It’s almost time for summer…And many of our seniors are heading off to pursue their dreams through higher education! However, it can be a daunting transition from high school to college— students leave behind their current friends, family, and lifestyle. Many are required to live in dorms for their first year, and often times with a roommate. Here are ways you can decorate your dorm so that you can make yourself at home during this confusing time.

The first thing you need to consider is what you’re bringing along to your new school. Pictures, memorabilia, and other decorations are all useful for personalizing your room, and can help when you’re feeling homesick. Definitely make sure that you’ve got everything, but remember not to cram everything in; anything unnecessary is a hindrance when you’re traveling, and you risk damaging your items during the trip if you shove it all into a suitcase. Just take the essentials and a little bit extra, and you should be fine.

Once you get there, the first thing to consider would be the walls. Do you have any posters of your favorite bands, T.V. shows, or other obsessions? Those are great for plugging up all that wall space! If you have your own artwork, those would be great as well. If you don’t want to stick them all directly on the wall with tape, you can find some heavy-weight cork sheets, and cut them into hexagons. You can then plaster those to the wall with adhesive strips to make a honeycomb pattern, and tack on your pictures and posters for an aesthetic effect.

Do you have your own mini-fridge where you hoard all of your food? It could look a little plain, but not after this! Find some washi tape, and layer them on in designs that you like, perhaps in stripes in all directions, stars, or polka dots. If you brought along some magnets, those would also be great accessories.

If you have a wardrobe, then it’s bound to be a barren patch of space in the room. Find an adhesive chalkboard panel that’s close to the size of the door, and stick it on the door. Now you can have a place to write down all of your reminders. Best part is, you won’t forget any of the things on your to-do list, as you’ll see it each morning when you get dressed.

Do you have a desk that you want to spruce up? Find some removable wallpaper, and apply it to the surface of the desk, making sure to smooth out all the air bubbles. Take care to find a brand that says it’s residue-free.

Want a pet plant, but have no space? Find a light, preferably plastic flower pot, and some succulents or other small plants. Create four holes along the top of the pot, spacing them equally so that your pot doesn’t hang off-kilter. String four equal-length pieces of twine through all four holes, and tie them around the hook of a metal clothes hanger. Cut off the rest of the clothes hanger with some pliers, and hook the metal around all the twine, so that it’s secure. Now you have a cute hanging planter!

It may seem scary to start all over from scratch in an unfamiliar place, but the first step to making yourself comfortable is to secure your living space. Hopefully, with these tips, you can get started on making your dorm your very own! Good luck seniors, and have fun at college!