by Zoe Schrader
It’s mid-July and your summer is slowly but surely coming to a close. You may be starting your freshman year at college or returning once again, but either way – you should probably start packing. Next you think, great, how on earth am I going to choose what to bring with me?
“I wanted to make my dorm as close to home as possible,” said freshman kinesiology major Taylor White. “I brought anything that has directly influenced me in my life. Anything that means a lot to me.”
This sentiment has been common among residence life students. Your dorm is essentially your home for the next year, and while there are many regulations for dorms, students have been able to work around them.
“I put up things that I would enjoy looking at everyday,” said freshman vocal performance major Johann Joson. “[I brought] things that remind me of home, things to remind me of what I want.”
To help you decide what to pack for college, current residents have shared their secrets of what has worked and what hasn’t.
Command strips, sticky tack, and blue tape will become your new best friend. In dorms, you cannot put any holes in the walls, which rules out tacks and nails. Thankfully, there are alternatives to save you from the bare white walls.
“None of my [wall decorations] would be up without sticky tack,” Joson said. “As for cork boards and heavier stuff, I use the Velcro command strips.”
Residents have added their own style to the dorms by hanging up anything from posters to soccer scarves.
“I get these soccer scarves anytime I travel with my family or friends,” White said. “I was going to sew them into a huge blanket, but I thought hanging them up would be perfect.”
Aside from decorating walls, residents have used rugs, throw blankets, throw pillows and even drapes to make their rooms more comfortable and cozy.
“Putting the drapes up helped a lot,” said freshman athletic training major Hannah Wilkinson. “They cover up the standard blinds in the dorm rooms.”
Area rugs do an excellent job of hiding the grainy and sometimes stained carpet in the dorms, while throw pillows and a cherished blanket can make your bed cozier. These items can also be assembled into a makeshift bed when needed.
The last battle is tackling storage in cramped spaces. Under-the-bed storage containers and hanging shoe and clothes racks can come in handy due to the lack of space in dorms. Joson got creative by using dish racks to hold his shoes, and stacked shoeboxes to create a bedside table.
“I just grabbed random things I had and moved them around until they looked like something I wanted to keep there.” Joson said.
When the daunting tasks of packing for college hits, just remember to bring the things that mean the most to you.
“All these things meant a lot to me at home,” White said. “And I wanted to make [my dorm room] as close to home as possible."
Less really is more when making your dorm room feel like your own space. With the right supplies and items, your new room will begin to feel like home.
