If you're anything like me, your dorm room feels sort of like a prison when you first step in. I got lucky enough to get a dorm that I can have my own room in, but it still looked like a closet when I first came in. Over the course of the fall semester I have accumulated quite a few things that have actually made my dorm room my safe haven. I am happy to be in my room. I can be chilling out while snacking on popcorn and watching "Parks and Recreation" and actually feel at home. It took me a while, but I finally came up with the essentials to make my room feel cozy.

The key to achieving the comfy vibe is to get your furniture to a place where it makes the room look bigger, and make you feel happier. It took me a few tries but I moved my furniture around three times in my dorm before I finally found a place for everything so that my room seemed two times as big. I had my bed raised to the highest it could be, slid my dresser and ikea cube organizer (I have no idea what this is actually called) under my bed, and stood back to admire my work. Utilizing under bed storage is a huge part of keeping your room looking big. It lets you have more space to put your necessary furniture in the visible part of your room. It also gave me enough space to put little cubby baskets in my Kallax Ikea cube shelf (I looked it up.) I utilize those for a variety of things. I have one for all my medicines and possible medicines I need, another for feminine products. The other two are books and art materials. It just made things simpler because I barely need to get anything out of there often, so I didn't have to worry about it disturbing my study space. In my dresser I bought Ikea drawer organizers for my underwear and bras. It COMPLETELY changed my life. I didn't know how easy it would be to organize because of that.

Along with the furniture I slid under my bed, I had enough space to actually make a homework/study area when I don't want to sit at my desk. I cannot tell you how happy this has made me and how much I actually utilize this area under my bed. I can tell you a few things I did to create this wonderfully chill area. I first started with the idea of putting some kind of cushion or rug so that way I wouldn't be sitting on the dorm carpet (ick), and so I wouldn't be completely uncomfortable. I bought this cute little faux fur throw from Target for about $20 but it was so worth the money. It gives me that chic feel that is super popular right now. After adding the throw, I found a husband pillow from Walmart ($13) and added to my pillow collection. It makes movie night so much more enjoyable. Finally, the last pieces of my homework space are string lights. I bought little star lights that were from Target ($12) and hung them under my bed on the little metal bars. It completed the look I wanted. I also have a super soft blanket I use whenever I'm studying because let's be real, if I'm not comfortable I will NOT study.

Everyone in college knows that dorm room beds are SO uncomfortable. You get to stay in the dorms for orientation and get the feel of them. Personally, I hated them so much. It reminded me of my girl scout days where I would stay in the tiniest cabin in the stiff bunk beds. My mom insisted on a buying a mattress pad and I'm so glad she did. I don't think I would get sleep without one. That's a MUST have in college. You can get one at Target for $12 and it works great. I also made sure I had the softest sheets in the world. I got my set at Target from room essentials and it's honestly the nicest set I could find. Target is the bomb for this kind of stuff. They have college dorm stuff all year in its own section. My pillows are from Ikea ($13) because let's face it, Ikea has the fluffiest pillows in the world. Lastly the comforter I got is from Rooms To Go and it's the perfect weight for Florida. It isn't too hot or too cold, it's the perfect in between. Another thing to consider is bed spray. I have a lavender scented spray that I spray before bedtime to fall asleep perfectly. I love it! Makes it cozy and it smells incredible.

My desk is my drawing/studying spot when I can't sit hunched over under my bed. I like to keep it generally organized. I have bought so many different organizers over the years but I narrowed it to about three to four this year. My tip for desk organizers is always look at Target's $1 section. Most of the time they have buckets, or pencil holders and they're super cheap and easy to decorate later in time. I bought gold buckets and use them to hold my washi tape. Mason jars are also godsent in this situation. I bought mine for $3 at Marshall's. They had different colors but I loved the silver. You also have to keep in mind for your desk, what makes you happy. I know my roommates desk is a mess but it's organized chaos. She knows where everything is even though it drives me crazy. Another aspect of your desk that is kind of important is your chair. I bought a chair from target for $25 because I had this gross feeling about the chair the school gave me. Just not knowing who lived here and what they could've done on that chair. No thank you. So I put that chair in my living room and invested in a comfy one for my desk. A good lamp is also important for your studying area. My lamp is such a pretty color and I love the amount of light it gives off. It's from pottery barn, but I have no clue how much it was because my mom bought it. You just have to make sure that your desk is your place, organized or not. You will be sitting there a lot.

Electronics are almost always essential for college students. I made sure I had a TV to binge Netflix shows on. But putting it in the room is the hard part. I know a lot of people who put their TV on their dresser but then can barely see it from their bed. Me being me, I pushed my dresser under my bed so the windowsill was really the only other option. I decided to make my way to Target and buy a TV stand. I think it's actually considered a bookshelf in the store but it was perfect for my TV. It also fits my blu ray player if I really want to watch movies. I decided to put some decorations on the second shelf and then perfume on the bottom to make it easier to get to. The unit is small and it fits perfectly in a small dorm room.

Decorations are KEY to making your room feel like home. With the bare walls there is almost no way you'll be happy in the end. I absolutely love pictures and doodles and things like that. My room is covered in decorations. I have my tapestry that I brought with me that is perfect for my color scheme. I bought it on Amazon for $10 and it's the perfect size for my wall. I printed a bunch of pictures before I left and made a collage of pics surrounding a cute little canvas that says "lots of love." The reason I love this is because it reminds me of home. I have pictures of my boyfriend, my family, and my friends. It keeps my mind sane because it reminds me how great of a support system I have. Quotes are also a great decoration to have. My wall is FULL of them. My closet is surrounded by little doodles I did of my favorite quotes from my favorite shows and movies. It keeps me happy and reminds me not to give up. Over the desk decorations are a must. I have a calendar, a little push pin board, a place to keep loose papers, and pictures. It's the perfect way to stay organized and keep that cute, homey feel. Lastly for decorations, I have Funko Pop figures. Having these is just the cherry on top to my room. I love them so much and keeping them by the window makes me happy because it makes me keep in mind that there is good in the world. My favorite characters are good and pure and there is still hope.

A closet is heaven for girls. My closet personally is organized and it smells amazing. I keep my clothes organized in what type of clothes they are, and then by color. Basically, T-shirts in color order, workout clothes, sweaters, etc. I keep it like this at home so that's how I like it here. That's something you should keep in mind. Keeping things like home helps make you feel at home. My closet here has something different though that I don't have at home. I put smelly beads in my closet to make sure that my clothes don't get that stale dorm smell. I got it from Target for $2. It's an apple cinnamon smell and my clothes never smell bad.

Lighting is important as well. The harsh light of the light on the ceiling can be too much. I like to keep my lighting simple and not too bright at times. I brought my lamp from home to keep a small, natural looking lighting in my room. Again, bringing that homey feeling because I brought something from home.

The last thing I think is important is smell. I talked about the bed spray and the beads in the closet, but the room smell in general needs to stay fresh. Since candles are a no go in college dorms, the thing I have found what works the best is a plug in scent. Bath and body works have a ton. I use different scents for different seasons and it just makes my room feel like my house. My mom always plugs in food smells. She loves vanilla and pumpkin smells. I like to keep usually food smells in since she did. If I close my eyes I feel like I'm home.

It may be weird coming from your house to college but there are certainly ways you can make your dorm room feel like home. It's pretty easy to make yourself feel happy. I didn't think it would be, but once I had my room completely done and I could have my alone time I was content. I actually miss my dorm room when I go to my house. I miss my quiet comfy space where I can just relax. I love it, and I hope you can learn to love your room too.