Having to live in a room over 50 years old with white walls, a lumpy mattress, and being the size of a doghouse, is not the most exciting thing. But, these hacks will help brighten up the room and make it manageable and maybe even enjoyable.

Make a homemade ottoman.

This ottoman is easy to make and the best part is that you can choose which fabric you want it to be. Click here for the tutorial.

Use an over the bed caddy.

This handy little caddy is useful for a lofted bed when its too hard to get down from your bed to get tissues or to put your phone down.

Hang pictures up with string and safety pins

This is a cute way to make your room feel more comfy with pictures of friends and family from back home.

Bring a foam topper.

This is probably the most beneficial hack. The dorm mattresses are so uncomfortable without extra padding so this will help be a reward from studying when you climb into bed at 3:00 a.m.

Buy magazine holders

Magazine holders are a cute way to organize and store notebooks; folders; and even what they were made for, magazines!

Bring drawer organizers.

Plastic drawer organizers can easily be used to make finding the small hair ties easy and make the drawer a bit more clutter free.

Decorate with Washi tape.

Washi tape is a cheap way to add color and designs to items from shelves to folders.

Turn your phone into a projector.

Use your phone as a projector with this DIY hack for when you want to watch a show on a larger screen. http://content.photojojo.com/diy/turn-your-phone-into-a-photo-projector-for-1/

Loft your bed.

Even though it is a pain sometimes to walk up and down the ladder to get into bed, it is worth it because it makes your room seem 10X bigger!

Use a clothing rack.

Most dorms have a closet about half the size of a normal closet. A clothing rack helps to fit all the clothes in the closet without it looking like it is completely stuffed.

Bring extra lights.

There isn’t a lot of light in the dorm room but by bringing a floor lamp and hanging lights help brighten up the room.