by Rose Calder

Created on: July 08, 2010   Last Updated: August 10, 2010

So you're about to move out of your parents' house for the first time and into your dorm room.  While you may be thrilling at the notion of no longer having to deal with curfews, household chores and parental supervision, you must keep in mind that you are also leaving behind the comforts of home as well.  That means no more access to your parents' pantry, no use of the car and - most importantly - leaving behind that most sacred of teenage sanctuaries: your bedroom.

While this may not sound all that terrifically worrisome at first, when you recall that your new digs feature cinder block walls, linoleum floors and a bathroom you have to share with 48 other people, it becomes a little more daunting of a move to make.  And when the fact that you're going to have to live there for nine months or so and you've just spent the last 18 years or so making your bedroom tolerable, you start to think about what you can do to make the transition a little less jarring.

Here are some ideas on how to make your new dorm room feel a little more like home:

Carpeting

Nothing quite says "cold and sterile" like linoleum flooring.  Not only does it bring to mind hospitals, schools and municipal buildings alike, but it's also chilly on the feet.  While you could simply choose to wear slippers and shoes at all times, nothing quite makes a person feel more at home than having the option of running around in their socks or completely barefoot.  So what to do?

To combat the linoleum lethargy, get yourself either an area rug or a piece of carpet remnant.  Not only will these help keep your feet from getting a chill, but the colors of the rug/carpeting will help brighten up your room immensely, and Lord knows those rooms need all the help they can get.

Posters

Now that we've gotten the flooring situation taken care of, let's look at the walls.  Ugly, aren't they?  Well, that's what happens when you make dormitories with cost-effectiveness in mind instead of aesthetics.  What is to be done with these walls?

The obvious answer is posters.  A lot of them, in fact.  Movie posters, music posters, art posters; get enough of them, and you shouldn't be able to see the cinder block at all.  If money is a bit of a concern, check out your university's art museum during the first week of classes; they tend give away free poster prints of artwork, and nothing impresses the opposite sex like a copy of fine art strategically stuck to the wall.

Lighting

There's a reason why most homes don't use fluorescent ceiling lights in every room; it's because they're too bright, kind of harsh and make everyone look jaundiced.  Unfortunately, this is the exact kind of lighting you can expect to find in your new dorm room.  And while it's tempting to just leave them off unless it's pitch-black out, the fact remains that you are going to need to use lights at some point and time.  

Desk lamps are wonderful for dealing with this situation, because they do actually put out quite a bit of light and take up no floorspace whatsoever.  If you have the floorspace to accommodate one, then get a floor lamp; preferably one with multiple lamp heads, so you can adjust the brightness by clicking one on or off as needed.  And, of course, there's always the Christmas lights option, which provide some of the softest lighting possible, which is great for those study dates that have special emphasis on the "date" part.

Hopefully, these ideas will help you feel more at home in your new dorm.  As for the communal bathroom...let's just say you really ought to invest in a pair of shower shoes.  And a thick robe.

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