Making a dorm work.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I currently live in a dorm.  Many members of the intern class that the organization I work for come from all over the United States and even overseas, so I am fortunate that they offer on-campus housing for those of us who live 1,000+ miles away.

The unfortunate part, is that this housing is former Air Force barracks.  Very thankfully, I do not have a roommate.  I did briefly (4 days) when I first arrived, but for the past six months, I have been lucky to be one of the interns with their own room.  My main objective when I moved in was to hang as man things on the walls as possible to off-set the stark white.

These photos are by no means up to College Prepster par and were taken with my iPhone, but I finally felt like my room was as complete as it would get (I am moving out in a month, after all).  Check out how I tried to make my room cozy and age appropriate below.

 

The view when you first enter the dorm.  It's much larger than it looks, roughly 14x14.  Yes, those curtains are atrocious, but they can keep the room blacked out all day long.

The spare bed on the far side of the room.  I love having a spare bed in case other interns want to come in and watch a movie or just hang out.  It's nice to have an option for them other than my desk chair.

My dresser where I get ready each morning.  I love that little "blah" sign I found at Target for only $4.  The mirror was also a Target steal, something I picked up for $6 when it was originally $30.

My desk and closet are areas I always need to stay clean.  Candles are strictly prohibited in the dorms, but it's one thing I just can't give up no matter how hard I try.

I can't imagine how much harder it would be to live in a dorm without this sink.  It's nice to have just a little bit of privacy in the morning when I don't want to walk all the way down to the bathroom to style my hair, brush my teeth or wash my face.  I was also fighting a bit of a cold, hence the day/nyquil bottles.

No, a twin bed is not ideal, and it's roughly 4 ft. off of the ground, so it's always a little adventure getting in and out, but I love my incredibly soft, white Threshold blanket (Target, of course).  I also adore my little "queen of offing everything" pillow, which my brother describes as "frighteningly accurate."

So there you have it, home sweet home since Thanksgiving.  It's hard giving up little luxuries like my own bathroom (a round of applause for community bathrooms), a microwave and a bed that doesn't instill a fear of falling in me every time I try wake up in the morning.

I can't wait to get out into my own place – wherever that may be!

Did this stir up any college flashbacks for you?

CK