Going to college is so much fun and it has so much excitement involved! Throughout the summer, I think about seeing old friends and meeting new ones, along with new classes and new professors. One big things on my mind has been...my dorm room! This year I'll be living in an apartment style residence hall (also known as a dorm). I've put together several different ideas on how to have the cutest dorm room on campus, whether you're a freshman or an upperclassman -- with the help of Pinterest, of course!

1. Organization.

Staying organized is a really big thing once you're living in a small space. No matter what college or university you go to, you'll have a small room, so you'll need to make the most of your space. Tip: Kitchen drawer organizers are really good for makeup and jewelry.

2. Christmas Lights.

Most colleges allow christmas lights, but you may only be allowed to connect a certain number together. I loved having christmas lights in my dorm room my freshman year because I hated using just the overhead light. The lights allow for some relaxation during the stressful times of college.

3. Pillows...lots and lots of pillows.

Pillows are great to have in your dorm room. They create a more homey feeling and allow for that extra comfort. Don't just bring the pillow that you'll be sleeping with - bring your sleeping pillow, accent pillows, a body pillow, a husband pillow, and extra pillows. Tip: the more pillows you bring the comfier you and your visitors will be...plus it's less bedding for someone to sit on, if you don't want people sitting on your bed.

4. Decorations.

I love decorating and it's my favorite part of moving in. This allows you to express yourself and show people what you really love. Some people go crazy with it (aka me) and some do very little of it. Tip: If you see something cute in the stores, you'll most likely be able to make it yourself and end up spending less money making it then buying it.

5. Personal Photos and Photography.

Personal photos are so much fun to have. You can easily order personal prints online for a super cheap price. My freshman year, I ordered over 100 prints, of various sizes, and spent under $10 through SnapFish. Photos are also great conversation starts for when you have friends over, plus they're a great way for your roomie to get to know your family -- aside from when y'all moved in.

6. Separate studying from relaxing and sleeping.

As the picture above shows, it's really easy to separate your studies from your relaxation. If you end up having a couch, futon, or extra chairs, use those for relaxation and reading, but not for studying or working on your homework - they'll actually take away from what you're trying to do. Many studies show that working at a desk is a lot better for you - personally, I can work anywhere, so this doesn't apply to everyone. Tip: separating these three things from each other means that you'll have more places for people to sit and stay focused when it's just you and your roomie in your room.

7. Do something cute for you and your roomie.

Once you get to know your roommate really well, it's hard to be apart from them. Cute crafts like the one above is great to give your roomie as a christmas or a birthday present! Tip: Take pictures together whenever you can because you never know when you'll need a cute one (for literally anything)!

8. Get crafty - like you never have before.

Crafting is so much fun and I love it. The picture above is just a few of the canvases and crafts that I've done so far this summer. Like I said earlier, it's so much easier to make things yourself instead of spending $10+ on one thing. The anchor canvas/string art I found at Target in the dollar section for $3 and only took about 20 minutes to do. The other canvas we all under $8 from Michael's and Joann's. Paint is really easy to get as well. Tip: puffy paint and paint pens work better for lettering on canvas than the regular paint and brush combo.

No matter what you decide to do in your dorm room, make it look the way you want it to and have fun with it! Have fun y'all!

(If you'd like to see more dorm room ideas, check out my Pinterest boards! https://www.pinterest.com/mackenziehard/college/ & https://www.pinterest.com/mackenziehard/eagle-land... & if you're an RA, I've got a board just for you: https://www.pinterest.com/mackenziehard/being-a-re...)