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Move-in day is coming soon, and the pile of dorm essentials has officially taken over your house! It’s about time you get all that you’ve collected for your college dorm in its place – your home away from home!

Making the big move from home to college is an exciting time, and part of that excitement is being able to decorate your dorm! While the whole decorating process is a fun opportunity to create a space that is uniquely you, it can also be a little bit daunting. How do I hang up my pictures? Should I coordinate with my roommates? What are some dorm-proof ways to make this room my own?

Your dorm is your home for the school year, so you may as well have some fun with it and make it your own little oasis! Having had some experience and seeing many different dorms over the school year, I have provided some helpful tips below to guide your room-decorating endeavor!

#1 Talk to Your Roommate

The first thing I did when it came time to collect items to decorate my room was collaborate with my roommate. While this isn’t a necessary step, it can still be a fun way to get to know each other and coordinate room decor.

My roommate and I both fortunately had very similar ideas and taste in aesthetics. After talking a bit about some of the colors we liked and the “vibe” we were going for, we came up with a color scheme and both planned our decor accordingly.

This was fun for us because we both wanted to have a common theme, and luckily we both liked the same things! Now, I realize this is not always the case, and you may be going into your dorm not knowing what your roommate plans to do with their side, but that is truly not something to get too worried about.

#2 Access What You Already Own

Shopping for your dorm is super exciting, don’t get me wrong, but the likelihood of you already owning some decor is very high. I’m a pretty thrifty shopper, so I started with deciding what I wanted to bring from home, which helped guide my shopping list. For instance, I already had a mirror and I had some pictures and paintings that fit the color scheme, so I brought those with me.

I did of course want a refresh, so I created a list of things I didn’t already have. Doing this ensured that I didn’t get doubles of anything and also helped me to save a little extra cash.

#3 Check Out Your Local Thrift Store

As I already mentioned, I’m quite the thrifter, so when it came to getting decor for college I stopped at a thrift store first.Thrifting for decor guarantees you get something unique and fun with lots of character!

Some of the things I looked for specifically when I went thrifting were: picture frames, vases, shelves, trinkets of any kind, and any other unique wall-hanging decor.

Not only are you saving money when you thrift, you will also find dorm decor that is one of a kind!

#4 Check Online for Awesome Deals

It is dorm-shopping season, so you can expect there to be lots of sales at stores like Target, Walmart and Amazon! I highly recommend checking out the college dorm sections for all of your organizational needs!

Part of decorating is also the fun of finding cute and conventional ways of storing all of the things you need. I stored many of my desk supplies in cute cubbies and baskets on shelves, which helped to save room and declutter my desk.

#5 Buy Command Hooks!!

Command hooks are so important! Because you can’t poke any holes in the walls with nails or screws, you have to be careful about how you hang up decorations. Command hooks get the job done, and you can find different kinds of hooks for different needs. I would advise you to either order them ahead of time or shop for them a little early. If you wait to get them when you are moving in, the selection may be limited.

Finally ... HAVE FUN!

Moving and getting settled into college is fun! Take this as an opportunity to refresh and make a space that you are comfortable in. You want your temporary home to reflect you and be a place you can come back to, so make it your own!