We all know that living in a dorm can be tough. Not only do you have to share a bathroom with a bunch of other people, you also have to deal with finding a place for all the stuff you initially brought to college, and then finding a place for all the stuff you get once already at college. After rearranging my dorm room five times throughout this year, I have learned a few dos and don'ts of decorating and using the space you have most efficiently.
1. DO use drawers. I cannot stress this enough. Buying a few cheap drawers and organization units from Walmart or Target can literally change your world. When everything has a place it is so much easier to keep the room clean, and it looks nicer.
2. DON'T rely on tape. With the cinderblock walls we have, even duct tape is not going to cut it. Invest (yes, for college students $30 can be an investment) in some bulk packages of Command Strips or Poster Putty to hang up your wall decorations like canvases, posters, and calendars.
3. DO buy a carpet. If you are living in the shoeboxes, a carpet will cozy up those hard floors. If you are living in the horseshoe where the rooms already are carpeted, you might still want to buy one because who knows what those things have been through. While on this topic, if you have a carpet another must have is a mini-vacuum. Trust me when I say that carpets can get dirty fast, and if you have nothing to clean it with then you might even be better off with the hard floors.
4. DON'T try to live without an extension cord. You only get four outlets per side of the room, and these days with our phone chargers, laptop chargers, lamps, and Keurigs you have already got all four taken up. You are definitely going to want the extra plugs.
5. DO bring your own decorations. This is your new room for the next nine months, so make it feel like home! A lot of people hang lights (I still have my white Christmas ones up), tapestries, and pictures to put their own little touches on the room.
6. DON'T leave your room smelly. Even if you are the cleanest person on the earth, your room is going to have a weird smell at some point. It just happens when you are in such close quarters with so many people and the bathroom is only a few feet away. So buy Febreze, or a diffuser (Google it, they're a godsend), or even a candle warmer (we can't light them, but a hot lamp that melts the wax is not against the rules). That way your room will always smell nice and it is just one more thing to make the room more enjoyable.
7. DO figure out the best way to arrange the beds. This was what my roommate and I kept changing all year. Should we have them both lofted? One lofted, one low? Both low? Should they be bunked? Should they be across from each other or in an L shape? (the L shape is not my personal recommendation). Do you want a sitting area, and if so, what kind of chairs? Beanbags, desk chairs, futon? Whatever works best for you, make sure it gives you the optimal amount of space and comfort -- your bed should be your safe haven, not your death bed (no wobbly bunked beds, please).
Using these tips can help you sidestep some of the mistakes others have made in the past, but even if you start from scratch, ultimately, you will find the best way to arrange your room so that it fits perfectly snug to you.
