I’ve seen something about packing but I’m a total HGTV junkie so I can’t stop envisioning how I’ll make my dorm room, ya know, mine. I’m thinking I want some christmas lights and lots of flags and stuff.
What’re you guys thinking?
Probably not allowed
You’re probably limited to putting items on X% of the wall space and you can probably only use wall putty to attach to the wall.
Once you get accepted and decide to attend, check that school’s rules about what is and is not allowed in the room. It’s premature now.
I’m really sorry because I don’t want to deflate your dream but schools do have a quite a few restrictions on how you can decorate. Also, if you will have a roommate, space is more limited and you have to take into consideration that you will be sharing a living space with another person.
Additionally, dorm rooms are pretty small and get cluttered extremely easily. Keeping that in mind, less can actually be better when decorating so that your room doesn’t feel cluttered and messy. I have a cork board with photos on my wall, some Christmas lights on my desk, etc. Minimal decorations will actually help the room feel more spacious and open! Good luck and have fun!
Oi - I’m just trying to distract myself from the stress as best as I can. I’ve already been accepted to two schools and I know flags and christmas lights are super popular in the dorms at at least one.
And I know this is a stretch, but how do they feel about fish? I’m kidding. Unless I’m not… my family’s got no interest in keeping my poor betta fish Sushi (I know, I know) alive.
Check the housing website of your particular school, but I recall reading on ours that fish are the only allowed pet in dorms.
Look up the housing rules or student handbook for the schools you applied to. Mine allows decorative lights, and no pets except fish (with a tank size limit).
Wow- I would have assumed no boarding schools would want fish. I can’t find a list on one website, although the other doesn’t allow it. Poor Sushi…
I’m so sorry, I read “dorm room” and “school” and thought college, not boarding school. (I browse through “Latest Posts,” which includes posts from all areas of the site.) Ignore my anecdotes then. You might still be able to find out specific policies by researching.
They’re delicious. 
Seriously, some might allow, some won’t. But even for the schools that allow fish, you need to consider the logistics. When you go on break, the fish need to go with you, unless you somehow find someone to care for it/them in your absence.
I have three betta fish, Harry, Ron, and Neville (Yes, I love betta fish and Harry Potter). I hope I can take them, but I probably won’t, so my family is stuck with them.
I’m going to bring lots of posters and photos for the walls. And when I say lots, I mean lots. I really hope my roommate likes Harry Potter. There will be a LOT of Harry Potter things. 
I’d get scared if my roommate were to bring too many things as we’d be equally responsible for the room at the end of the year.
My goal is to bring as few things as possible so that I have fewer things to take back at the end of the year. My goal is to have the smoothest and fastest entry and exit out of my dorm at boarding school.
Many schools will not let you cover your walls with posters and they may require that they be under plexiglass or glass. Most don’t allow string lights officially but you definitely see them around. Sharing a room adds to the challenge as I know that many students envision this HGTV styled room but if you are sharing, it might end up a mish mash once you’re both in there.
I’m definitely not imagining a perfect room, but I checked the schools I’m applying too’s handbooks, and posters are fine at most as long as they only cover 50% if the walls. Do you think it would be ok to bring a cactus or succulent?
Again check the handbook; if plants are not allowed, it will say so.
My student is a college senior, but her freshman year of BS, she brought 3d wall art. It looked great. She also brought a wire milk crate wall unit to put against the wall to hold all her books and miscellaneous from Target which lasted about 2 years. Sophomore year she brought a desk hutch to put on top of her desk (online order from Target). That desk hutch is still at Choate. Sister took it then it got passed down to incoming students. Great for books and knick knacks.
A nice small rug is great to put your feet on in the morning. Lots of pillows for your bed. In college, the girl bought huge paper lanterns from Anthropologie that created a canopy like effect over her bed, and of course get yourself a nice comforter.My other college student brought lots of framed photos and now likes the clothes line ones that attach to the wall that hold a lot of photos. Both of them took their felt BS class year banner to college. No fish or pets. No lights Keurigs had to go to a main area. Battery operated stick up lights for a dark area would be useful.
My DD also brought a wire milk crate (Whitmor Storage Cubes White Set of 4) and used two of them vertically to create a nightstand and she has baskets that fit inside. For the extras panels, we zip-tied them together and hung them on the wall with command hooks and she attaches photos using binder clips (search wire memory board on pinterest). Her first year shared dorm room was so small that a rug wouldn’t work. She now has a single and has a super nice and cozy shag rug (At Home store C19 Green Senses Shag Rug- 5x7 ft)
My best friend, who is a VERY talented artist, will draw some drawings for me to put in my dorm
I have a LOT of books here, more than fifty, so I can’t take them all with me 
I’ll only take five or six of my favorites, probably keep them on the side. That’s all I have planned.
@brassarrow Which books will you take? (Just curious what your favorites are 
)