Seven essential dorm room decorations

From posters to plants, here is how to create a space to call home.

By Emily Maca - August 28, 2023

Moving into your dorm can be hard. You never truly realize how much you own until you have to pack everything up into extra large suitcases that you then have to move into your dorm on what always seems to be the hottest day of summer. Sound familiar?

Decorating your dorm shouldn’t be as hard as registering for classes, so here are seven essential dorm room decorations for all you Binghamton University students to help make your dorm feel more like home.

1. String lights

This seems pretty basic, but they’re the perfect decoration for those unnecessarily huge dorm room walls. Amazon has a great selection of string lights in all shapes and sizes, so there is something for everyone. Plus, they’re a great thing to have on your walls if you are in the newer dorms with motion-sensored lights that always turn off when you least expect them to. It’s great to have a little bit of light in your dorm room when you find yourself flailing your arms around as you try to get the overhead light to turn on again. Plus, they are nice to look at.

2. A storage cart

A storage cart is an excellent way to not only keep your belongings organized, but also a great way to make your room feel less cramped and more comfortable. It’s a great place to store snacks or extra supplies you may have scattered around your room. A storage cart is like a portable shelf, so you can also put your books in the cart alongside other dorm room essentials. You can even get them in several different colors, like blue, pink or even mint green.

3. A rug

Now this seems like a given, but having a rug in your dorm is seriously convenient. You don’t want the first thing you touch to be a cold floor when you wake up for your 8 a.m. lecture, so a rug is the way to go. Having one in your room really brings everything in the room together. Plus, it’s a great thing to have in your room when you want to study somewhere other than your desk or bed, or when you have people over in your dorm and there are no other places to sit other than the floor.

4. Posters

Posters are a great way to liven up your dorm and make school feel more like home. Having decorations up on the walls makes a room feel less empty, especially if you put up posters in different shapes and sizes. Posters quickly fill up the empty wall space in your dorm room, and it’s a great way to showcase your interests to your roommate and any other people you may have over. Aim to make it cozy and comfortable for you. Just make sure you check in with your residential life staff on the amount of posters you can have on your wall. I recommend getting posters from either Five Below or Walmart. They surprisingly have a good selection.

5. Plants

Whether they are real or fake plants (for those of us who don’t have a green thumb or are living on a budget), plants are the perfect decoration. Time Magazine wrote that having plants in your living space can reduce anxiety and stress — which many college students suffer from. Plants can help motivate you to be more productive and can help sharpen one’s attention and concentration while working. If anything, having a plant in your room will help liven up the environment in your dorm.

6. Whiteboard

A college staple — whiteboards are a great way to interact with people in your residence hall. Simply hang one outside your dorm room door with a couple of whiteboard markers outside and the people on your floor will do the rest. You can leave funny messages and questions written on the board and soon enough, your whiteboard will be filled with replies from your floormates. It’s also great to have a whiteboard inside your dorm room to write down all your assignments or your to-do list. Seriously, the possibilities are endless.

7. Pictures

Lastly, pictures are a great way to make a dorm feel more like home. Whether they are polaroids or pictures you printed at Walmart, having them up and around your room helps whenever you are feeling homesick, and is a great way of further personalizing your room. They don’t necessarily have to be pictures of your family, friends or pet — they can be pictures of your favorite places or things. If you have a good selection of photos to choose from, you might be able to make a collage on your wall.

Decorating your dorm will help make the transition into dorm life easier as it’ll allow you to feel comfortable in your new living space, and help make your living experience on campus much more enjoyable.

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