now and walking around in the woods. I feel very free,' he said. His one-room structure sits on his campus's Baker-Henry Nature Reserve. With the help of trees and rope he formed the structure and insulated it with vegetation. Oak plank floorboards came from a friend's barn. 'I think my generation is going to make a lot of sacrifices for a healthy future when it comes to materialism and energy usage,' Miller, 21, said. 'A lot of people associate giving up things with less happiness. But I want to show people that you can live like a king even if you have very little.' Scroll down for video . Miller, 21, has been living in the one-room hut on Juniata's Baker-Henry Nature Reserve in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, since September . Miller built the hut out of fallen trees, leaves, rope and a tarp. He used vegetation as insulation. There is no plumbing or electricity in the structure, which is about a half-hour walk from campus . Assistant professor of English Will Dickey approved Miller's project and 'thought it was a fantastic idea'. 'Most of us are happy to watch TV at night to unwind,' Dickey told Philly.com. 'But Dylan is interested in a firsthand experience: mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. As Thoreau said in Walden, I'm fronting only the essentials in life and living it firsthand.' Miller has used a journal to document his lifestyle and thoughts throughout his time in the huts with hopes of better understanding Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. His 21-page proposal for the project provided a lengthy reading list that featured works by Thoreau,  Emerson and Aldo Leopold, plus a Buddhist text called The Dhammapada, according to USA Today. During his daily campus trips, Miller charges his computer and phone and showers at friends' houses when he can. Miller used oak paneling from a friend's old barn to create the floor of his structure. He hopes to use is project to better understand writers such as Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson . In order to get the project approved, Miller had to agree to adhere to a series of rules, including having a cellphone for emergencies and a portable toilet . 'But I don't have any Internet access out here. And there's no TV or radio,' he said. 'I have books, and that's about it.' For the project to be approved, Miller had to follow a list of campus and state requirements, including having a portable toilet and cellphone. The campus police also have the authority to decide if weather conditions are too harsh for Miller to stay in the hut. His outdoor portable toiled did, however, become the victim of a bear attack back in October. 'I woke up one night to hear the toilet being bashed against my shelter,' he said. 'The bear ran away. In the morning, I saw the teeth marks and claw holes in the toilet... It was still usable.' As graduation nears for Miller, he's making plans to tear down the hut. 'That will be a teaching in itself,' he said. 'Nothing lasts forever.' Because the hut has no electricity, Miller has to study by candle light and lantern when it gets dark outside . But he often charges his laptop and phone while on campus each day. He also showers at friends' houses when he has the chance .
target: Dylan Miller is a senior at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania .
  He's been living in a hut deep in the woods a half-hour walk from campus since September .
  He has no plumbing or electricity in the hut and studies by lantern .
  He hopes living in the hut will help him better understand Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson .