College can be a very bumpy road between the overly priced textbooks and sometimes immense housing deposits. Although many say it gets easier, we can never overcome the pressure that our years of college have in store for us. Whether you are a business major, culinary student or education major, there will be many times when you will feel overcome with stress and need a destination to relax. Why not make it your dorm room? After all, this is going to be your temporary home. Here are seven things that you need to remember when dorm shopping this year.
1. Arrange your furniture to maximize the space that you have.
Everyone is always slightly disappointed the first time they walk into their dorm room. It's bare, the furniture is not organized and everything is slightly dusty. However, after a good clean up and a creative floor plan, it will be the place that you will call home for the year! Don't place a lot of items in the middle of the room. Instead, attempt an open concept floor plan. If you can raise or loft your bed, do it! Taller beds can make a room feel bigger than what it actually is! When lofting, there are many opportunities of what you can do underneath, such as extra seating or having another place to put your desk for a more private study area. Putting your beds against the wall will allow ample space for your dresser, desk and closet! Make sure that you allow enough space by your desk to fully push in and pull out your chair. Keeping your dresser and your closet on the same side of the room can maximize space by utilizing the corners of your room!
2. The color scheme will make or break your room.
Many people do not understand that there are colors that will make a room feel substantial, but there are also colors that can make a room feel extremely small. When shopping for your dorm room, you will want to look for brighter, solid colors that will make your small room feel big. These colors can include white, grey, orange, yellow, pink and blue. However, this does not mean that you cannot have any dark colors in your room. Having darker accent colors or patterns such as black, maroon or purple can balance the color ratio of light and dark, while also making your room feel sizable. As long as your room is not centered around dark colors, it should emphasize the spaciousness.
3. Don't fill all the space on your walls.
Pictures are a must in any college dorm. However, overdoing the amount of decor on your wall can make your room feel extremely cramped. This can make some people feel anxious or claustrophobic, which is the complete opposite of relaxation. Instead of cramping them up in one spot, put the pictures in frames and strategically place them on your wall. You can also add items such as a tapestry, wall decals or posters. However, don't choose a piece that overpowers the room. Although they add a pattern aspect to your room, they should not be too big. The key to hanging these is to put them in a space by themselves, whether it is over your bed or the centerpiece of the wall. The purpose should be to brighten the room. You want to attempt to balance the ratio of wall space to wall decor.
4. Bright lighting will save the day.
Both bright lights and lamps, as well as opening your room to outside light will make your room feel more vibrant. While using natural light from the day is as easy as opening your windows, purchasing lights to keep your room just as bright at night can become challenging. Many people like to coordinate their lighting with the other colors in their room. Having things such as colored lamp shades and colored plug in lights are a giant no. You want to have white lighting to pick up the vibrancy of the other items in your room. Plus, it will accent the darker things that you have in your room as well. Many people also appreciate having stringing lights in their room. It is perfect dim lighting that you could watch a movie in, but it is still possible to finish your 10-page essay. Using these lights to create a dim effect can help to reduce the amount of stress felt from the day and increase relaxation in your room.
5. DIY is, and always will be, your best friend.
You have all summer to decide how you would like to decorate your dorm room. But how many of those things do you actually need to buy brand new? You can make anything to put in your room! You can create picture frames with shoe boxes or pen/pencil holders with recycled soda cans! There are tons of ways to save money and put it toward something that your need, such as books. You can take the time to make your own jewelry holder to hang up on your wall or even your own picture holders and wall decals! Anything that you can make, you should! Not only are you saving money, but this allows you to put your own personal touch on your room. No one else will have what you created!
 
6. All unused space can be used for storage.
After living in a dorm for one full year, I now know that there are ample opportunities for storage, even in the smallest room. By utilizing all space possible, you will have more room to move around. If you can raise or loft your bed, I recommend 100 percent to do this. If it is just raised, you not only have your bed above the floor, but you also have tons of storage space underneath. You can place any moving tubs or boxes — even portable cabinets if you bring them — under your bed. If you have a portable closet, you can also strategically place tubs or boxes of storage and put decorative things around to make it look nice. Another thing that you can do to maximize storage in your room would be to remain organized so that everything can fit in its place.
7. There needs to be a place for everything.
It is hard to be seemingly organized when you are cramped into a space with all of your stuff and a roommate in the same predicament. To remain organized, you need to have a place for everything! If you start placing random things around your room, it will give the effect that your room is a mess, or it will give the effect that you have too much stuff. To get rid of this feeling, label the items around your room so that you know that is where they go — such as school supplies on your desk or the makeup on your dresser. You can also label storage drawers under your bed and in your closet. You can buy cute labels, or even make them yourself! You should keep like items closer together and consistently remain organized to keep the "cramped" vibe out of your room.
