I’m in my fourth semester of college and subsequently living in a dorm. One of the biggest issues I’ve encountered (outside of the move-in stomach aches for the first week or so) is making the room feel like home instead of just the place I’m renting for the next 5 months. I understand very well how easy it is to fall into a routine of nothing but school, work, and existing only to go to the dining hall and back, but I find that it helps to cure the monotony when you aren’t afraid to really settle in to that twin XL and truly live in your dorm.
Wall Space
Blank cinder block walls are boring. For me, it feels more like a nice prison cell than a college residence hall when there is nothing to look at. My school is really awesome in that there is a poster sale on campus every few months with every kind of poster one could want. There’s music artists, photos of cars, classical art, I once saw a massive “Where’s Waldo” at one of them. That’s what is nice about putting posters up. It’s a good way to send a message to anybody that looks at your room: This is what I like. This is who I am. That’s also a really nice message to remind yourself of. Sometimes it can be really good to have that picture or art piece to look at and smile because it’s a representation of you.
As for me personally, I found most of my wall decorations at Target when I was first filling up my dorm. Much to the dismay of my mother (who has to help me get everything I put in my dorm across the country and back home when the year ends), I also acquired a massive art poster from the aforementioned poster sale and hung up a record I painted for a Her Campus activity.
Mood lighting
I am one of the biggest haters of “The Big Light.” Most of the time, the harsh fluorescents make the room just feel kind of aggressive, especially when they’re white instead of a softer yellow. That’s really not conducive to creating a homey vibe for your dorm. My solution: String lights! String Lights everywhere! Not only are they much less bright than an overhead light, they are usually not white. String lights can also be super helpful if you’ve got a roommate. Mine are really nice when I have a morning class or errand to get ready for and she doesn’t have to be up for another hour. I’m able to do my hair and makeup without being an awful roommate and waking her up way earlier than she needs to.
Remember Your hobbies
I collect cameras. I have for years and while my collection isn’t massive, I’m proud of it. While I don’t necessarily use the more vintage members of my little photo museum, I bring them with me every semester and keep them on the upper level of my desk. Really I only ever pick them up to show off when I invite somebody over but other than that, they’re just something to look at. Much like the posters, they serve as a reminder of who I am. They act as something to help me remember that I’m more than just a history paper machine. Even if I’m not using them, they make the small space feel like home.
Another one of my major hobbies is sewing and I made the mistake my first semester of not bringing any of my sewing supplies. It was absolutely miserable because even though I don’t get around to my sewing projects very often, it feels really good to have it as an option. This is probably one of the most important pieces of advice I can give for making a dorm feel like home. If you have the space for a hobby of yours, bring it. Bring it and continue to do it. It helps one not go absolutely insane before midterms have even started.
Don’t forget about holidays
I often fall into the trap of telling myself “Why buy something and put it up if I’ll just have to take it down when the season ends?” I could not possibly tell you enough how awful of a life that is to live. It makes the time go by so much faster and just makes me ache for the next week to come, the next month, the next year. Then when it does come, I’m upset that I wasted it. It is okay to live in the moment. It doesn’t have to be much either. My roommate and I had peppermint lights hanging across the room for the Christmas season and we’re going to switch to flowers when the weather outside gets more spring-y. If that isn’t your speed, you could even just draw something on a sticky note and stick it somewhere you can see. Move one day at a time and the semester won’t move so fast. Time won’t pass you by if you don’t let it.
College dorms can be difficult. The HVAC systems aren’t always working. Noisy neighbors might keep you up at night. Not to mention, very often there isn’t an easily accessible kitchen. Mine currently doesn’t have a ceiling in the shower because of a leak they haven’t finished fixing. However, there are things that are more in your control as a resident and it’s incredibly helpful to keep those things close to your chest. You can control what you put on your walls, whether you turn the big light on in the morning, and how much of the Christmas spirit you want to live with in your room. Even though it’s often cramped and you aren’t living there that long, it can be home. It can be your own space. All you have to do is make it so.