Getting a dorm room is a big change for students and a sign of becoming an adult. Many freshmen and other students who are adjusting to dorm life struggle with the idea of being alone in a dorm. Here are some ideas to help your dorm feel more like home.

Resident Assistant, Mikayla Ging, suggests that a person should have a fan in their room at all times. Her reasoning is that you never know when you’re gonna get hot or cold in your dorms. She says that her “fan is the biggest staple in her dorm room”. For anyone who is new to dorm life, she also suggests getting shower shoes. They are often brushed over when people are packing for college. Also, Ging ended up buying a futon to help declutter the dorm room. It is also helpful for when she’s doing work or just for guests to sit on. Ging says that her must-have item besides her fan is her blankets saying she has six of them in her dorm room at all times.

West Liberty student Logan Riggenbach’s college dorm hack is to have a lot of storage space and to keep everything in their designated spaces. She says “the simpler, the better” when it comes to decorating your dorm. Riggenbach suggests getting lights, a tapestry and a poster or two at the most. She explains that an average person doesn’t need a lot of things when it comes to decorating your room. The one thing she suggests you have in your room at all times is masking tape or a multitool. said that there were so many times where she had to re-screw something because it got loose. For new dorm owners, Riggenbach’s advice would be to take advantage of what’s provided at the school. She then explains to not be afraid to talk to your resident assistant since they’re here to help. “Don’t be afraid to offer aid to your neighbors,” said Riggenbach.

Mason Riter, another student at WLU, suggests having a small vacuum cleaner to clean up your messes in your dorm. He said “he was a heavy user of the citrus Windex cleaning spray” for his windows. Riter suggests that for decorating your dorm command strips and hooks are your best friend when hanging family photos. He suggests having snacks that are microwavable so it’s an easy snack on the go. “Always have enough toilet paper if you get your own bathroom”, said Mason. His advice to new dorm owners is to befriend your dorm neighbors and to be quiet during quiet hours. The most important thing in your dorm room according to Riter was his mini fridge with a freezer and a microwave for all your basic needs.

As a dorm owner myself, I would suggest having a heavy-duty command strip because it seems like nothing stuck on my wall without them. For decorating your dorm I would suggest expressing your personality to your dorm. My dorm theme is Twilight so I have Twilight memorabilia all over my room. My biggest advice for new dorm room owners is to become friends with your floormates. You never know when they will come in handy. I was locked out of my room at two o’clock in the morning and had nowhere to go except to my floormate’s dorm. They let me in, of course, but without them, I’d probably be sleeping in the lobby. Hopefully these helpful handy hints may help you out in the future.