Fall has arrived, and college students everywhere are gearing up to head back to campus. For some, the back to school blues may be setting in (especially after they remember that they’ll be eating dining hall food for yet another year), but there is always one thing that can make heading back to college better and that is decorating your new apartment or dorm! Especially for students entering their first year of college setting up your space is a fun and exciting way to make your new space feel like home. It's easy, however, to get carried away and start spending too much on your new room. Savvy Student has some simple tips for making your room cozy and fun without spending a fortune.
1. Put up personal photos instead of posters
Putting up personal photos on your walls rather than buying posters can be a cheaper and more meaningful way of personalizing your room. You can get photos printed from your digital camera (or even your polaroid, if you're still hanging on to it!) on high-quality paper at your local Walmart, Target, CVS, etc. for a few dollars, or you can buy a package of photo paper and print your photos yourself on your own personal printer. You can even get creative with your photos by editing in words, cutting them out into shapes, making a collage, or spelling out words with them. You’ll save a ton and have great memories of your friends surrounding you. As your year goes on and you make more friends and memories, you can even add to your photo collection!
2. Use holiday supplies from home to light up your room
If you or your family members celebrate holidays that involve light strings, streamers, plastic decals, or any other fun decoration, you could recycle them and bring them over to college with you. These items could help you add personality to your room and lights can brighten the space if the lighting provided is insufficient.
3. Try the dollar store for cheap essentials
For decorations that you’ll throw out in the year or even little items that you might want like trash bins, white boards and markers, ice trays, and duct tape or command strips, the dollar store can be a great place to get little items for, well, a dollar! While I can’t say these items will always be durable, for things that come and go anyway (whiteboard markers, regardless of where they are from, dry out soon enough), they will at least come cheap!
4. Utilize Amazon Student
One of the major perks of being a college student can be discounts at unlikely locations. For the online resource Amazon, joining as an Amazon Student gets you a 6-month free trial of Amazon Prime, which gives you free 2-day shipping for Amazon products. Amazon caters well to its huge market of college students, and sometime offers deals like $1 for select posters if you have Amazon Student. Amazon will also send you updates about discounts and special events on their site. Keep in mind that Amazon Student won’t just be helpful for buying fun decorations—you can save a ton of money on textbooks and shipping once classes begin!
5. Look into thrift stores or used book stores
Sometimes you can get the best deal buying something that has been gently used but still looks like new. At a thrift store or a used book store, you can find a ton of fun little trinkets to decorate your room. These items are things you may or may not be able to find in a larger craft store or something like Target, which allows you decorate your dorm with something unique. At a used bookstore, you can buy nice editions of great books at incredibly low prices. You can even find books you need for class! The low price can also give you wiggle room to explore new authors and genres and to buy books that you may not normally buy. Books are a great way to unwind, and a great title from a used book store can help you relax after a hectic day at school.
6. Bring your own blankets/sheets
Most colleges tell you that their mattresses are Twin extra-longs and recommend that you purchase sheets and blankets of that size. While XL sheets may be the best fit for your new bed, they actually are not completely necessary. Regular twin size sheets may be stretched over the bed and, though they may need a bit more adjusting, can work just fine. Instead of buying new sheets for your Twin XL mattress, just bringing some of your regular twin sheet will be completely fine and will save you some money! As for blankets, you don't need to bother with buying a new set of bedding. You won't be able to tell the difference in the bed's length by bringing your own sheets from home, and you'll probably be more comfortable in your own blankets!
7. Utilize Start-of-the-Semester Sales on campus
Many schools have sales early in the semester of items left behind by past students. While some of the items may be useless- dry play-dough, a single earring, ripped books-- others may be very helpful. Students often leave behind large items that they can easily replace, like small fans or floor-length mirrors, which can be very useful for your new room. Similarly, students leave behind back-to-school items that they didn't use during the school year, such as notebooks, pens, note-cards, and even old textbooks. Some schools also have means for students to continue purchasing materials that other students have found they don't need throughout the year. Brandeis University, for example, has a "Room of Requirement" in it's East residence quad where students can drop off and pick up items all year long. While it may not be as magical as the one in Hogwarts, the "Room of Requirement" is a great place to grab things that other students have left behind and drop off some things you don't need. Ask around and see if older students know if your school has one, too!
8. Set a budget-- and stick to it!
As we said, it is easy to get carried away when decorating, so the most important tip that Savvy Student has for you is to set a budget early on for how much you want to and are able to spend on decorating and furniture, etc. Find a budget you can stick to and always check yourself when you find that you are buying useless trinkets.
Styling your place can be a lot of fun, and can be even more fun when you find great items at great prices.
Savvy Student hope these tips can help you create an amazing room on a budget. Remember, it is especially important to save on your dorm expenses because you are going to need cash for the upcoming year! As always, Savvy Student would love to hear your thoughts on these dorm decorating ideas, and even your own dorm decorating tips!
Happy Decorating!
~Savvy Student
