By MAEVE WALSH

COLUMIST

New classes, new textbooks, new semester, and new dorm rooms. We have come back to campus anticipating sub-zero temperatures and icy conditions, but many of us have the added challenge of moving housing. With students switching theme houses, obtaining sacred singles in the new dorm, or escaping 25 College, dorm room decorating may have taken the back burner.  For those of you too busy to even pick up a tapestry from the bookstore, here are some tips for creating the perfect second-semester space.

First: Figure out how much space you are working with. Were you blessed with an amazing Dean closet? Do you have a particularly small double? While you and your roommate may decide you absolutely refuse to bunk beds or get rid of any furniture, keep in mind that a lack of space may result in a cramped and uncomfortable living situation. Look for creative solutions to maximize the space in your room in order to avoid the messes and chaos that usually results from trying to fit too much stuff into too little of an area. Try this: use that psychology 101 knowledge and decorate to trick your brain. Visual continuity can result from soothing, even toned rooms, making them appear more spacious than they really are. Or, think vertically, and use the often un-utilized space between the top of the furniture and the ceiling to draw the eye upward. 

Second: Once you have your room’s layout finalized, create zones within your room based on all the things you do within a certain space. Are you the type of person who throws all your clothes on your desk chair? Or do you have a tendency to leave your makeup all over your desk? Once you have figured out what spaces you use most often, look to those areas to see what you could be doing differently. Something as small as a k-cup bin can go a long way for a coffee fiend always in a rush, or a jewelry holder for someone with more necklaces than notebooks. 

Third: Decorate, decorate, decorate! Look for small items that pack a punch, like a patterned lampshade or ottoman with storage. Splurge on small, grand accessories to make the space feel cozier without actually making any large changes. Websites such as Target, West Elm, and One Kings Lane always have sales on high quality items that can turn any old dorm room into something that feels just like home.

Regardless of how pleased you are with your housing situation, you are likely stuck with it for the time being. Making your home away from home actually feel like a home may seem like a long process, but considering how much time you probably spend in your dorm room it may be worth the investment. Put in a little time and effort, and come summer break you will be homesick for SLU.