Dorm decor

[Anonymous]

Just moved in a girl to a top20 school. Almost everyone had headboards. SO many girls (parents) putting up wallpaper. That was beyond my skill set.

[Anonymous]

I had a rug, Christmas lights, fan, mattress topper and comforter for my dorm room in the 90s. Not new.

The headboards are new and seem a bit silly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Every photo I see has the string lights. I wish my daughter would use them, they warm up the room so much. She’s moving in soon, but has not coordinated with her roommate and has no headboard or anything crazy. I imagine she’ll develop the decor over time.

The main things she picked out: “Y2K” bedspread and a couple posters. She does have a fan and done drawers from co tainer store. That’s really it! She was much more concerned with her clothes.

GL to your daughter! Hope she has a good first year!

Thanks so much! That’s very kind.

[Anonymous]

MD state school. Things we sent our DD with: bedding (sheets, blanket, pillows and quilt bedspread) shelves to be used as a bedside table, plastic drawers for under the bed, small rug and bath mat (in a suite where two rooms share a bath and she arrived a week early due to sports so I bought the bath mat), string lights, an old set of curtains for the closet area with a spring loaded shower curtain rod (no closet doors in her dorm), a couple of photos, a desk lamp, mattress topper (cost about $35 on Amazon), and a headboard ($50 on Amazon). She also took her TV and Xbox. Also sent a plate, bowl, and set of silverware.

The headboards of today are like the husbands of yesteryear.

From what I saw everyone had bedside tables and string lights. Some had headboards, under bed storage and closet curtains. I didn’t see any major wall decorations. A poster here and there and photos. I didn’t see matching bedding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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).

50/50 have headboards. Min does not and just has a lot of big pillows. She and her roommate loosely coordinated colors and who was bringing what, but did not do the curated rooms like you see in the SEC posts.

[Anonymous]

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

THIS. The dumpsters are awful and there is CRAP everywhere. Such waste.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

THIS. The dumpsters are awful and there is CRAP everywhere. Such waste.

Boston on September 1 when all the apartments turn over. So much crap thrown out.

[Anonymous]

No headboard for my DD, no matching bedding (though they did go with a blue theme). Her school has a “swap” during move in weekend where those moving off campus last year sell back their items (fridges, headboards, llanos, under the bed storage, etc) and freshman can buy them gently used at very discounted prices. For example, mine got under the bed storage drawers for $10.

She wasn’t a fan of essentially online dating to find a roommate and went random (with a survey from the school). She lucked out with roommate and suite mates.

[Anonymous]

For my DD (not in an SEC school), yes to headboard and underbed storage. Their dorms are show boxes and everyone has to half-loft or full-loft. The headboard creates a wall and looks good. The underbed storage is necessary b/c the dresser provided is small and the colder weather means bulkier clothes. DD picked out a washable rug and it's super cute. Many, many other rooms looked simlar during move-in.

[Anonymous]

You can do it middle of the road, spartan or over the top.

[Anonymous]

Which schools have kids just throwing the headboards and other items away? My DC’s school has an awesome dorm furniture recycling program. When you move out in May, all the items you no longer need is donated at a designated drop off outside the dorms. The stuff is stored by the school and when new students arrive in August they “shop” for headboards, drawers, lamps, everything really, in the on campus recycling store. The school brings new stuff out each day so the kids with later move in dates still have access to headboards, etc. You live on campus for 3 years, so the stuff is often used for 3 years before you even donate. If you are reusing your furniture for another year, a service comes and picks everything up and stores it for the summer and it reappears in your new dorm room in August. I thought all schools did this, but hearing about piles of trash on move out - - I guess not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD has a headboard and it is really common at her non-SEC school. Our family has passed one headboard down through my kids so it is on year 5 of use. It makes it cozy while watching TV or doing reading/homework in bed. Maybe it is regional?

Did she bring a headboard because she saw that “everyone “ on TikTok was bringing a headboard?

30 years ago at my college only a few had refrigerators. Most didn’t we didn’t keep food in our rooms. The only ones with TVs in their room were the quiet ones who didn’t go out much after classes. And we were strong enough to sit up straight while doing homework. No headboards. Maybe that’s why students were less overweight on average than they are now.

It is extremely common nowadays to have a fridge and microwave in your room. It’s not necessary to have a TV because kids can just watch TV on their phone or our laptops.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which schools have kids just throwing the headboards and other items away? My DC’s school has an awesome dorm furniture recycling program. When you move out in May, all the items you no longer need is donated at a designated drop off outside the dorms. The stuff is stored by the school and when new students arrive in August they “shop” for headboards, drawers, lamps, everything really, in the on campus recycling store. The school brings new stuff out each day so the kids with later move in dates still have access to headboards, etc. You live on campus for 3 years, so the stuff is often used for 3 years before you even donate. If you are reusing your furniture for another year, a service comes and picks everything up and stores it for the summer and it reappears in your new dorm room in August. I thought all schools did this, but hearing about piles of trash on move out - - I guess not.

What school is this? I’ve never heard of one so generous with providing and managing summer storage at that level.

[Anonymous]

DP.

Cornell has a well-established program like this. I wish more schools/communities would use this as a model.

https://www.dumpandrunithaca.com/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP.

Cornell has a well-established program like this. I wish more schools/communities would use this as a model.

https://www.dumpandrunithaca.com/

My kids school has a program like that. And the dumpsters at move out are still a shocking display of crazy consumer waste. Just bring way less stuff.