When it comes to on campus housing, most of us just think of it as a place to store our stuff a few months out of the year. Freshman year you buy a ton of cheap posters and make big poster board collages of friends from high school. At first, it's really exciting to finally get a taste of freedom and living on your own, so you go all out decorating and end up bringing way more odds and ends then you need. As you get older and your on campus living options get better, you'll notice your decorating style will change. Usually around junior or senior year an apartment option will become available, and then you'll have a kitchen and bathroom to decorate as well as a bedroom! Here are a few ways to turn your on campus apartment into a home.

1. Ditch the poster board collage and upgrade to picture frames.

The poster board collages were really cute for freshman and sophomore year, but odds are by now you probably don't talk to half the people on them anymore. By hanging picture frames on the wall, it really makes it feel more homey. At most schools you can't hammer a nail into the walls, but you can use mounting tape to hang the pictures, which scrapes right off at the end of the year.

2. Jazz up your kitchen/living room tables.

A great way to make your kitchen and living room feel more cozy is by adding a few personal touches. For the kitchen table, simply adding a cute tablecloth and a fake flower arrangement will really brighten up the area!

3. Add curtains and decorative pillows to give your couch a personality.

As we all know, dorm furniture is not the best looking. In order to make it look less like jail furniture, you can add a couple cute decorative pillows. Another thing you can do to liven up the living room is to add curtains! They really help to add that homey feel and make the windows look a bit nicer.

4. Tapestries are a great way to cover up bare walls.

In my room, I put picture frames on the walls as well as a tapestry because I seriously hate bare walls. You'll be spending months and months away at school, so why look at blank walls? Tapestries are a great way to cover up a good portion of them! The traditional mandala tapestries are really cutie, but you can also find more unique tapestries (mine is the Manhattan skyline).

5. Putting up festive decorations to get into the holidays.

Odds are growing up you had at least a Christmas tree in your house every December, and even though you get to go home for the holidays, it's still fun to get in the spirit at school. Even something as small as putting out one pumpkin in the fall and cutting out a paper snowflake for winter can add a fun touch to your room.

6. Get a cute shower curtain and fun rugs for the bathroom.

The best part of having an on campus apartment is the fact that you no longer have to use a community bathroom (yay!). Now that you have your own bathroom, you have to really make it your own by adding a few personal touches. By adding some fluffy floor mats and a colorful shower curtain, you'll really upgrade the space.

7. Air fresheners, especially in the bathroom. Trust me.

This one is more of a necessity than a homey touch. It's still a bathroom that has been used before you got there, and you are still sharing it with at least one other person. It's best to just keep it fresh and smelling clean.

8. Get a pet fish.

Having a pet can really make your on campus apartment feel like a home. However, your options for pets on campus are limited. Plus with a busy schedule, it can get tough to take care of anything other than a fish. They make the perfect on campus pets because they are low maintenance and pretty to look at.

9. Make a DIY headboard.

As previously stated, dorm furniture isn't the most attractive. To give your bedroom a more personal touch, you can craft your own cardboard and fabric headboard. If you're really crafty, you can even monogram it like the photo above.

10. Bring your cute mugs from home.

Another homey touch you can add to your room is bringing all your cute coffee mugs from home. You finally have your own kitchen on campus and don't need to frequent the dining hall as much as you once did. Now you can make your own coffee in the mornings and drink out of your favorite mugs.