Whether you are beginning your first year at Liberty or returning to the Mountain this fall, deciding how to decorate your dorm is something every residential student must consider.
Part of the college experience is getting to completely transform this space, making it a place suitable for you. Decorating in a way that fits your personality and style can reduce anxiety and enhance focus. An article by the MQ Mental Health in 2024 states, “Our bodies pick up on sensory inputs and stimulus without us being consciously aware.”
So how do you decorate your dorm room into a cozy oasis that feels like a home away from home? Here are five tips on how to do that:
- Create an organizational system
Maximizing the space in your room can help keep it from becoming an added source of stress. If your room is cluttered and cramped, it will add to the chaos of day-to-day life. Simple solutions, such as putting your dresser under your bed or in your closet, using baskets or totes to store extra items and investing in organizers, can give everything a designated place and help your room feel more open and manageable.
- Play around with lighting
Don’t just settle for the supplied lighting that consists of harsh LEDs. Bring string lights and lamps to make your space warm and inviting. Gentle and relaxed lighting will create a more peaceful and cozy environment that will help you sleep better.
- Settle on a scent profile.
Including a smell in your room has multiple benefits, according to the National Institutes of Health. The right smell can put you at ease so find a scent you love. It might be seasonal scents like pumpkin in the fall, pine during the Christmas season, florals in the spring, or it could be a cozy clean linen smell year-round.
Find a scent that works for you and puts you in the right mindset. Also, having a scent profile is welcoming to guests and makes a good first impression. It can also mask bad smells, keeping your space feeling fresh and clean.
To achieve your scent goal, you can use an essential oils diffuser, a bulb candle warmer or room spray.
- Use pieces of home
Pick a theme and coordinate with your roommates on colors and decor so that your individual spaces complement each other. Take the time to decorate the walls with pictures of your family and your favorite artwork. You can also bring stuffed animals and blankets, or items that are must-haves in your room at home, matching your theme to make your space comfortable and feel like you.
- Build a space that can become your happy place
Design your dorm room to facilitate connection and community, making it a place that you will want to bring your friends back to. It doesn’t have to look like something you pulled off Instagram or Pinterest, but it should be a place that demonstrates who you are.
Allowing yourself to be creative and build a place that makes you happy is the key to making a college dorm room in your home away from home.
As you are preparing to move in and decorate your space, check out the On-Campus Living Guide to ensure that everything you bring is approved items.
Sizemore is the opinion editor for The Liberty Champion.