Decorating Your Dorm Room

So you finally leave home, set off for the great adventure calleed college, and move into your dorm room. Independence, finally! But as you sit in your new home, you realize it's not quite as homey as you would like.

The blank, white walls are reminiscent of prison, the bright overhead light blinks at an irritating pace, and the top of your desk and other surfaces are scarred from years of use. Adding to the lovely décor is the fact that you overestimated just how much stuff would fit in the tiny space, so your clothes and miscellaneous other junk are all over the floor.

Welcome to decorating your dorm room on a budget! There are a number of ways that you can make your dorm room feel more like yours without breaking your wallet—and all before your first day of classes, too. (Of course, if you have a roommate, it is always a good idea to check with him or her before you start decorating.)

One of the keys to decorating any room is lighting, something many people forget. Of course you say, “But I can’t afford lighting that will actually look nice, can I?” Wrong. You don’t need expensive track lighting to add ambiance to your room. Some of the best lamps for dorm rooms are the small clip-on desk lamps with adjustable necks. While not exactly stylish, they are a bargain at $5-$6. They can be clipped onto bookcases, table edges, closets, and practically any other edge, so they are perfect for rooms with little table space. Plus, if you add several to you room higher up, they can be pointed at the ceiling for a track light effect. If you want a more direct light, you can place one near your bed for reading. Either way, they add texture to the room.

Floor lamps are also nice, though a bit more pricey (though you can still find them for under $20—sometimes under $10). However, since many are also adjustable, they are nice for the small space that dorm rooms often provide, plus they do not take up table space, either.