Moving into a dorm room is more than just a move; it’s a rite of passage. It’s also big business. College students spend about $27 billion on back-to-college shopping, according to a 2022 report from Deloitte, and with growing companies like Dormify offering to help students make their spaces social media ready, the stakes seem higher than ever.

As the Founder and CEO of Premium Prep College Counseling, I’ve guided countless families through this transition. I remember my own journey vividly, and now, as a parent, I’m experiencing it anew through my daughter’s eyes. This year, it’s personal. 

While decorating one’s dorm room can on the surface sound like a very materialistic endeavor, the process can have deeper meaning in helping to form, shape, and present identity. Before you start filling your shopping carts, here are seven considerations you must keep in mind to prepare for dorm living:

1. Personal Identity: This is for most young people the first time they get to envision how they want their space to look and feel. And so this is in many ways an expression of how they see themselves and what they value. For some, it’s about warmth and comfort, for others, it’s about what’s trending and hip, and for others it’s about making a statement. Decorating a dorm room might seem frivolous, but it allows a young person to think about who they are, what’s important to them, and even what their own style or vibe is.
2. Space Matters: For students, this four-walled small room is their everything. It feels a bit like a “little house.” It’s their bathroom — you need cosmetics, toiletries, etc. but available in a transportable fashion to bring to and from the actual sink and shower. It’s also a kitchen — snacks, breakfast, late-night munchies — so you might consider a mini-fridge, pantry, microwave, or toaster oven. It’s a bedroom, too, of course, but there shouldn’t be any spillover to the family room or front foyer, so be sure to measure carefully. It all has to fit in that little space, half of which belongs to another person. So every inch counts. It’s an exercise in math, measurement, and efficiency.
3. Decor: Dormify, Target, and Amazon have pages of tips and links to help students define their space. My own tip: start with the bed! This is really the centerpiece of the room — the biggest item — and the one that students will sit and relax on the most! They will probably even eat there, so avoid white! And remember that you don’t want to clash with your roomie.
4. Roomies: From Day One, you need to negotiate, coordinate, communicate, but most importantly be thoughtful about how you treat your roommate. Showing compassion, sensitivity, and care toward this person — especially when it comes to budget and aligning taste — is so important. It’s also a valuable life skill as you navigate future relationships personally and professionally.
5. Budget: Decorating and setting up a dorm room is a great exercise in managing money. What do you want to splurge on? A comfy pillow or a nice mattress topper (yes, dorm room mattresses can be pretty skimpy, but did you know how many different toppers are on the market!)? And what can you economize on? Storage containers, for example; don’t get sucked into the overpriced ones. Figuring out what to spend on can also create valuable conversations between parents and kids. What do parents offer to pay for? What do parents expect their children to pay for? Is it worth opening a registry? 
6. Organization: This whole endeavor is an extreme exercise in organization and planning, and I don’t know about you, but I am not an organizational expert (even though I’m good at it). Lucky for me, my daughter is one! This was especially important for us when we realized driving to her final destination was not realistic. So deciding what to ship, how to consider Amazon’s 30-day return policy while maximizing Prime sales in the timing of when to ship, finding a local friend to ship to in case (according to the parent Facebook page) the college mailroom is a complete zoo, and what we could pack in our suitcases was tricky. Yes, there is a Target in or near almost every college town, but it’s a zoo during move-in days, so think of everything and plan, plan, plan as much as possible!
7. Parental Involvement: Helping your child get all the supplies for the dorm room is fun and exciting but also emotional. The conversations, planning, shopping, and budgeting is all a reminder that your child is leaving — leaving the childhood room that you decorated to make home-y, cozy, and comfortable. That room will now stand empty. And this part is hard. For many of us, these children have been a focal point of our lives for the last 18 years. Now suddenly that’s done, and we’re expected to let go. If you’re the one in this position, give yourself a break and allow yourself to feel the loss. 

So, yes, the big reveal is that this is also my reality as I send my second child off to school. (I did have this journey two years ago, but my son went to college down the road and didn’t give a hoot about his dorm room decor; in fact, all the storage items I bought on Amazon got returned the next day as he didn’t need them.)

As you embark on this exciting new chapter, remember that college is a time of growth and discovery, both academically and personally. If you or someone you know is preparing for college admissions and needs expert guidance, schedule a complimentary consultation with Premium Prep College Counseling.

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Alyse Levine is one of the foremost college counseling experts in the country and the Founder and CEO of Premium Prep. Prior to founding the company, she was Associate Director of College Counseling at The Dalton School in New York City for more than 10 years, was Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions at Washington University in St. Louis, and was Associate Director of College Counseling at the Dwight-Englewood School in Englewood, N.J. Alyse also served on the selection committee for the prestigious Robertson Scholars Program, a highly selective full-tuition scholarship collaboration between Duke University and the University of North Carolina.