Making your dorm room feel like home

Beginning this year, it's required for freshmen and sophomore students to live on campus, so why not make the best of it?

Yes, many students would rather get an apartment off campus with friends, but Brockport has been making much-needed renovations to buildings on campus. Thompson Hall was gutted and went through a complete make-over before opening for the freshmen for the fall 2010 semester. This year, MacVicar Hall was lucky enough to receive the same renovation.

While most of the corridor-style dorms have been fixed to look better than most people's first apartments, students agree the suite-style dorms on the upper quad still need a lot of TLC. To make your dorm look livable, head to Wal-Mart or Target and pick up these essentials:

Rugs

The floors have had dirt and mud tracked on them for years and many of them are stained and scratched. To cover the less-than-attractive flooring, get a large rug for the common room as well as your bedroom. It will make it a bit cozier and you won't notice how many people dragged furniture across the room in the past years.

Window curtains

Although all windows have blinds on them, they don't block the sun from shining through in the morning. It will look like daylight in your room at 6 a.m. so pick up some room-darkening curtains and a tension rod. Not only will it allow you to sleep in longer on the weekends, but it will make your room seem like someone lives there.

While you're at it, get some colorful curtains for the common room as well. Forking up the dough for the common room may not seem like a great idea when your bank account is low, but it will make you feel more at home. Nothing is worse than a common room that's completely empty.

Posters

Put some color on the walls by sticky-tacking a few posters up of your favorite bands or movies. If you leave the walls white, you will feel like you're in a hospital or a jail. This is where you will be living for the next nine months, so you might as well make it feel like your room at home.

Another great idea is to buy a bed sheet, tie dye it and hang it on the wall. Not only will it give your room some character, but it will be an awesome conversation piece.

Shower curtain

If you're in a suite, the bathroom is just as important as any room. If you have a fun bedroom and common room, you don't want your bathroom to look dull and dirty. The only shower curtain you're given is a plastic white one that blends in with the color of the walls. A new curtain doesn't cost much, so splurge a little to make the suite look more habitable.

Holiday decorations

Most of your parents put out decorations at home around Halloween, Thanksgiving, various winter holidays, New Years, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day and the Fourth of July. Decorations are fun because they show you're excited about the holiday and it helps ease your homesickness. There are many ways to decorate, but some of the most popular decorations are wrapping paper covering a door for Christmas or stringing "Stay out" tape across the door for Halloween. Not only will it make you happier around the different holidays, but it's good bonding time with your roommates.

Christmas lights

Although there are rules you have to follow when stringing Christmas lights, this is one of the best ways to bring color into the room. The colorful lights are perfect when you're having friends over at night for a movie or hanging out because it provides enough light to see, but creates a nice ambiance. It's also a great conversation piece because everyone will be complimenting your vibrant suite.

No matter what you decide to do for your suite, make sure you and your roommates agree on the additions and make it your style. If you cannot stand the color green and your roommate cannot stand the color red, compromise and find a color that you both love. Decorate according to that color and you'll both be happy. Most of all, decorate your suite and room to be comfortable. You live here most of the year, so be happy with where you are living.