Whether you’re reading this now as a first-year rookie or a fifth-year veteran, we’ve all been in the shoes of freshmen at some point. Their shoes, their mindsets, and most importantly their dorm rooms. The dorm room is single-handedly the most telling element of a person’s college experience—how they live it, what they expect from it, and what they’ve received from it thus far. For example, a minimalist chic interior design hints that the room’s owner has been running an Instagram account with over five thousand followers since her sophomore year of high school. Post-It notes stuck to every free surface? They’re either three months ahead on their homework or a whole month behind—there is no in between. Here’s a quick list of items you may find (or have found) around your own freshman dorm room
1. Posters
The first last resort. Posters are typically a desperate cry to cover the vast blank space of your walls with relatable phrases, art, or people that you hold close to your heart. Jim Morrissey, Lana Del Rey, “Keep Calm and…,” Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” you see where I’m going? Not necessarily the most creative décor, yet it still manages to make a statement about you as a person: Not very creative, but likes Bob Marley (or at least the concept of Bob Marley).
2. String lights/Fairy lights/Christmas lights
I totally get it. The fluorescent lights in dorms are harsh, and those stringed lights are perfect—just bright enough that you can read (watch Netflix) or do homework (watch Netflix) without your eyes straining from dim lighting. And when you fall asleep in your lofted bed watching Breaking Bad—ahem—studying Chemistry, your roommate won’t judge you for leaving the lights on, because they aren’t as bright.
3. Bulletin Board
The busy cork board can serve as many things—a home for the photos of your high school friends, a well-organized mood board, or a space where you track assignment deadlines. It is what you make of it, meaning if you make it a mess of free stickers from the activity fair, it is just that: a mess of free stickers from the activity fair. But, seriously, beware. The board that you thought would be the pinnacle of organization will soon unravel into chaos if you let it. No matter what you do, don’t over pin.
4. Dry Erase Board
Often doubles as a monthly calendar. It’s like an updated version of the bulletin board. If the bulletin board is a vintage record player, the dry erase board is iTunes. One is a classic while the other is actually practical and conducive to modern times. A dry erase board can say one of two things about you as well: either you are a fast-paced person with too much to do and see, or you have commitment issues. And that should tell you a lot about your class, since most rooms have a dry erase board or two.
5. Keurig
This appliance will be the reason you get up in the mornings if it isn’t already. Many go into college as nice, semi-contributing members of society. But the first time you pull an all-nighter with an 8 a.m. the following morning, the addiction begins. There is no “hit it and quit it.” Not when there are Starbucks French Roast K-cups and Folgers Vanilla Biscotti K-cups and more brands and flavors of K-cups than you or I can ever imagine. It only takes one steaming mug to change your life forever.
6. Tapestries
Much like posters, cheap tapestries are the call of a dying warrior who fought for the wrong side. We can see that you tried really hard, but since the effort failed, did you really try that hard? In your head, the checklist that narrowed your options down to a tapestry included:
-Covers enough wall space that I don’t need to worry about decorating another 24”x29”
-Hip and Bohemian (which often translates into, “Appropriates various cultures that don’t matter to me”)
-I’m already on UrbanOutfitters.com, so I might as well
And that’s it. That’s all that could possibly go into buying a Bohemian tapestry.
7. Assorted Snacks
Snacks are everyone’s favorite part of the room. They are also the most significant part, because they can determine whether or not you have friends in the first few months. Admit it, you’ve attended certain club meetings solely for the free food. And people will do the same thing when attending small social gatherings in your room. Snacks also convey the kind of person you are and the kinds of people you want to attract. An athlete might have protein bars. A film major may love popcorn. A hippie probably makes lots of brownies. You get the idea. Good snacks are (a) delicious and (b) absolutely vital to any freshman dorm room.
*Please keep in mind that everything on this list makes an appearance in my own dorm room—except tapestries, because I despise tapestries.