Moving into a dorm can be scary. After all, you've spent nearly your whole life decorating your room at home, so how could one at school become "yours" just like that? During my freshman year of college, I did everything to make my side of the shared, double room seem like my room at home. I remember shopping months in advance just to be sure that I had everything, pinning thousands of decorating tips on Pinterest and looking on Etsy for fun trinkets to disperse on my desk and shelves. In the end, my dorm room came pretty close to my bedroom at home, and yours can too.
1. Bring posters and pictures from home.
When I graduated from high school, I had tons of photos and posters hanging around my room. There were ones from prom, sports games, and sleepovers. There were picture collages that my friends made me for my birthday. And of course, I didn't want to leave any of them behind when I went to college. Bringing photos from high school ---or any really that you have hanging in your room---is a huge help when it comes to decorating a new room. Over the years, I have gotten rid of many of my collages (sorry friends, but command strips got the best of them), but in the beginning, they really helped me to feel at home.
2. Love something in your room? Don't worry, just take it with you.
Do you have a pillow that you love? A stuffed animal? Even a lamp? Bring it with you. There's no shame in reusing a piece of furniture or a comfy item. During my freshman year, I brought my yellow reading lamp with me. I loved reading at night, and for some reason had problems parting with this item--- not to mention that it also went with my color scheme. So the yellow reading lamp came with me. And it made it back home when the school year was over. It can seem silly that something so little and obsolete can change the atmosphere of a room, but it really does make a difference.
3. Buy cork board. Tons and tons of cork board.
Dorm rooms, as most people will know or expect, do not come with a lot of space. You pretty much will get a bed, a mattress, drawers, and maybe a closet. And all of this is stuffed into the space. This is where cork board comes in. You can find it at Bed Bath & Beyond, IKEA and even Staples for an inexpensive price. The Container Store is also a given for organizing objects like these. Some people use the cork board for pinning photos, reminders, and inspirational quotes above their desks. I, however, used them to hang my jewelry. It only takes two cork boards (depending on how much jewelry you have) and a couple of push pins. Just put the cork board on the wall with command strips or a nail (depending on the rules at your given college) and then place the push pins in the board. They act as hangers for your jewelry, and it takes up less space than getting an actual jewelry holder.
4. Make a color scheme.
Personally, color schemes are really important. A large part of having a room that I am comfortable in is making it look good. To some, this might not matter, in which case ignore this piece of advice. For those who do care, coming up with a color scheme is easy. You can go on coolors and see a bunch of colors together. You can even buy one piece of furniture or object, and then base the rest of the room off of that color. For example, my comforter freshman year was pink and white. In order to add more contrast, I bought yellow and dark brown objects.
5. Buy a bedside table.
The biggest difference for me, when moving to college, was the fact that I had no bedside table. It's crazy to realize how much you actually use one. I needed it for my phone, water bottle and book. Depending on the bed, this task can be pretty easy. If your college provides lower beds, then buying a bedside table from IKEA is easy. If the bed is higher up (like mine was) an attachable table is much easier. You can find them in a lot of stores, but Bed Bath and Beyond has really good ones. They often call them "bed shelves," for the correct terminology. I bought their Bamboo Bunk Bed Shelf, and it lasted me up until this summer when I accidentally dropped it when moving out. Trust me, it's a must for your dorm, as are the rest of these tips.
