by Christina Conner

Created on: August 27, 2009

Traditionally, college dorm rooms are rooms that would be small for one person, much less two. But there are ways to bring some excitement and luxury to your tiny space.

SLEEPING

Consider a loft for one or both of the beds if you don't have bunk beds already. Disclaimer: Before you do this, make sure that you check with the housing department to make sure that lofts are allowed. Check the newspaper or yellow pages for carpenters or builders in nearly any college town to see if they can create a strong and sturdy loft. Do NOT simply try and make one yourself without any training or expertise! Measure the dimensions of the room, and make sure you get one that will fit in the room!

All the warnings aside, having a loft system for one, if not both, beds will free up a lot of floor space. It may be an adjustment to climb up and down, but think of it as a little bit of extra exercise in the day. If you have a double loft, you can include shelf space between the beds for a TV and DVD player.

Get nice bedding. Many of the basic sheet sets for college students are around 200 thread count. For real luxury, double it.

LIGHTING

Invest in some fun and funky light fixtures for your room. Many dorm rooms come standard with boring overhead lights. Having a string of Christmas lights or other fun lights will give your room some ambiance and excitement. It will also give you the perfect setup for movie night in your room, which is ideal for meeting new people or for a date.

STUDYING

Having a laptop can be a great investment academically. It is also wonderful to be able to surf the Internet, download music, and play games in your dorm room. It is pricey, but if you get a good one, it should last you for your entire college career. If you're a hard partier, consider getting extended warranty or insurance for your laptop. Definitely consider getting an external hard drive, or at the very least, a couple of flash drives to save important documents/files. You don't want to spill coffee on the keyboard and lose an entire semesters worth of work.

EATING

A mini-fridge is not a necessity, but it is oh so handy to store sodas and Red Bulls to help keep you awake at night. It's also great for storing simple snacks or leftovers.

RELAXING

A comfy chair is a great treat to have in a dorm room. Both you and your roommate are sure to have space for one each if you have put your beds on a loft. It makes a great place for reading, studying and watching TV that isn't your bed or the often utilitarian desk chairs provided by the housing department. It also helps to have more seating in your room to host little parties and make your place more inviting to guests.

A TV can be a helpful and relaxing distraction from your studies. You won't be able to get a big one, so save your dreams for a 60 inch flat screen for after you get your degree. But there are a number of small TVs (19 inches or less) that aren't too expensive and they will give you a way to relax and recharge. Along with this, you should pick up a DVD player for movie nights.

Look on craigslist, classified ads, or thrift stores to find many of these items on the cheap. Just because they're luxuries doesn't mean they have to be expensive!

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