Ways to Make Your Dorm Room Feel More Like Home

Whether it's your first time living away from your parents or not, living in a dorm isn't exactly as cozy as having your full bedroom setup back home.

Even if you're lucky enough to get a room to yourself, the sterile cinderblock walls and cramped space of a dorm can easily make you feel like you can't quite get settled—ever. But no matter what sort of dorm setup you may be in, making it feel more like home is possible—you just need the right game plan in play.

Making your dorm feel as comfortable, welcoming and all-in-all "homey" as possible isn't just good for your Instagram stories or the times when you have guests over, either. It's great for your mental health and can even help you sleep and study better, so it's more important than you may think (even if you do barely spend time there between classes, extracurriculars and your social life). If you're ready to make yours feel as much like home as possible, there are a few key ways to do that. Here's how.

Invest in Your Comfort (and Your Sleep)

It's easy to tell yourself that it isn't worth spending money on extra comfy bedding when you're already spending so much on your degree as a whole or when you're only going to be living in your dorm for a year, but trust us when we say it's worth the splurge. Dorm mattresses are rarely all that high-quality, and that might make it more difficult for you to catch some good shut-eye than it already is. So, to make your bed (and room as a whole) feel more like home, we recommend spending a little extra on:

• A mattress protector (like this cooling one, $79)
• An ultra-cushy mattress topper (like this super soft one, $299)
• A good duvet and comforter (like this cloud-like one, $100)
• A silk pillowcase (like this sleep-friendly one, $53.97)

(via Buffy)

 

Also read about: Dorm Must-Haves for 2023

 

Have the Right Items to Cook at Home When Needed

It's nice to know that the dining hall is there (especially when you have a certain amount of swipes or dining dollars that need to be spent), but having a good setup to cook at least a few of your meals at home is essential. Even if all you know how to do is boil water for pasta or cook an egg, knowing that you have the necessary tools to do so whenever you please can make all the difference. Many items you can buy are affordable while still being small but mighty in terms of cooking capabilities, like this mini personal electric griddle ($27) that fits perfectly in a tight dorm space.

(via Nostalgia Products)

 

Actually Put Up Decorations

While some students go all out in terms of their dorm decor, others feel like it isn't worth it for the short amount of time they'll be spending there, and living there as a whole. You don't necessarily have to spend a ton of time or money on decorations (especially if you know you'll be moving into an off-campus space next year), but you should absolutely put at least a little bit of effort into how you make your room look and feel. So go for that gorgeous bedding that caught your eye at the store or that art print that you can't stop coming back to online. It's worth it for what it does for your space in the end.

(via Unsplash)

 

Also read about: 5 Places to Shop for All Your Dorm Decor Essentials

 

Stay Organized From the Start

In college, there's no one (other than maybe your roommate or RA) telling you to clean your room as regularly as your parent likely did back home. Even if you do practice some sort of a chore chart with your roommates, it can still be all too easy to lose track of different things around your room—seriously, your dorm may be small, but under the bed and other spaces can still act like black holes if you aren't careful. Stop the chaos from occurring in the first place by finding ways to stay organized, be it with different totes, labels or whatever other means it may take.

(via Unsplash)

 

Embrace Aromatherapy

Don't let the musty scent of a nearly ancient dorm building affect your comfort levels at home. While you likely won't be allowed to burn candles inside your dorm, you can try a few other effective methods. We're obsessed with these smart diffusers from Pura ($45), but you can also opt for some room sprays and other not-so-suffocating means of making your room smell like home. That way, coming home after class or spending time with friends will feel like something you actually look forward to rather than a chore that makes you think poorly of your space.

(via Pura)

 

All in all, living in a dorm doesn't need to be so bad. In fact, there are quite a few benefits to living in one, especially in your first year of college. Click HERE to read our list of reasons why it's a good thing in the end.