This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at DePauw chapter.
Spring is here, which means a dorm room clean-up is most definitely in order. Odds are, you left your dorm room in a pretty messy condition before leaving for Spring Break because you were too focused on getting to the beach or going home. So here are some tips and ideas for getting your dorm room and academics back in shape for the second half of the semester.
1. Lighten your load by getting rid of all your winter clothes in your closet. If you find any clothes you haven’t worn all year or maybe don’t fit anymore, donate them to the Thrifty Tiger! This way, you are not only cleaning out your closet but also giving back to the community.
2. Throw out or recycle useless articles and papers from the first half of the semester, or even from first semester. Or if you still need those notes and papers for the second half, organize them appropriately by subject, date, etc., maybe even into different folders. Looking at a folder filled with coffee stained, crinkled up papers can be stressful in itself. Without all this clutter and disorganization, you’ll feel great going in after midterms with a fresh start. Need a quick tutorial about how to create a chic filing system for the end of the year? Look no further.
3. Change your sheets (since you probably haven’t all year)! There’s nothing better than climbing into a fresh, clean bed after a long day of work, practice and meetings. It instantly creates an environment worth coming back to.
4. Take down old posters and decorations or add some new ones. Sometimes a new image for your dorm room can spark some inspiration or motivation. Plus, your room will be looking fly.
5. Actually just clean your room. Dust the shelves, do your month-long pile up of laundry, pick up those outfits you ended up not wearing, vacuum the crumbs late-night Marvin’s may have left and Windex those makeup-covered mirrors. Create an atmosphere that your parents would be proud of. It is refreshing to walk into a room that doesn’t reek of dirty laundry and old takeout from The Den.