Welcome to your dorm room. The collection of white concrete walls, a bathroom you share with other people, uncomfortable beds, and a room the size of a shoe box, makes college seem less like a fun experience and more like prison.

Ok, so it’s not that bad, but your dorm room can either make you feel at home or make you want to go back home. If you’re going to stay in the same room for an entire school year, you are going to want to make your dorm room feel like home.

So, to brighten up your dorm room and to keep away the jail-like dullness that it can be, I came up with a few tips to help you out.

Pick out a colorful bedspread. Skip out on the solid colors, because they can get boring really fast. (Unless you pair them with super cute pillows.) For my room, I chose to get a colorful bedspread and pillows, because it just makes everything bright and fun. Adding Christmas lights can make your dorm room instantly feel like home. I don’t know what it is about Christmas lights, but they make your room feel cozy and welcoming. Putting pictures on your walls makes your room your room. Pictures bring back special memories, so putting them on the walls in your dorm room can remind you of special events, friends, and family members. A vase of flowers makes studying at your desk a little less stressful. I love flowers, so I know for me that by adding flowers to my desk, I am a lot happier. Maps are great for adding color to your walls. If your dorm room has concrete walls like mine, adding color to them is a necessity. I love maps because not only do I love to travel, I also love just how detailed and colorful they are.

I hope these few tips will help you make your dorm room go from dull to bright, and that they’ll help you enjoy your room a little more.