Biology/Pre-Med
The coffee-stained mugs have been piling up on your desk, and you’re going to have to wash them sooner or later. You spend an entire unit learning about the importance of the circadian rhythm, yet the last time you closed your eyes to rest was when you were in the womb. In lieu of trendy room decor, you flaunt the periodic table and structural diagrams of amino acids firmly secured to the concrete wall in front of your desk. Bonus points if you have any edition of the Campbell Biology textbook displayed somewhere in your room. For the most part, your room is tidy: not overly messy or clean, but functional enough to exist and study.
Business
Your room is the first result that comes up when you search “minimalistic college dorm” on Pinterest. Following a strict color scheme of white and gray with baby pink accents, your bed is always neatly made. It’s one of the many habits you’ve adopted, according to the mindful morning routine book that sits next to The Four Hour Workweek and How to Win Friends & Influence People on your nightstand. Your desk consists of your computer, the pink and marbled daily planner with “Make it Happen” embossed on the cover, and pastel sticky notes you use to jot down meeting details during business calls. Your wardrobe is organized by functionality: blazers, suits, and three-inch pumps on one side and casual wear and white Pumas on the other. As a business major, your room sells you: the competent, classy, and organized individual.
English
Think Moe’s Bookstore meets Light Academia. I’m talking about botanical posters, color wheels, and vintage postcards covering every inch of the wall with a color palette of browns and neutrals. Every English major needs their muse, whether it be a potted plant, a miniature Greek bust, the empty can of Earl Grey tea, or some obscure cracked painting they found at their local thrift shop they claim represents “the multifaceted, dynamic nature of human life.” They live, breathe, and eat literature, so be prepared to find Dickinson, Hemingway, and every other classic you’ve heard about but never read littered throughout their room and stacked on their desk. Despite the amount of reading they do, the lighting in their room will always be dim and tinted yellow — purely for the aesthetic.
Political Science
Walking in, you are greeted by the absolutely massive heap of newspapers next to the door. If you were to spend the night, you’d wake up to the soothing sound of Steve Inskeep’s voice on NPR’s Morning Edition podcast and black coffee served in a mug they received as a thank-you gift for their contribution to PBS. For political science students, wall art is synonymous with framed campaign posters from their favorite presidential candidates. In accordance with their bold opinions, they tend to gravitate toward a bold color scheme, usually with a deep red, blue, or green accent color. Unlike Business students, their desks are consumed by federal documents, legal readings, and historical papers.
Physics
Except for a single potted plant and a lone maroon shirt hanging in their closet, their room is empty. Need I say more?