We've all been there; It's a new year at school and you're finally moving back to campus! You get your keys at the front desk of your dorm building, and before you know it you're standing in front of your room. It's at that moment that your happy mood turns into palpable revulsion. You see that bland desk set in a dark corner, the carpet floors that hopefully don't have any miscellaneous stains visible, and a bare twin sized bed that you can barely squeeze on without the fear of falling off sometime in the night.

As you set your bags down reality sinks in that you have to live here for the next nine months of your life. I mean face it, everyone doesn't get the Zoey 101 lifestyle. But before you start looking for those dorm transfer papers take a minute to see what you can do to add some life to your room. It's time to d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-decorate! (Yu-Gi-Oh! reference)

Anyhow, let's get down to business.

First thing's first, you need to start with a theme. It doesn't have to be elaborate, but start with a simple color. Blue maybe, or yellow, or even sea foam green. Whatever it is, keep it in mind because it will help you tie in everything else when looking for things to spice up your room.

Next, and I cannot stress this enough, BUDGET. Like seriously, we all know how it is being in college. A crippling lack of funds, sneaking food out of the cafeteria so you won't starve after those early closing hours. It's a fucking struggle so you better save every damn penny that you find in your pockets. Unless you're one of the lucky few who have found a *cough* legal *cough* means to make money, then you need to budget. Don't even get me started on when it's time to buy books, ugh.

Now for Howard students, the first places I suggest you look are Target, Marshalls, and Amazon.com. These three stores are places that I swear by. If you want something that looks like you spent 30 bucks on it when you really spent 12, then you better hit em' up. Go to Target for the basics like bath towels, simple curtains for a splash of that color theme, wall mirrors or even those stackable tubs for organizing your shit when you know you would just toss it under the bed or in the closet somewhere.

Marshalls is great for elevating your room with just a bit of taste. Go for a lamp, some decorative tape to add color to your wall, maybe an area rug or some decorative pieces to sit on top of that bland desk set, even string lights! Add some pizzaz to your room! Just sprinkle some everywhere! Pizzazz all over your room! I mean that in the best way possible, but with a touch of crudeness to make you ask yourself if there's a double meaning to it.

Amazon.com is a godsend. If you haven't already then I highly suggest you sign up for a student account. You get the first 6 months free, Prime 2 day shipping on literally THOUSANDS OF ITEMS, and you only pay $50 a year vs their usual price of $100. That's a steal, especially considering that they have almost every outlandish book your teacher is about to assign you. Plus, they have cute items for cheap! So if you want that novelty Totoro figurine that you can't find anywhere or that League of Legends miniature weapon model set, then Amazon is the place to go.

Well it looks like you have all the basic tools you need to turn your drab dorm room into a comfortable, pleasant living space. Just remember you have to live in that room for 9 months, so make it a place that you enjoy escaping to when you need a break from those classes or want some quiet time to yourself. College is stressful, so why not add some pizzaz to the one part you have control over? Own that shit, and make it work.