Key Factors When Designing Your Dorm Room

Check with your college about their dorm room decor guidelines. Don't design your room without knowing about university restrictions.

Organize your dorm room to maximize space. Dorm rooms are cramped, and accessories such as storage bins and shoe pockets for your closet leave you enough room for necessities such as furniture and bedding.

Cover the walls with images that suit your personal style. Use movie posters, paintings, magazine art or pictures. Consider hanging a corkboard where you can post notes or leave your roommate a reminder about an upcoming test.

Limit your furnishings to absolute necessities. Use smaller pieces, and talk to your roommate about his own choices to avoid a clash of color and style. If your budget is an issue, try looking for furniture at swap meets and thrift stores.

Consolidate your resources. A television takes up a lot of space in a dorm room; you could just as easily watch programming on a laptop computer.

Bring only what is absolutely necessary. Limit the bookshelf to reference material and a few favorite books. If you have an active hobby, make sure it's feasible to pursue it within the confines of a small room or prepare to take it up elsewhere. Use your local library and other outside resources for group study sessions and activities; there are plenty of places to go at a university where there's abundant room for your needs.

Consider purchasing a stainless steel trunk. In addition to saving space and storing materials, the trunk can double as a coffee table, or you can top it with a blanket or cushion to create an extra seat.