Let’s be honest, no one is excited about living in an 11’6” x 17’ dorm room. There is practically no room to have anything that makes it feel like a home away from home. After a while, staring at the stark white walls makes you feel like you’re going crazy. Luckily, there are some tricks to making living on campus a little less dreadful and a little more homey.
WALL ART
It is essential to have wall decorations to distract you from the fact that you’re living in a room that has absolutely no color. Spice it up, pick a theme for your room and run with it! Canvases are inexpensive and can take up a lot of space. If you’re an artsy person you could even paint your own!
CURTAINS
Because what is more homey than curtains? A cute pattern with solid colors on both sides that match your bedding is the perfect addition that would make your mother feel like she taught you something! It also keeps the light out when you want to sleep in, because the shades the school provides are basically useless.
RUGS
The thought of getting out of bed for an 8 a.m. class only for your feet to touch freezing tile is enough to send chills up anyone’s spine. Get a cute rug to step onto when you wake up. Maybe even one big enough that leads to the Keurig!
SMELLS
Imagine all of the people that have lived in the dorm before you. More than likely, they did not leave the most pleasant aroma or the smell of bleach that the cleaners used to sanitize the room is still lingering. Because candles are not usually permitted the best alternatives are Febreze smallSPACES and Febreze noticsABLES! There are a variety of different scents that can instantly make you more feel more comfortable in your room, which also causes better sleep!
LAMPS
Having a lamp on your desk provides a good reading light for late night studying. A cute lamp provides the same light as well as a decoration to spice up a boring, wooden desk. The types of stylish lamps are endless and can be found anywhere. The trick is to find one that will also go with the flow of the room. For example, if you have a more modern styled room a stick lamp would be perfect!
T.V.
For the nights you just do not feel like going out and want to watch some Grey’s Anatomy and eat popcorn, a T.V. is the thing to have. The best item to accompany this is a HDMI cord, which is used to connect the T.V. to your laptop. It is a less expensive alternative to Apple TV and is great for when you want to have girls night and binge watch Netflix!
LIGHTS
Who says Christmas lights can only be used in December? A strand or two of white lights that line the perimeter of a wall is great for people who do not like having the overhead light on all the time. It is a cute way to create the perfect amount of light that is right for you!
SEATING
A couch is too big for a dorm and a chair only seats one person. The perfect options that are space efficient are futons or bean bags! Yes, there are futons that do not feel like you’re sitting on a rock and they can be found at Target. Bean bags are fun and come in many different sizes and colors! These can make the perfect “living room” area so people will not sit on your bed all the time!
WALL CALENDER
You do not have your parents anymore to remind you what you need to do. Get a calendar to mount on the wall somewhere you look everyday so you will not forget to turn in any assignments or major test dates!
PICTURES
Having familiar faces sitting around the room is always a good idea. Pictures of you and friends making memories on the weekend provides constant reminders that living in this small square is worth it.