After you unpack all the boxes, hang all the clothes and cram all those books you promised yourself you would read but never actually will in a lockbox under your bed, you may think you are officially done moving into your new dorm room.
While it’s important to have the essentials, it’s equally important to make the space your own personal living quarters. After all, even if you decide to only use your room for sleep, it should be thought of as more than just a bed. It should be seen as a concrete expression of your identity. Here are some tips on how to transform your dorm room into something that is your own.
Find your aesthetic
This is probably the hardest step of all and definitely the most liable to change over time. Your aesthetic right now may be different in a year or two, but it is important to think about this in order to make your living space the most comfortable.
What are you passionate about? What are your hobbies? When you close your eyes, what do you see? Maybe it’s fashion, and you see your own brand of Met Gala look. Maybe it’s outdoor recreation, and you see a miniature Dick’s Sporting Goods. Maybe it’s punk music, and you see something that looks like it would fit perfectly as your next jean jacket patch.
Most importantly, remember this is your space. Don’t succumb to peer pressure by what your friends or floormates or roommates are doing with their parts of the room. Allow your space to be an expression of your identity, whatever it may be.
Pinterest is your friend
Pinterest is the millennial guidebook for design. When you want to decorate something, this is the place you go.
You could type “Dorm Decorating Ideas” and probably get hundreds of thousands of possible pins to browse, but beyond that, you can get as narrow-focused as you like and still probably find some great ideas. Everything from sticky notes featuring all your favorite TV show quotes to hanging up colored lights attached with photos of you and your friends can be found on Pinterest.
Welcome home
Looking good! Yes, this space is so you. Much better than that emotionless concrete cell you were living in before. This is a space that screams you. Now go out, make friends and share this work of art with them.
