It's summer which means it's time to start planning next year's dorm or apartment. My roommate and I regretfully chose to live in the freshman dorms this year which sucked, but because of the things listed below our room was the cutest.

1. Pinterest is your friend

The amount of time I spent reading every Pinterest article about dorms and home decor last summer was ridiculous but I got a pretty good Pinterest board going that I am most likely going to use again this year for my apartment. Here's the link if you want to check it out.

2. Coordinate with your roommate.

Luckily I knew my roommate beforehand, but if you don't know your roommate, it is time to reach out and figure out a theme for your dorm.

3. Themes

This was the hardest part for me. I didn't understand the whole theme thing. We decided on an oceany pineapple vibe with our colors being, turquoise, gold, gray, and white.

3. Online shopping

This especially comes in handy if your roommate lives long distance, and even if not. lots of screenshots of bedspreads, pillows, and tapestries were sent between my roommate and me last summer. It's amazing the prices you can get things for online. Some good websites to use are, https://society6.com (my jam), https://www.amazon.com (obviously), and https://www.redbubble.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw28_XBRDhA... (also good for funny stickers to decorate your laptop with).

4. Target target target.

Dorm room gold mine. Target has the best little things to decorate with as well as all the practical things you'll need in the room such as a Swiffer, an ottoman, snacks for late night study sessions, and cute mugs for your morning coffee. Other great stores for things like this are as follows: Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, At Home, and Walmart.

5. The little things are important.

Little decorations for your wall or desk make a huge difference. such as little word boards, chalkboards, framed pictures, or pillows. These things really tie the room together.

6. It's all about the lights

My roommate and I had mini paper lantern lights encompassing the rooms and not only did it make our room 8492834952 times cuter, but it also allowed us to have low lighting at night right before bed.

7. PICTURES.

What's a dorm room without pictures? You can get a bit homesick at college especially in your first year. Pictures are a great, added decoration and you can always look at them to remind you of home as well as a talking point for visitors to your room.