3 Special Ways to Make Your Dorm Room Feel Like Home, Experts Share

17.07.2024 - 16:08 / thespruce.com

Your dorm should be your home away from home, but it can be hard to imagine that when stepping into the empty space for the first time.

Looking around the room, it doesn't feel like there's much potential for personality—white walls, empty drawers, and a flat, uncomfortable mattress don't tell much of a story. But, let our editors guide you in the right direction.

Three Spruce editors share stories from their time in college dorms and how they managed to turn these blank slates into rooms filled with unforgettable memories.

Mia Ingui

The summer before my senior year, my dad accidentally donated all of my dorm decorations.

Please, take a moment and mourn the loss of all of my items. I used to store them in plastic bags in our garage, and my dad (bless him) unknowingly put them all out to the curb for a donation pickup.

When did I notice, you may ask? The week before move-in day.

I hadn't had much luck when it came to my college living situations, from temperamental roommates to a 7th-floor dorm with no air conditioning (it was always a comfy 86 degrees). I was so looking forward to my senior year, as I finally was living in the nicest apartment building on campus with my closest a capella group friends.

So even though I had just lost all of my precious belongings, I was determined to still have a good year and craft a dorm that felt like a home and a haven from crazy college life.

My mom and I went on a mission to replace all of my lost dorm essentials with rapid speed. Thanks to numerous trips to Target and HomeGoods, we were able to scoop up new bedding, towels, and pillows, combing through the few options left after the August dorm shopping rush.

I got much of the decor you can see in my room above, from a