From one of our fabulous UChic readers! 

So this is college. The white walls are peeling paint. The blue carpet eats up every stain. The lighting resembles that of a prison. Dirty windows that won’t open more than a few inches. You have to love residential life, right?

I have been a dorm dweller for five years, and I’ve lived in some of the most unbearable rooms ever. But you’re stuck so you might as well channel your inner HGTV star. There are obvious things you can do to make dorm life more bearable. Throw up some posters and lay out a rug. But here are some things you might not necessarily think of.

First, pick the right color bed sheets. If you’re in a typical college dorm, your furniture takes up most of your personal space. Clearly, the school won’t let you paint your desk and dresser. The only piece of furniture you can decorate is your bed. My first year away, I matched my prison lighting with prison blue bed sheets. I did not have a good first year because I was always low on energy.

But my room makeover produced new bright orange bed sheets with a bright blue comforter. Though I still dragged myself to early morning classes, my bedding made the room immediately brighter and gave me the energy to get through my busy day.
Secondly, bring secondary natural lighting. Fluorescent lighting is unbearable harsh to the eyes and generally sucks the color out of everything. I’ve found it is best to skip it all together. But if you can’t, bring two or three extra lamps and direct them towards the wall or ceiling. Bouncing the light off your white walls will help create a room of soft light and won’t burn your retinas. But make sure you have a desk lamp pointed at your desk.

Finally, my last item is not decorative. It’s an air filter. Most dormitories have old shared ventilation and some people don’t necessarily follows the rules. You may have a floormate smoking cigars or a roommate who hasn’t done laundry all semester. Either way, a small air filter will help you breathe easy. It’s also great for students with bad hayfever (like me).