Design Your Dorm

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1. No one is a mind reader.  [Kindly] tell your roommate what you like and what you don’t like, that way they know when and how to stay out of your way.
2. How is your roommate supposed to know you can’t fall asleep with the lights on?  They are too busy alphabetizing their comic book collection.  Ask them to use their desk lamp, it makes a huge difference.
3. Hide your silverware (just trust me on this).
4. You two have more in common than you think.  At the very least, bond over your hatred of homework.
5. If you don’t want someone playing your X-Box all the time, maybe you should just leave it at home.  You can always go down the hall and play with your real friends.
6. When they start playing the Talking Heads album for the millionth time, politely ask them to use headphones.  It’s really not that big of a deal.
7. Set up a “policy” so that when you bring back your crush, your roommate doesn’t greet you two at the door wearing nothing but their Flintstones slippers.
8. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Biblical, I know, but it really works.
9. Think big picture here – you’re only stuck with this person for one out of four years.  Besides, absurd roommate stories make for great conversation.
10. Embrace their inner-freak and set yours free so you can laugh with your roommate, not at them.

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1. Drink a caffeinated beverage before you sit down – caffeine improves your mood, which is always helpful when it comes to hitting the books.
2. Make a list of what you have to accomplish and cross things off as you finish them. Achievement always feels nice.
3. Focus anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour and then take a five-minute break. This will help you clear your head and go back to studying with a fresh mindset.
4. If you’re going to listen to music, make it Mozart (I prefer Debussy’s Claire de Lune).
5. Steal quick glances at your loud neighbors – everyone speaks the universal of “you’re annoying me”.
6. If you don’t need your computer – don’t open it. It’s way too tempting.
7. Concentrate on one course at a time and don’t even think about looking at another class until you’ve finished.
8. Recopy lecture notes – its quick and easy. You’ll be surprised how much information you’ll retain just by doing this.
9. Turn your cell phone on silent, it just adds to the bevy of distractions. Plus, it makes you appear mysterious when you don’t text back right away.
10. Keep your headphones in even if you aren’t listening to music, this way people won’t feel the need to stop and chat.

Seriously though, just get up and move. Loud = lazy and you need to do well on your exams.

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1. In terms of decorating, try and remain gender neutral. Ladies, no guys wants to hang out in a room that looks like a pieces of sugar free bubblegum and guys, the girls might be a little freaked out if you have your college mascot splashed across your pillowcase.
2. Seating is limited – your bed might turn into a makeshift couch. Make sure it’s comfortable by investing in an egg crate and some cool throw pillows. Throw pillows are essential – you don’t want peoples sweaty hands playing around with where you lay your head at night.
3. Set the mood with some different lighting. Floor lamps, desk lamps, and clip-on lights are all easy and cheap ways to do this. Flip off the fluorescent lights and use that floor lamp (colored lampshades are always an interesting way to mix it up).
4. Make sure your floor mates know you have some snacks to spare. The most economical way to do this is keep the food you rarely eat on display and hide the candy (what they don’t know won’t hurt them).
5. Everybody likes to play DJ – keep your i-Pod out and easily accessible so you and your friends can karaoke to everyone’s favorite songs.
6. Like most other things in life, the bigger the TV the better.
7. Invest in some TV series on DVD (think Lost, Friends, 30 Rock)
8. Storage bins are your friend. No one wants to relax in a cluttered room. Use these to keep your things organized and out of the way. In a pinch, these bins can double as an extra place to sit.
9. Get a whiteboard to hang outside your door. Write your own messages, but always make sure there’s a marker available for others to leave little notes.
10. Keep your door open when you’re just hanging out or watching TV. This is a great way keep a fresh flow of traffic inside your room and meet new people.

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1. XL Bed Sheets – no one wants to sleep on a naked university mattress, ever.
2. Clip-On Fan – attach it right above your bed. It helps keep you cool and blocks out noises from your rowdy neighbors.
3. Shower Caddy – you’re going to have to shower after you’ve finished hauling all your earthy possessions up several flights of stairs all day long. You don’t want your body wash on the community bathroom floor, do you?
4. Alarm Clock – you don’t want to miss your first day of class. First impressions are important.
5. Mini-Fridge – do you really want to walk all the way to the cafeteria for a soda?
6. I-Pod Speakers – because your computer just isn’t loud enough.
7. Television – the common rooms are creepy.
8. Coat Hangers – who knows what your roommate might do to your clothes after a night out.
9. Picture Frames – show your parents you care.
10. Dry-Erase Board – hang it on the outside of your door to let your friends know what’s up.

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So little space, so much to do – so little time. 

In just a few short months, you’re going to be moving into your freshman dorm.  Whether you know your roommate or not, designing your future room must seem like a daunting task.  The cubicle you will call home for the next nine months needs to be outfitted with so many things, from extra long bed sheets to mini-fridges to accent posters that show off your eclectic taste in music.  Coordinating who needs to bring the microwave and the TV has to be difficult with you and your roommate’s contrasting schedules.  Wouldn’t it be nice to have all of that arranged without playing phone tag and sending hundreds of Facebook messages?  Design Your Dorm is a new 3D virtual dorm room creator made to do just that.  This website acts as your own personal interior design tool, allowing you to choose your future residence hall and drag and drop furniture and other accessory items into your actual room.  You can customize your dorm room any way you like and then purchase your favorite items and have them shipped directly to your residence hall so they are waiting for you on move-in day.  Forget trying to figure out what you need to buy and what your roommate is bringing – you can use Design Your Dorm to select all the items you will need, save the changes you’ve made to your dorm room, and show your future roommate – saving each of you the precious little time you have left to hang out with your high school friends.