Who are you? A maximalist? A minimalist? Regardless, your dorm room won’t feel like your home away from home without good decor.
Move-in days at the University of Connecticut are spread out across Aug. 24 and 27, meaning there is still ample time to coordinate your new dorm aesthetic with your roommate and catch all the back-to-school deals. Here are some tips to help make your dorm feel like a tiny version of home.
First, find the aesthetic.
Decorating your dorm, or your side of the dorm, may be difficult without knowing who you are. However, you do know what you like! You and your roommate don’t have to agree on a single aesthetic, but finding some things you both like might help your room come together.
Whether you decide on an indie, a cottagecore or even a certain color aesthetic, be guided by your personal taste in style! Feel inspired by pictures on Pinterest, and don’t be afraid to copycat — I sure am going to.
Once you find your desired aesthetic or color scheme, everything else comes easy.
Second, bring lights.
Lights? Yes! Who likes to use the fluorescent white dorm room light anyway? To avoid temporary blindness from the overhead light, bring your own. Fairy lights bring the extra pop to your room and they double as a polaroid-hanging station!
These softer lights also bring a welcoming ambience to your dorm whereas the ceiling light is much more aggressive. They’re perfect for having a night-in to read, watch a movie with your friends or even just for studying!
Third, cover the walls.
Covering the walls adds more personality to your room. This is another chance to show the world who you are! Add that personal touch and put yourself on your walls.
No idea what to cover it in? You could have photos of your friends and family, album posters, photo collage packets or tapestries of your favorite shows or movies — I saw a tapestry of Gibby from iCarly I might snatch!
Being homesick is inevitable and absolutely natural. Morgan Mettica, incoming first-semester Music Education major (she/her), says that she brought some “string lights with a few polaroids and a small painting [her] friend made.” Luckily for Mettica, she’s got it all figured out. Hopefully this will help her feel a little less homesick.
Fourth, optimize the little space you have.
Obviously, you won’t have an ideal amount of space, but you can make do! As they say, a cluttered desk is a cluttered mind, and this goes the same for your room. Take advantage of your door to hang hats, towels or bags. Make sure to bring extra storage containers as well because the small closets and drawers might not be enough to store your entire fashion collection.
Fifth, bring plants to add a little extra flavor to your dorm.
Have you ever seen “Grey’s Anatomy?” There’s a scene where Meredith Grey sits in a room full of plants while she’s having a stressful day — as we all do, but why?
Plants bring color and liveliness to your room while also reducing stress levels and boosting your mood — my dorm will turn into a greenhouse during finals season, sorry roommate!
If you don’t want to become a plant parent, you could always buy an artificial one — succulents work well too, as they require very little maintenance.
Sixth, go Huskies!
What would a UConn dorm be without some Husky merchandise? Hang up a UConn banner or buy a dad hat from the bookstore to show off!
Getting back to school might be nerve wracking, but you could find fun by creating your dream dorm. The decorations you put up could be silly or serious; the choice is yours! Doesn’t freedom feel good?
