Let's face it. You'll be spending a lot of time in your home away from home, and you want it to look nice.
Let me just start by saying: DON'T BUY ALL YOUR STUFF IN THE SAME DAY.
Space your purchases apart. That way, you don't have a $300 hole in your bank account all of a sudden, and you can find more eclectic and interesting pieces (often at better prices).
Something that I've always found: SIMPLER IS BETTER.
Get your big pieces, and stick with a more simple pattern.
For me, that meant picking a solid white comforter with a simple square stitching to be perfect.
Plus, if that's the look you're going for, it's a lot cheaper! I got my comforter for $20 from TJ Maxx instead of paying $50+ for an elaborately patterned one.
>> Side note, selfies on a white comforter are better too. You gotta show yourself off, and white is the perfect background.
After I got my simple comfort, it was easy for me to accessorize with cute pillows, patterned sheets, and throw blankets.
Pretty much all of my stuff was in black, white, or gray, with a little bit of other color thrown in.
This works out well for me, especially because everything looks cleaner, and it doesn't clash with my roomie's stuff.
The next staple of my college experience: GO FOR COMFORT.
Splurge on an extra nice mattress pad and memory foam pillows, trust me, it's worth it. You spend a lot of time laying on your bed hanging out, sleeping, doing homework, or trying to sleep even though people in the hall won't shut up.
No matter what, the extra padding makes a huge difference, and you deserve it. Also, bringing an extra lamp or two is great for having comfortable lighting for you AND your roomie. Treat Yo' Self to comfort.
You'll also need to: MAKE STORAGE ACCESSIBLE
Storing winter clothes and extra hangers behind your dresser is great until you need to get those cute boots or to hang up some of the free tee-shirts you'll get (seriously, you'll get thousands).
I've found that storing these things under my bed, but behind my dresser is a nice way to keep clutter out of the way. I also think that accessing these things would be much more inconvenient if the storage I brought didn't have wheels.
I know that it's all over Pinterest, but seriously, get an IKEA RÅSKOG Utility Cart. I keep my cleaning supplies, snacks, makeup, hair stuff, and so many little things on this cart. It's fully adjustable so that you can make sure your paper towels will fit on the bottom shelf of it, and it comes in lots of cute colors!
IKEA really has the storage thing down. Check some of their simple file boxes out and look at their desk organization.
Finally, ADD PERSONAL TOUCHES.
Don't make your dorm something that could be in a catalog, add pictures of your family, friends, pets, experiences. If your boyfriend gave you a cute stuffed animal, put it on your bed or desk!
Your living space is about YOU!
Don't forget your memories, and don't forget to make new ones. I mean, seriously, it only costs like $0.19 to print a picture.
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Make your dorms shine with your personality and taste!
Until next time...
*** More pictures may be added to this post for clarity of content ***
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