Dorm Sweet Dorm

Going to college brings on a lot of changes, and one major change is moving away from home.  Stories of living in college dorms are always interesting, whether you hear about the white cinder block walls, or the cold, tile floors.  Nothing beats sleeping in your own bed at home, but with a few tips, it can be easy to create a dorm room that feels like your second home!

The Key to Comfort

When you are busy during the semester, it is important to have a place to relax, and your dorm is the perfect spot.  Most dorm rooms have fluorescent lighting.  Your opinions may differ, but fluorescent lighting reminds me of the classroom.  For a different lighting option, try hanging decorative lights.  They are perfect for late study nights when you don’t want to disturb your roommate.  Also, they will make your dorm feel and look much cozier!

Speaking of cozy, you are probably wondering how you can make your bed feel like home.  My solution is having a lot of pillows, and I recommend the same for you!  At home, I like to keep a lot of Pillow Pets on my bed, so I decided to bring them to school with me.  This really made me feel more at home.

For the cold months in State College, (trust me, you’ll know when winter hits the hardest), it’s best to have extra blankets in your dorm.  Other items my roommate and I brought along were carpets and rugs.  It felt a lot better to walk on these, rather than the cold, tile floors.

Personalize Your Space

As I mentioned earlier, white cinder block walls can look a bit plain.  Don’t be afraid to splash some color on your walls!  Wall Pops and decals are perfect for decorating and don’t require a hammer and nails.  Another amazing product I started using last year was Command Strips.  I used them to hang larger picture frames and a mirror.  They also will not cause any damage to walls.

I definitely recommend keeping a lot of pictures in your dorm and of course, don’t forget to leave space for the new memories you’ll be making!  I got creative with my photos last year.  I hung them up in a way so they formed the letters, “PSU.”  No matter how you decide to display them, you can never go wrong with loads of pictures

If you are a crafty person like I am, I love decorating for holidays!  You can easily do this by hanging seasonal lights in your window.  My roommate and I also decorated our door.  We hung up stockings at Christmas and painted wooden letters for the spring season.

There are so many ways to be creative when it comes to dorm décor!

Just Sit Back and Relax

Engineering majors… yes we are very hardworking college students.  We like to keep busy.  With trying to balance school work, clubs, activities, and a social life, it’s hard to find time to just relax.  Last year, my roommate and I started a “tradition.”  During the week, if we were caught up with our work and didn’t have exams the next day, we would watch the show Friends, followed by Fresh Prince of Bel Air.  A little bit of relaxation is sometimes all you need.  After all, your dorm is a place you should be able to relax in!

I know dorm shopping may seem overwhelming, but it can also be a lot of fun at the same time.  I hope my ideas have helped you with your list of dorm necessities.  Just remember, it’s completely normal to miss being away from home.  Spending time on making your dorm room your own can really help you adjust smoothly.  It definitely helped me.  Happy dorm shopping and welcome to Penn State!

Caleigh Wanson is a sophomore majoring in Civil Engineering, and she is a Rover for WEPO'15!