1. The Smells
Certain smells just bring us comfort. Maybe you associate it with something from childhood or a certain fun memory, or maybe you just really really like a certain smell (like lavender. God, I love lavender). Either way, your dorm should smell good in just the way you like it. Especially if your room naturally comes with that musty, old-building dorm smell. If candles are allowed in your dorm, then 100% go for candles. They contribute not only to peaceful sniffs but mood lighting as well. If candles aren’t allowed, or you aren’t feeling like risking it, there’s also the lesser man’s candle: wax melters. Same great smell with less of a fire hazard. I recently was given this wax melter, and I love it more than I love myself. It fits the typical college girl’s dorm aesthetic, and it really gives off a strong scent. If neither wax melters nor candles are working for you, there’s always diffusers! Diffusers don’t seem to give off quite as strong a smell, but, for some people, the diffusion of essential oils can really help with stress, depression, anxiety, etc.
2. The Snacks
This year, I went on a mission to keep the healthiest snacks in my dorm in an effort to keep me from going on my late night fast food runs. Did it work? Not at all. I still go out for fast food a little too frequently (sophomore sixteen?), but it is nice to have a few snacks in the room anyway! Some of my guilty pleasure snacks include Reece’s peanut butter cups, Kraft mozzarella cheese sticks, and cheeseballs. The big ole Walmart tub of ‘em. Ah, health. BUT, I did find some slightly more healthy snacks I love, too! I found caramel and chocolate flavored Quaker rice cakes at Walmart (which are, girlfriend-approved, really good with either a little cookie butter or Nutella), multi-grain crackers or Costco’s lightly salted green pea crisps with Trader Joe’s red pepper hummus, Annie’s microwave white cheddar Mac-n-Cheese, and a variety of Belvita, Kind, and Nature Valley bars (perfect for early morning classes). I think having a good balance of embarrassingly unhealthy and boastfully healthy snacks is key to a good dorm room, so stock up as much as your budget allows.
3. The Decor
If your dorm doesn’t have a theme, we are very, very different people. I’d describe my dorm as an earthy, boho kind of aesthetic, with light pink bedding and lots of green and gray accents. Highlights include two packs of these vines from Urban on the walls, a Himalayan salt lamp, and a shelf full of real (and surprisingly healthy) plants. Very VSCO worthy, if I do say so myself. This aesthetic definitely isn’t for everyone, though. It’s important to find what makes you happy enough to want to spend time in your own room. That could be little things like special mugs, painted canvases, or even Polaroid pictures (I have mine clipped onto some string lights. We love mood lighting!). Whatever you decide to decorate with, command strips and hammered-in sewing pins (they leave small enough holes you won’t get fined) will become your best friends.
4. The Organization
Nothing (well, close to nothing) makes me as frustrated and on-edge as a messy, unorganized room does. Some ways I’ve found to combat this include dressy-ish, brown plastic drawers (available at Target or Walmart), plastic containers for under-the-sink storage, and a large desk top shelf. Not to sound like an over-eager freshman, but I also largely benefit from a whiteboard calendar on the wall, too. If a too-cramped closet makes you uncomfy, Bed, Bath, & Beyond (BB&B) carries drop-down closet extenders, which give you a whole extra bar for clothes! I also like to make use of wall space to organize, using Command brand shelves for little decorations and knick-knacks and Command hooks for hanging jackets and umbrellas by the door. And finally, the piece de resistance of my room that I wish I would’ve thought of last year (seriously, it would’ve saved me so much stress), is an over the door shoe rack, also available at BB&B; I have one that holds 30, but I’ve stretched it to hold 38. Do I have too many shoes? Absolutely. But boy, I sure do feel better having them off the floor, clogging up the entryway by my door and setting off my anxiety as soon as I walk in.
5. The Personal Touches
What I’m really trying to drive home here is: make your room yours. Keep little things in it that make you happy. My room wouldn’t feel like my room without my huge aloe plant, my scrunchie-organizing tree, and my high-speed Vortex fan. I keep a corkboard full of paper memories, complete with playbills, ticket stubs, and letters from friends. You can decorate for the holidays (I found tons of good Halloween decorations at Dollar General for, you guessed it, $1 each), you can change out the pictures, you can reorganize as many times as you like. For many of us, college is the first time we have complete, although limited, control over our own space. Make it a space that brings you joy, that you don’t mind spending night after night in, and that, ultimately, you can find peace in on those days you just need some comfort.