The real challenge with college is basically being on your own in a dorm full of fellows, who are just like you, starting out to get used to living alone. A good way to practice your independence is decorating your dorm room, making it look as chic and stylish as possible, even without needing to bring in your mom into the equation. Do not worry because you will not get short of college dorm ideas, which you can use as a guide in ensuring the success of your efforts. In fact, we have got 10 of them here.

10. Maximize

Maximizing is one thing you must be good at when glamming up your dorm room. We all know how limited dorm room floor areas can be so you need to do everything in your power to maximize the amount of space you have. First, forget about the queen size bed. Even if you will have a couple of friends coming over for the night a double-sized or twin-sized bed should be enough. After all, that will just be a night, a couple of times the whole school year. Second, try to limit the number of fancy furniture pieces you bring along. We know how tempting it is to bring along your princess sofa but if it will eat up so much space, you probably just got to settle for a stool. Basically, what you want to achieve here is to make every square feet of floor area count. Put your floor space into good use by bringing in just the essentials.

9. Organize

This is another skill that you must develop in order to design a nice dorm room, which will be your home for sometime. Here are some bright ideas:

• Use shower curtain hooks to organize your bags and totes.
• Cut cereal boxes open, cover them with patterned paper, and use them as stylish but minimalist paper stacker.
• Use a shoe storage bag to organize your toiletries. It lets you stack up wisely à la mode.
• Have a clipboard in your desk area. Each clipboard for each class, making it easier for you to organize your notes.

8. Keep it Neat

No amount of style could possibly equate the look and feel of a neat room. A neat room is more conducive for learning. By keeping the clutter away, you can make your living fuss-free.

7. Bring only as much as you need

Hey, you are headed for a dorm not some permanent unit. Bringing so many things with you will make it much more difficult to maximize, organize, and keep things neat. That means, there is no need to bring in all the things you have in your closet. A couple of pair of jeans, tops, and other pieces of clothing will do for as long as you know how to mix and match. You can make your outfit look different every time even while using the same pieces if you are clever.

6. Bring in the essentials

As when traveling, you must learn to pack light but pack right. While there are things that could be left behind back to your family home, there are also some things that you must not leave for the dorm without. That includes additional sleep comfort and probably your favorite family portrait. Both will help you adjust to this new life comfortably and easily so you should not forget bringing them as you move in.

5. Be Creative

If you are clever enough, you will not have a hard time decorating your own dorm room. Ordinary materials can be turned into extraordinary things that will help make your dorm living easier.

4. Customize

Learn how to customize so you will be able to put every space you have into good use. When organizing for a college dorm, it seems like the closet is one of the biggest headaches you could have. You can either use storage bins or storage boxes that can fit under your bed. More so, make use of all the space beneath your bed. With such a small room, you would not want that amount of space to go to waste.

3. Buy a piece of furniture that serves more than one function

A multifunctional piece of furniture will go a long way in helping you make the most of what you have. That’s why it is wise to invest on furniture piece that serves more than one purpose. One good idea is to buy a filing cabinet that you could put beside your bed and serve another purpose as your bedside table. You may either place an accent there or a table lamp or your favorite family picture for inspiration.

2. Plan your study corner

Invest in your study area. Get a comfy chair, a good size of a table, and make use of one neat corner as your study area. You will spend a lot of time in there so you better plan it carefully, making sure it is functional, it is stylish, and more importantly, it is conducive for learning.

1. Decorate for Comfort

You can use any kind of accent, any piece of furniture, and any thing that you want in decorating your home away from home. But in the end, it all boils down to comfort. What you need to achieve, in all the things you will do to your dorm room, your ultimate goal has to be your comfort. So work hard towards whatever will make you feel comfortable and at home. Aside from the challenges posed in school, there is also the difficulty of adjusting to this whole new life. Do not let homesickness or the pressure of schoolwork eat you up. The least you would want to add up to your difficulties is an untidy and uncomfortable dorm room that you will come home to after each and every school day.