
Dorm Aesthetic 101
Possibly one of the most exciting parts about first arriving on campus: decorating your dorm room!
While a dorm aesthetic may seem superfluous in contrast to everything else you need to accomplish when you first arrive on campus, it's important not to overlook turning your dorm into your dorm.
As the one space on campus that is uniquely mine (and my roommate's!), my dorm is where I like to coccoon myself from the outside world, and it would be far more difficult to actually feel coccooned if I was surrounded by blank walls.
So here's my guide to aesthetic dorming (and some practical tips too):
- No. 1
Turn your dorm wall into your offline Instagram
Photos are super easy and light to pack. They're also the best way to transport yourself back home without paying for a flight ticket.
- No. 2
Add personal flair
I like to save letters, cards, and envelopes from friends and hang them up. It's always nice to be surrounded by your friends, even if they're not physically there.
- No. 3
Pack a meaningful gift from home
A friend gave me this pencil case before I left. I use it everyday!
- No. 4
DIY it!
One of the O-Week (orientation week) activites I attended was the DIY dorm decor event. I met one of my best friends there, and I made this pretty cool wall decor of New Hampshire.
- No. 5
Command strips are your best friends
Command strips and hooks are my solution to all things dorm-related -- they're great for hanging up keys, towels, etc., but they also come in handy for less obvious life hacks. For example, I use them to hold up binder clips to hang my syllabi on my desk wall, and I've even used a command strip to paste my desk lamp to the wall (do not underestimate the power of vertical space).
- No. 6
Plan your closet
One logistic you don't usually think about when you move in is moving out. I love clothes, but don't overpack because you'll eventually end up cycling through the same set of your favorite outfits and ignoring the rest. I find that packing between 2-5 of each type of clothing item and occassion works for me (five casual shirts, three dressy shirts, two jackets, etc.).
I fit all the clothes I need into about half of my closet space, and that's been more than enough to get me through my first year! (Especially if you like to online shop, because you'll accumulate more.)