After living at Christopher Newport University for about three years now, I have learned so much in terms of making my dorm feel more like a home. Sometimes you just have to go out of your way to find your own style and bring items that make your dorm feel like a cozy bungalow.  Here are my top five tips on how to make your dorm feel more like a home. 

• Plants, plants, plants!

Whether at home or at CNU, I can’t keep any plants alive. Despite bragging to people about my green thumb, I am one of the worst individuals to have looking over plants. Despite this, I’ve always loved the home-y feeling that plants give off when in your dorm. They can go with just about any room theme and they make the atmosphere more fresh. For people who want to start off with plants, I highly recommend getting plants that can easily accommodate the musty atmosphere of a dorm and aren’t easy to kill, such as cacti. 

• String Lights

I will be the first to admit that string lights are an absolute pain in the butt to hang. They come in the box already incredibly tangled and cause extreme frustration, but the vibe is just unmatched. I love the cozy feel that string lights give off when it’s dark outside. If you can get past untangling them, they make the perfect decor. 

• Rugs!

For the love of god, if you live in the Potomac buildings or any other building on campus with hard flooring, please buy a rug. I’ve discussed this before and I will say it again, hard floors are NOT cozy. It makes me feel like I’m in prison or that I moved my bed into the kitchen. A rug will cozy up the space and it makes it feel more like home. I would also get a rug that doesn’t hold on to a lot of dirt and is easy to vacuum. Target has many amazing and affordable rugs for just about any themed room. 

• Faux Flowers

If you are convinced that you cannot keep ANY plant alive, then I would recommend getting some faux flowers. That way, you don’t have to worry about keeping them alive or constantly going out of your way to replace them. Micheals has good deals on flowers and you can make a whole bouquet for as low as 15 dollars. These add so much to a space and come in a variety of colors and styles.

• Wall Decor

Sometimes dorms can feel like a total prison, especially if the walls are not decorated. I highly recommend going out and getting some decorations to fill up your space. This can be anything from posters to faux vines. Even just the littlest bit of decor can go a long way. Even better, you won’t have to worry about buying more decorations next year because you’ll already have some. 

• Pro tip: Thrift your decor!

When I realized I was going to move into the upperclassmen dorms, I knew that I had much more space for decor since I wasn’t going to be living in the same room as someone else. This is when I learned that thrifting your decor is actually genius. When I went to Goodwill in my hometown, I was looking for knick knacks to decorate my drawer and table tops with. I then stumbled upon this strawberry vase, which I took home immediately. When searching the internet, I found out that the vase was actually from Urban Outfitters and was selling online for triple what I was paying for it. So, I highly recommend thrifting your decor, as you never know what you’ll find at an affordable price!

I hope this list helps you find ways to make your living space more comfortable. Living in a dorm is not easy at times and decorating it to match your taste and style will help you settle in.