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College Decorating Dos and Don'ts

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Most of the lists you’ll find on the internet for what you need moving into a college dorm are pretty decent guides. Others, not so much. Even with the things that store advertisements try to tell you to get are going to be things you’ll regret wasting money on. Now I’m no expert on this, but after living with my first roommate, let me share some wisdom I gained from that terrible experience. Just keep in mind that everyone is different, so this list may not be perfect for you or your situation.

Don’t Get a Shag Rug

Just please. Never do this. ESPECIALLY if you or your roommate have long hair. Yes, it feels great at first, and it’s great to lay on, but after a couple weeks, all it does is collect hair. A shag rug will turn your floor into a pit of never-ending hair that will continuously get stuck in your toes. You’ll tell yourself it won’t be a problem, you’ll tell yourself you’ll just vacuum more. You won’t. Trust me on this. Just get a normal rug.

Don’t Bring an Alarm Clock

Seriously? Why is this still so prevalent on dorm checklists still? Its 2018 my dude, and this should have been removed in like 2010 when we got to the point where everyone has a smartphone. Even if you’re a deep sleeper and you feel like you NEED an alarm clock, you do not. If you get one, your roommate will hate you and you’ll end up never using it anyway.

Don’t Buy a Coffee Maker

Oh, you’re a tea lover? Go for it, get that electric kettle. Coffee lover? DON’T. Neither I not any of my roommates have ever been in to coffee enough to justify making it in our dorm, but we’ve had friends. I have only ever heard horror stories of people who do. Your coffee grounds will get in places you didn’t think were possible and you’ll be stepping in them for eternity, because no matter how hard you try, you can never completely clean a dorm room floor. The only way you can pull off a coffee maker in a dorm is with a Keurig.

Don’t Over-Buy Ahead of Time

Trust me when I tell you it’s going to be better to only buy the things you really need and wait on everything else until you get there. It’s way better to underbuy and have to make some extra trips to the store once you’re moved in than it is to overbuy and not have enough space. Even if you think you’ll NEED that cute high heel tape dispenser, I promise you’ll only use it once at most. Nothing is more stressful than a cluttered dorm. You really should stick to only buying basic things like bedding, a microwave, mini-fridge, etc. and just fill in the rest once you’re living in the space—you don't need everything on that dorm decorating guide.

But… what should you buy then?

Do Bring Lysol Wipes

You’re probably just as lazy as almost every other college student, so I’m going to guess you probably won’t be cleaning much. You really don’t need to get all that cleaning nonsense your parents are pressuring you into buying. Just get a big pack of Lysol or Clorox wipes or something and you’ll be fine. You will never clean that sink until it gets that big dried stain of ramen flavoring or something. You are not going to pull out a sponge and scrub that sink when it happens either. Just use a wipe. Threw up last night on your floor? Wipe it up with some paper towels and a handful of Lysol wipes. Good as new. I swear, it’s all you need. (maybe some Windex too though)

Do Get Your Own Vacuum

If your dorm is like most, you can probably check out a vacuum, a mop, and some tools at the front desk. The only day you will use that mop is when you move out, and the only day you’ll use those tools are when you move in. The vacuum you will use more often (especially if you decided to buy a shag rug), and so will everyone else. It’s probably going to be old and worn, and it won’t even pick up half the dirt. You also won’t want to lug that thing all the way up to your room every couple of weeks or so. Spend a little extra money to get yourself a good vacuum that’ll last a while, you’ll be thankful you did.

Do Use Command Strips

My first roommate taped everything and did a LOT of damage to the wall. She was too lazy to fix it properly and got charged a lot of money. I’ll leave it at that.

Do Loft Your Bed if You Can

Even if you don’t want to have to climb up onto your bed every day, it will save you a lot of room. In case you haven’t noticed, dorms are small. Even the big ones are small, and unless you’re in a private room, you only get part of that tiny space. If you’re not utilizing that space under your bed, you’ll probably end up creeping into your roommate’s space, and they will not be happy about that. Unless you have a medical condition, or a debilitating fear of rolling off the bed, plan to loft it.



As a final note, I just want to throw in how even though you probably can’t fit a futon in your dorm, if you ever think it’d be a good idea to buy one, you’re probably wrong. If you can’t afford a couch, just get an inflatable one. You can find them on amazon and various other websites for a lot cheaper than a futon, and they’re comfier. If you want the futon because it folds into a bed too, go with the inflatable couch anyway—they usually fold out into beds too.

I hope if you are ever in a situation where any of this knowledge comes in handy, you don’t make these same mistakes. If you have any other related tips, let me know in the comments

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