Dorm rooms can be like bare shoeboxes to college students just moving in, but with a few accessories, even the white cinderblock walls can look like an inviting home away from home.
Chang Hwa Son (freshman-business) said his favorite movie posters top the list of must-have dorm room decorations. Son's roommate decorated his side of their room with posters from Sin City and The Godfather, while Son chose a Shawshank Redemption poster.
Chelsea Schwab (freshman-education) said pictures of friends and family members from back home are great decorations for bare walls.
Brandon Lapsley (junior-political science) said a comfortable chair is one of his top priorities for his dorm room.
"You spend so much time at your desk doing work, and when you want to watch TV you need a comfortable place to sit," Lapsley said.
Heather Jones (sophomore-civil engineering) said she and her roommate needed a couch to make their dorm room complete.
"We wanted a place where we could just sit and watch TV and relax," Jones said.
Whether it's posters or furniture, every space needs a little something to make it home. Here is my list of top 10 college decorating room essentials:
10. Window decorations -- These just look cool from the outside. You can buy Penn State window clings at the Student Book Store, seasonal/holiday ones or fun shapes can be purchased downtown at The Roost, 346 E. College Ave.
9. Extra storage bins -- Dorm rooms just aren't big enough. Storage bins under the bed are great because they don't take up space in the room. It's a great way to store more clothes.
8. Stringlights--Whether plain, white Christmas lights, colored lights or string lights in the shape of margarita glasses, lights illuminate a dark room with style.
7. Full-length mirror -- In both the dorm buildings I've lived in, the bathrooms never had a full-length mirror. The only full-length mirror in my dorm room my freshman year was down by the elevator, which was an inconvenient distance from my room.
6. Dry erase board -- This is great to hang outside of your door so people can write messages when you're not in the room. Just writing your roommate's and your own names on it helps everyone on your floor get acquainted.
5. Comfortable chair -- Whether it's a comfortable desk chair or one of those sphere chairs, a student needs a comfortable place to sit besides the bed.
4. Extra pillows -- More pillows mean extra comfort, and big pillows make sitting on the floor more comfortable for guests. Bead pillows conform to anyone's head and are worth the investment.
3. Pictures -- Whether they are of family and friends from home or of new friends you make here, funny pictures make great stories to tell when other people visit your room.
2. Penn State pride -- Some form of Penn State paraphernalia is an absolute must. Enough said.
1. A picture of inspiration -- Every once in awhile you need a reminder of why you're stuck in a small room studying for hours on end when you could be napping. My picture of inspiration is a poster of the skyline of New York -- my dream city.
