My Freshman Dorm

College is just about a month away now. My roommate and I have been planning our room at Cedarville University for a while, and with all the deals on Target and Amazon this week, I finally started buying some of my bedding, necessities, and decor.  

My Bed

I decided to go with a cream and blush theme for my side of the room (my roommate is also doing cream, but with some sage green mixed in). Most of my bedding comes from Target’s college brand, Room Essentials.  

Comforter: I bought this cream puffer comforter from Target. I love the style, and I think it will be great on its own on the warmer days and paired with a quilt on the colder days.

Quilt: This is the pink microfiber quilt that I will pair with my comforter when it’s cold outside. It will also help to add some color to bedding.

Sheets: I got this blush pink sheet set from Threshold at Target. They’re soft and will go well with my comforter and quilt.

Headboard: I felt like this beige wedge pillow would be so much easier than a regular headboard since there is no need for nails, screws, or zip ties.

Blankets: I have two of these plush ribbed throw blankets, in both blush and cream. I received the cream one for a birthday gift, and I bought the pink one later when that became part of my color scheme. 

Pillows: I have four throw pillows that I have recently bought. They include two puffer pillows (a pink lumbar pillow and a cream square pillow), as well as two plush pillows (a pink rectangle and a cream heart). I’ve also had a bedrest pillow that is similar to this one for a couple of years, and I will likely bring it to college.

My throw pillows

Mattress Topper: I just bought this mattress pad from Bare Home. I haven’t used it yet, so I cannot attest to how well it works, but it had great reviews! 

Storage 

Storage is going to be super important in college. My roommate and I will both have a lot of things that we’ll have to try to fit in a tiny room. 

Under-bed Storage: The Container Store had a sale on these sliding drawers, which will be super helpful for extra clothes, shoes, or anything else I might need. Based on the dimensions, I should be able to stack two on top of each other and still fit them under my unraised bed. 

Desk Storage: My mom found a desk organizer that has space for folders, papers, desk supplies, and a drawer that can hold anything else I need, which will be very convenient for keeping my things all in one place. I will also get an over-desk storage shelf, that should fit snugly next to the desk legs and will extend up with some large shelfs, making the most of vertical space. 

Additionally, I have some Ikea storage solutions that I’ve been using for a while, and will probably take to college, including pencil holders, a pegboard, and some magazine filers, which are great for holding notebooks. 

Food Storage: I’ll likely do most of my eating at the cafeteria or on-campus restaurants. But if I ever have any food left over, this will be nice to keep that food for a quick lunch the following day. My roommate is bringing a fridge, so I’ll have somewhere to keep it cool, and my residence hall has a kitchen with a microwave that I will be able to heat the food up in. 

Rolling Cart: This rolling cart from Ikea has been one of my favorite storage options throughout high school. I will be bringing this to college, as it is great for storing books, school supplies, snacks, or cleaning supplies, and can easily be moved to wherever is convenient. 

Ottoman: Even without any bed risers, my bed will be fairly high. If I decide to raise it more, it will definitely require some climbing to get into it. This ottoman that I bought will be great for climbing into bed while still storing whatever I need it to. Plus, it’s super soft. 

My ottoman

Decor 

I don’t want to go over the top on decor since it is a small space, but I think a nicely decorated room is easier to enjoy spending time in. These are some of the main decor pieces that I’ve decided to bring to college.  

Mirror: I found a small LED mirror in the Bullseye section at Target for just $5. Since my room already comes with an over-the-door mirror, I figured a small one would work perfectly fine for doing my makeup or fixing my hair at my desk or wardrobe without taking up too much space.

Fishbowl: I am not actually bringing a fish to college. However, I really like axolotls, so my siblings recently bought me one of the toy axolotls that is supposed to actually swim. I thought that this could be a cute decor piece as well by adding some glass rocks and a plant to a fishbowl and putting it on my desk. I grabbed the glass rocks and bowl from Hobby Lobby, the plant from a pet store, and the axolotl came from Target. 

Face Plant: My mom found a planter that has eyes on the front, pegs (“ears”) on the side, and a nose in the front upon which you can balance a pair of glasses to make it look like the planter has a face. It is also dry-erase friendly so that you can draw in any sort of mouth that you’d like. Then, the plant acts as hair. I haven’t chosen a plant yet, but I will update the post with a picture when I do! 

Lighting: I have a small boho-style lamp that will be perfect for a desk lamp, and is a bit different from the traditional bendy cone ones. I’m also hoping to bring my strand of fairy lights and some small command hooks to make a fun design around my desk or near my bed.

Handmade Decor: I’ve crocheted a few small stuffed axolotls that will likely make an appearance in my dorm. I may also add in some crocheted plants that I’ve made and that I’ve received from a friend if room allows. I have some Lego succulents too that I thought would be a great way to have more “plants” in my room without having to worry about keeping them alive.  

Wall Decor: I haven’t decided on most of this yet, but I do have a cream-colored wooden “T” from Hobby Lobby that I might put above my bed. Depending on what room I have left, and the command hooks I can find, I might bring a couple more cream or pink wall decor pieces that I have, including a string art cross and a round flower. 

Rug: I found this rug on a great sale at Rugs USA. It’s beige with a chevron pattern, which I thought would be cute but simple, and very versatile. Hopefully I can use it for many more years. 

Some of my decor, plus my desk organizer

Other Necessities 

These are some of the miscellaneous items that I think will be helpful to have in college to keep me organized.  

Towels: These towels were a quick find on a Target run recently. They were a good price for two bath towels, two hand towels, and two washcloths. 

Lap Desk: This is a cute corduroy lap desk that I found at Target. It’s super soft on the bottom part, but the top is nice and solid for writing or doing computer work on. 

Laundry Detergent Sheets: These will be so much easier to carry to the laundry room than a bottle of detergent would be. Also, they can last up to 64 loads, which should be more than enough for the year. 

Shower Caddy: In a hall bath, I can’t just easily grab my shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, towels, and face wash and run over to the bathroom. I went with this shower caddy– it has two handles, so they will hopefully spread the weight more evenly, and it has a lot of pockets for my hair and face supplies. 

Bedside Caddy: This is one of the only things I have not bought yet, but I plan to. Since I won’t quite have room for a nightstand, this will be nice for keeping a water bottle, journal, and pens in an easy to reach place. 

Planner: I love planners for school- they are so useful for keeping my day organized and reminding me of my assignments. I’ve used Happy Planner for a few years now, and I’ll likely use it again this year. I like the hourly lay-out as I can budget time for each subject and activity I have, while also making sure I don’t spend too much time on any one thing.  

Getting everything together for college can seem like a lot. And it kind of is- all new bedding, storage, and necessities. But hopefully this list can provide some inspiration if you’re struggling to figure out what you might need to bring.