Everyone knows it can be a struggle to make a dorm room feel like home, especially with limited space and restrictions on what you can do. I live in a whitewashed, cinder block,10 by 12 room with tile floor. When I moved in, it felt almost like I had been institutionalized. I had to figure out some way to brighten up my room.

I began with the walls, putting up maps and posters with sticky tack. The one saving feature of my room is a strip of cork that runs along the wall about three-quarters of the way up. I thumb-tacked my favorite drawings along this strip, alternating between portrait and landscape oriented drawings.

As the semester went along, I began to add sticky notes with quotes from the books I read (anything to cover up the awful cinder block). I used yellow for a cheery look. I always place them asymmetrically with attention to line.

I also placed pushpins that I use as hooks for jewelry and drying flowers. I hung a ribbon to which I paperclip postcards and another for storing my hair bows. Any of your accessories can be stored like this with a little creativity. It's both functional and decorative.

My room was still missing something. I wanted to make it feel even more organic and earthy. I began collecting small items on walks around town. I picked up everything from pebbles to leaves to feathers and placed them on a shelf above my desk.

Groups of something are more visually appealing, so over time, I aimed to collect multiple similar items. Some that you may not have thought of include bottle caps and strips of bark or moss. Rusty hardware components help make the transition from shiny bottle caps to more earthy items like wood and stone.

I also aimed for continuity. I arrange items on criteria like color, texture, and place of origin. Pine cones, flowers, and woodland figures on one side meld into items from the coast. I used snail shells to make the transition from land to sea flow. There are no strict delineations or rules for how to arrange things. Go with your instinct and place things where they feel they fit best.

Sometimes visitors to my room are surprised by my collections. They may seem random and meaningless to some, but these objects bring me joy. There is a memory behind each one. I have a pebble from the park near my boyfriend's house. He lives across the country, and yet I have something tangible to remind of a time I spent with him. Other items remind me of times I have gone exploring with my friends whether in the small town outside our school, along the shore of the Chester River or at nearby Eastern Neck Wildlife Refuge.

My collections bring life to my room because they are physical representations of my adventures and experiences. The process of collecting them makes me more aware of my surroundings and the beauty in things that are often ignored. It brings me great joy to find a new item I can bring home for my collection. Explore and discover what brings you joy. If you can bring that into your room, then anywhere you are will feel like home.