Dorm decor

[Anonymous]

My oldest is only a junior (HS) but I am getting all these dorm room posts popping up on my FB. Does every girl bring a headboard to college now? And decorate their rooms to the nines? Or is this more a southern college thing? My oldest wouldn't go for it anyway (though my next one would) but I was just curious what the norm was. It seems excessive, although I guess there is a way to do it cheaply/environmentally friendly if you are a crafty or creative person. I remember having a few things (string lights, a rug, a husband pillow, bed in a bag, some posters) - this was early 2000s - and it seemed like everyone had the same (UVA).

[Anonymous]

^ Also - we didn't know who our roommates would be until we got there. Has that all changed?

[Anonymous]

No, dorm headboards are not a real thing for most.

[Anonymous]

I don't think most kids decorate their dorms that aggressively.There are plenty of organizations that would like to sell you expensive dorm decor. None of my four kids had a dorm headboard. They all had very attractive rooms that were comfortable and nicely decorated, but none of them spent a huge amount on their dorm stuff.

[Anonymous]

In the SEC, yes. Everywhere else, no.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know, but no way am I doing this. It’s beyond wasteful. Plus it’s so much easier to keep a small space tidy with less stuff. I would not buy headboards, decorative pillows, or rugs. They can wear slippers in their room. You know that rug isn’t going to vacuumed and is going to get stuff spilled on it. It will be rolled up and dumped as soon as they move out. Just pass.

[Anonymous]

Moving DD into her dorm in a few days. No headboard, no matching bedding with the roommate, none of that stuff. She bought some lights and is bringing some posters/artwork.

[Anonymous]

No, headboards are not at thing at my kids schools (one OOS flagship, but not in the south, and one private). Don't know anyone with them (one senior one junior, have visited each twice each year, once in the fall for parents weekend and once in the spring).

[Anonymous]

Unless you're in the South with an Instagram-obsessed mother, no, it's not a thing. Neither of my daughters had headboards. They decorated their rooms a bit but nothing like what you see on sm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ Also - we didn't know who our roommates would be until we got there. Has that all changed?

Yes, picking a roommate is a thing now. Tons of social media dedicated to it. You don't HAVE to but lots of kids pick roommates this way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know, but no way am I doing this. It’s beyond wasteful. Plus it’s so much easier to keep a small space tidy with less stuff. I would not buy headboards, decorative pillows, or rugs. They can wear slippers in their room. You know that rug isn’t going to vacuumed and is going to get stuff spilled on it. It will be rolled up and dumped as soon as they move out. Just pass.

Believe it or not some kids are not raised by wolves and vacuum their dorm rooms

[Anonymous]

College has become a joke.

[Anonymous]

It wasn’t such a thing at my daughter’s school (not in the south) but she definitely did pick out some stuff to make it cozy. She ordered a shag rug on wayfair and I did order a mattress topper because I was worried she wouldn’t sleep if the mattress was terrible (it was like $99). She got sheets and a comforter at Target. She brought some lights and wall decoration from Target and ordered a couple more things from Amazon (some prints for her wall and I think a throw pillow). We went to container store when we got there to get her a couple storage bins and she also picked up a couple small fake plants. The big splurge was a really large curved monitor she bought with her summer earnings. She picked it all herself in consultation with her roommate — they ageeed on a basic color scheme so it wouldn’t clash too bad. If I was going to splurge on anything it would be a better desk chair but then I don’t know what they’d do with the chair they gave you anyway. We helped her get it all set up the day we dropped her off — we were basically done by lunch and then left. It did look cute and I think made her feel a little more comfortable to start the year. Other than the monitor the most expensive thing was probably the drawer thing we bought at container store but she really did need that — they gave you four drawers but it was a cold weather school so by the time you put jeans, sweaters and such in there, there was no room for underwear, socks, menstrual supplies, gym clothes, etc. The rug was the only thing I thought was frivolous but as I said it was cold there so I think she wanted it for the floor. I had predicted it would be disgusitng by the end of the year but apparently these young kids are very respectful about removing shoes before walking on your shag rug! In my day someone would have puked on it for sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ Also - we didn't know who our roommates would be until we got there. Has that all changed?

Yes, picking a roommate is a thing now. Tons of social media dedicated to it. You don't HAVE to but lots of kids pick roommates this way.

Personally I really dislike this and wish the colleges would put an end to it. Way to make the whole process more stressful and exclusionary.

[Anonymous]

Don't do it. Check out that school dumpsters at the end of the year. It's a waste of money and terrible consumerism.