After a four week hiatus from Ratty dining, communal bathrooms, and virtually every other drag of living in the confined space of your dorm, students have returned from a restful winter break to find campus and their living situations unchanged. Since it’s back to the “same-old, same-old,” it’s easy to feel bored or uninspired by the monotony. A quick and easy fix to this can be redecorating your living space. Even if your dorm just needs a vacuuming and some Lysol wipes, a newly organized, cleaned, or decorated bedroom will allow you to start off the new semester on the right foot. Here are some tips for a fresh new dorm for 2nd semester:
1. Clean your room!
When I first got back to campus, a layer of dust had settled over every surface of my room… really gross, I know. The first thing I did (with the help of my mom) was clean everything. I vacuumed, Swifered, wiped, and dusted my bedroom-away-from-home until it matched the cleanliness of my bedroom-at-home. I would suggest stocking up on paper towels and wipes for the new semester, especially since keeping a neat and hygienic living space is scientifically proven to improve your mental state!
2. Get Organized!
After a full semester, it becomes clear which methods of organization and storage work, and also which ones do not. Personally, I did not start first with nearly enough plastic bins. I also, for some unknown reason, decided I didn’t need a shoe rack… a critical mistake. Because of this, I returned to campus with numerous organizational items like drawer dividers, some new bins for my built in shelves, and, of course, a shoe rack. Needless to say, my dorm is much improved by these additions.
3. Print some recent photos!
Generally, a lot of fun things tend to happen over winter break! With the holidays and numerous friend reunions, there is always an obligatory photo op. And because of that, I’m sure your Instagram and camera roll are full of new pictures of friends, family, and places. One of my favorite pieces of dorm decor is a grid of photos on the wall above my bed. However, most of these pictures are older, taken this past summer, or even months before. Over my break, I printed out some recent photos to replace some of the older ones. And on days where I’m missing my friends from home, they make the perfect decoration to remind me of our time together during the vacation.
4. Put up some new decorations!
Every two weeks or so, I get the urge to completely redecorate my room. And while it’s not always possible to remodel during the chaos of the school year, it is much easier to pick up some new decorations when you’re shopping at home. I brought back some new wall hangings, framed photographs, and two plants to add some greenery to my space. And now that I’m living in my dorm again, it feels a little more like home!