Designing your dorm room is an important part of starting college since it’s the first time you are generally “on your own”.  Many students had parents who dictated what they did to their room at home, which has in turn led to their newfound creativity in their dorm room, independent of their parents’ wishes.  Therefore, this is the first time that many have had a blank pallet to work with, and can therefore put up posters of their favorite movies or musicians, or even wallpaper their walls with pictures of their friends.

If you want your room to reveal more about yourself to people, whether that be your taste in music, movies, or even your favorite color, then you have to accurately display these types of things on the space that is available.  Living in a non-decorated room can almost seem institutional and gives off the vibe to others that you are either lazy or lack creativity.  By sprucing up even a small section of your room, you can reveal a part of yourself to everyone who enters the room.  College is all about making friends and first impressions in the first weeks when everyone is still acclimating to the major change that occurred, and decorating your room to fit your personality helps you to feel more comfortable in your new surroundings.  The first few weeks of being away from home are a trying time for any incoming freshman, and by making yourself more at home within your dorm room, you can settle in much faster.

Decorating your room according to what you like not only shows your interests off to the world, but can also help you develop a bond with your roommate and your living space in general.  It is difficult to make a dorm room (which typically look like institutions) seem more homey, but by bringing in a carpet, arranging posters and paintings, as well as smaller figurines, you can bring in a sense of “home” into your room.  Decorating your room is almost like building up a nest and developing a place where you can feel comfortable; you no longer have your parents’ home to come back to after a rough day at school, but need to make your dorm room a close second in terms of comfort.  Once you bring a bit of yourself into your dorm, you will be able to fully relax and delve into the school year.

This post was contributed by Britney Wilkins, who writes about for smartteaching.org. She welcomes your feedback at BritneyWilkins81 at yahoo.com