<p>Heyyyy again. This time I'm wondering if anyone of you experienced college goers would help on dorms. Google wasn't giving me sufficient advice except a lifetime supply of pop-ups about netflix. I really want to give decorating something of mine for a try, so I'm gonna put some effort into my dorm. The thing is--the rules. Look at them. </p>
<p>No adhesive-backed hooks, tape, ductape, wallpaper, carpet tape or contact paper!
No stickers/decals on furniture, walls, ceilings or other Housing property.
No nails, pins, screws or tacks
No removal of furniture
No painting
No trimming doors
No lofting/lifting of beds off floors by any means or device other than the bed risers suggested below.
No personal locks
No extension cords. Use surge protectors strips with circuit breakers.
No standard curtain rods - use expansion rods for hanging curtains
No items hung outside windows
No decorative displays of alcoholic beverage containers in room/apt</p>
<p>Sooo..all my ideas were shot involving wall decals/using shot glasses as decor/hanging up a tiny birdcage. I'm sure you all had rules, so what'd you do to decorate around them? (Or sneak them in...) Thanks!</p>
<p>I guess you could use poster putty to put things on the walls. And you can get different colored lights and stuff, and of course coordinate the colors you bring in in terms of bedding and carpeting. You are pretty limited.</p>
<p>No personal locks and no extension cords honestly may have been enough to keep me from going to your school. What a pain in the ass!</p>
<p>Geeez, no tape? That seems incredibly unreasonable. It sound like they’re trying to remove any chance to personalize your room…
But yeah, the sticky putty sounds like the only thing you can use, although why this is allowed but not tape…</p>
<p>You should be able to find a surge protector with a long cord instead of an extension cord. I can’t imagine that they’d prohibit you from using a lock on your personal property ie a strongbox. They’re probably referring to locking your desk or dresser drawers. </p>
<p>The posters and poster putty recommendation is a good idea. You’d have a case that you should be able to use a liquor bottle as a vase and you definitely should be able to use shot glasses and the like for non-alcoholic beverages. As for decorating ideas, you are permitted to have curtains and extra furniture, so use those when decorating.</p>
<p>the drinking decorations (bottles particularly) thing was pretty well enforced at my school but in terms of hanging decorations it just means that you’re responsible for fixing it if any damage is done. There won’t be any alarms sounding if you tape the wall, just make sure you’re careful when you get it off or use a tape that won’t damage the walls. </p>
<p>At the end of the day you’re paying to live there so as long as what you’re doing isn’t A.) a hazard to other inhabitants B.)irreversibly changing the room you’ll be fine. If you return the room to them the way you received it you wont be charged.</p>
<p>Painter’s tape is very good for not hurting the walls. If you use putty, make sure to remove the poster off the wall and place it back on because the putty has a tendency to dry out in place and become difficult to remove (it will hurt the posters too if its difficult to remove).</p>
<p>No adhesive-backed hooks, tape, ductape, wallpaper, carpet tape or contact paper!
—Use poster putty. Or a not-so-sticky tape…as long as you don’t damage the walls, you’re fine.</p>
<p>No stickers/decals on furniture, walls, ceilings or other Housing property.
—Stick them on paper then use poster putty? Chances are they’d damage the finish to what you stick them on otherwise.</p>
<p>No nails, pins, screws or tacks
—Pretty much a standard rule…but pushpin holes aren’t hard to fill in, especially if the wall is white.</p>
<p>No removal of furniture
No painting
No trimming doors
No lofting/lifting of beds off floors by any means or device other than the bed risers suggested below.
—Kind of obvious.</p>
<p>No personal locks
—As mentioned, I’d assume this refers to university owned furniture…if not, this is a rule that should be broken anyway.</p>
<p>No extension cords. Use surge protectors strips with circuit breakers.
—Same at my school - I have a couple power strips with 8 or 12 foot cords. I use extension cords on a temporary basis (even though it’s technically not allowed), but don’t keep them in permanently - that’s not what they’re designed for anyway.</p>
<p>No standard curtain rods - use expansion rods for hanging curtains
No items hung outside windows
—Sounds reasonable.</p>
<p>No decorative displays of alcoholic beverage containers in room/apt
—I bet they have a hard time enforcing that one and I’d bet it could be challenged pretty readily.</p>
<p>“I’m no Martha Stewart, but posters will make any room look legit.”
“Are you decorating a Bob Jones University dorm?”
These two statements seriously made me rofl. And nope, I’m going to Auburn!
Wow. This site has the most helpful forum people ever. For real. I’d give you all hi-fives. </p>
<p>@Johnson181 I was planning on using those sort of things but I guess they go under “wall decals”? I’m really tempted to just sneak a decal in…they’re vinyl too…I mean, I’m paying right? And the worst they could do is rip them off, right?..right? -_- eh.</p>
<p>I think I will just have to invest in some rad posters and funky lighting and call it a year. Maybe throw in a shag carpet. I wish I had some pictures of an Auburn dorm so I could get some ideas…eh.
Again, guys, thank you! I have a feeling I’ll be coming back here again for your advice…</p>
<p>Have you ever considered simply <em>not</em> decorating your dorm?</p>
<p>Seriously – everything will look interesting for the first week, but after a bit, they’ll just be clutter. I just looked at the rules, thought they were restrictive, but then examined my own apartment room and noted that it was 100% compliant.</p>
<p>Anyways, where I went to college, the dorm rooms had a “wallpaper” of bulletin board material around all rooms, so you could use pushpins to put up whatever you please on those. Maybe yours might end up having that type of stuff too?</p>
<p>mmiiaa- unless your walls are plaster (highly, HIGHLY unlikely), they peel right off. They peel off better than painters tape does. They’re kind of like window cling-ons, but for painted drywall.</p>
<p>Also, no one will probably check that you’ve “followed” the rules until it comes time for room inspections over breaks and at the end of the year.</p>
<p>Just like you wouldn’t leave a toaster or hot plate in plane view over a break when they check rooms, you could easily take them down.</p>
<p>@Excelblue Well yes I have considered that…but I really want to decorate my dorm and make it feel more…lived in and home-y like. As lame as that sounds, it’s like a fantasy of mine. (^.^") And Auburn doesn’t have any corky walls because they’re slightly lame and only gives me plain old nothing. @Johnson181 okee. Good to hear that! I feel assured now about those and might sneak them in. Guilty conscious, begone! @icedragon Mmhmm. that’s what I’m thinking of getting! But Auburn says no wall decals…but perhaps I can call them a different name… @lkf725 they’re $25 max (unless you want a XL mural that covers your entire wall). Here’s some links: [flair4all</a> | Removable Wall Decals, Stickers and Graphics | flair4all Removable Wall Decals](<a href=“http://www.flair4all.com%5Dflair4all”>http://www.flair4all.com)
[RoomMates</a> Wall Decals and Wall Stickers](<a href=“http://www.roommatespeelandstick.com%5DRoomMates”>http://www.roommatespeelandstick.com)
Urban Outfitters sell a few too. I’m looking into the birdcage or giant prairie flower ones.</p>