Housing & Decor March 2023 Cooglife

Issue 61 // March 2023

Housing and Decor

March 2023

On being a good roommate

Homelessness at UH

Living the van life at UH

Taking pride in being a commuter campus

Five ways to furnish your dorm or apartment on a budget

Alternate Housing options: Pet sitting

A guide to (hypothetically) cooking in a dorm

To Moody or to Quad: Choosing between two of UH’s most popular dorms

The ultimate guide to a maximalist’s dorm decor

Editorial

Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez cooglife@thedailycougar.com

Cover

Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez

Writers

Dylan Stracener

Atirikta Kumar

Guilherme Guerra

Liv Anderson

Rey Mattes

Kimberley Parker

Jamie Thornton

Tajj White

Catherine Volel

A Letter from the Editor

Greetings, bienvenidos.

Dorms. They are synonymous with the college experience. I find it hard to name a single media representation of college kids where a character didn’t live in an on-campus dorm. However, the opposite is true in my personal life.

I have studied at the University of Houston for both my bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and I’ve made many, many friends throughout this time. Many lived with friends or a significant other off campus. A few spent freshman and sophomore year in a car or couchsurfing. And dozens of us lived in multi-generational homes. Grandparents, nieces, parents and siblings were all part of daily life. They came with the advantages that can only come with unity in a large group.

On the other hand, I can name 14 friends that lived on-campus. 14 out of over a hundred.

This is a bit of an anomaly when looking at other universities, even when only looking at those in Texas. We are a diverse campus in every sense of the way, including how students choose to house themselves.

In this month’s issue, we explore the UH housing experience while in college from a multitude of different points, all of them honest and true to our community. Within these pages, you will find articles celebrating

that in common, you’re going to love a few of our articles on thrifty home goods and maximalist room decor.

Wherever it is that you call home, I’m sure you’ll find something for you within these pages. Take pride in the place you hang your hat. Enjoy!

Cynthia Isabel Zelaya Ordoñez Executive Editor v

our status as a commuter school. You will also find a comparison between Moody Towers and The Quads. Additionally, you will find options for alternative living situations ranging from van life to pet sitting in exchange for housing.

Some will be more on the serious side, and a few will be a little more light-hearted. As a selfproclaimed ‘material girl,’ I have no shame in saying shopping brings me great joy. If we have

By Dylan Stracener @dstracee

You never want to be known as the bad roommate. At some point, you may have dealt with an infamous bad roommate. While you may not be able to control others, you can control yourself. Here are some tips on how to be a good roommate!

Communicate

Firstly (and arguably most importantly), practice good communication. This can range from something as small as deciding where to place a plant in common areas to something big like how late you want guests to be in the home. If you discuss those smaller conflicts with your roommates, it will feel natural to discuss more serious things, as you have developed a better understanding on how to resolve issue. An important part to this is resolving conflicts proactively. When you first move in, have a meeting to decide on what temperature the air-conditioner will be set to. Throughout this process, it is important to be considerate of what your roommates’ desires are too.

Respect

Which brings me to the next tip, be respectful. If you know your roommate has a career-defining exam in the morning, maybe you should bring your friends to a bar instead of partying at home. It can be easy to forget about other people’s livelihoods, especially during the stressful time that is college. However, when you are under a pressure cooker for class

and need to study hard, you’d also like to do so without the distraction of people chattering and loud music. At the end of the day, everyone is just trying to pass their classes and graduate. Just remember that whenever your roommate asks for a quiet night or two.

Cleanliness

Now that you’ve learned to communicate and be respectful, let’s focus on cleanliness. A general rule of thumb: if you make a mess, clean it up. This gets a little tricky when talking about general chores such as taking out the trash or sweeping the living room. Luckily, with the communication skills you’ve practiced, you and your roommates can discuss a system that works for everyone. No one likes living in an apartment that has some mysterious odor seemingly clinging to the walls, so just be sure to clean up often enough.

Oh and last but not least, DO YOUR DARN DISHES!

On How to Be a Good Room mate

Homelessness at UH

By Atirikta Kumar @atiriktawrites

There is a homelessness epidemic in our country, and it extends to college campuses as well.

When you say college homelessness, it sounds like an oxymoron. The stereotype surrounding college students is that they live in dorms, which are covered by the school. However, with the increasing cost of oncampus living, colleges are actively pushing students out by raising dorm costs. In fact, 50% of homelessness in the Houston region is caused by economic hardships.

Homelessness in Houston has dropped 63% since 2011.

According to the Homeless Count & Survey 3,223 people experiencing homelessness at any given moment in the Houston region as of 2022.

Meet Isela

In 2021, then-freshman computer information systems sophomore Isela Garcia found herself homeless, living out of different places on and off campus, after finding out that her Cougar Village dorm was not covered by her financial aid.

“I went to financial aid, and they had told me, we can't really do anything like either you pay the money or you need to get out of the dorms,” Isela said. “It's either I'm gonna put the burden on my parents and pay off like $5000, or I could just pay the cancellation fee, which was 600 at time. And I'm gonna get out the dorms. So that's what I did.”

Be The Change You Want to See

Want to give hope to patients? Help end racial disparities in healthcare? We are the club for you! Be The Match on Campus at UH members are helping find life-saving donors for patients battling illnesses like leukemia and sickle cell disease Join our GroupMe to learn more!

With a lot of hard work, Garcia was able to get an off-campus apartment at the start of the fall 2022 semester.

“It's just a lot of work. I have two jobs, You know, trying to pay my bills. So it requires like two jobs to pay rent. But overall, it's been going alright. Not too bad.”

While Garcia never officially declared her housing difficulties, she did ask financial aid services for support but they weren’t able to be of help.

“Well, they really didn’t offer any resources. They were just like either you pay the money or you need to get out of there. That’s basically what they told me. They never really gave me any redirection. They didn’t refer me to anybody.”

As a first-generation student, there was not any help from home filling out the FAFSA. Garcia, who has four legal last names, missed one and it led to some trouble verifying and getting the aid on time.

Finding alternatives

Without a car, Garcia spent the first few weeks of her college career living out of open buildings and bathrooms on campus. Fortunately, her brother was able to find her a temporary living situation, and she spent two semesters on a friend’s

couch before she was asked to leave at the beginning of the summer.

“Fortunately, I had a car at this time, so I would like sleep in my car, like at the UH garages,” she said.

The official UH housing page just offers links to the housing website, as well as off-campus resources such as links to Coalition for the Homeless, a non-profit organization, and emergency shelters. There are no direct resources for students like Garcia to reach out to and get help from.

Students like Garcia are all over campus, but continue to face challenges with paying for college and keeping up with regular life expenses.

https://www.uh.edu/housing/apply/

It’s an exciting time to be a Coog! From one end of campus to the next, UH students are being exposed to new and engaging experiences. Don’t miss a beat. Be at the center of it all with Student Housing & Residential Life. Dare to LEARN just a few steps away from your residence hall. DISCOVER new hobbies and interests. EMPOWER others to join you on this journey. Take on the full college experience! Apply to live on campus.

Living the Van Life at UH

By Guilherme Guerra @gui_guerra333

Between tuition, books, fuel prices and all the hundreds of other expenses we have to deal with in our day-to-day college is expensive. Even more so if you live on campus. Some students stay in their own homes while others live with friends or relatives, but even those options may be out of reach for a lot of people. That’s why there are some who choose a different lifestyle as they go through college, spending money on a van and making it their home in what’s known as the “van life”.

Living the van life can come with lots of advantages. The most obvious one is the low cost of living compared to living on campus or owning a home. But there is plenty to worry about and a lot of preparation involved in order to make it a comfortable way of living until your graduation, which is why we have compiled some of the challenges you’ll have to face when adopting

the van life and some solutions for them.

The Basics

Let’s start with the obvious, you probably won’t have a kitchen or a shower inside your van, so you’re going to have to go somewhere else for that. Luckily, you should be able to take care of all those basic needs at the UH campus itself. A meal plan allows you access to a good variety of food at the university. It does cost quite a bit of money, and you have to renew it every semester. So if it ends up being too costly, you’ll have to get familiarized with the city in order to find different spots where you can eat well, since relying on your favorite fast-food place alone won’t do you any favors in the long run.

For showers, you can access the University’s gym for free and use the ones they have there, and no

need to worry about wi-fi as long as you’re inside UH as well. For washing your clothes, however, you won’t be able to use the washing machines on campus unless you’re living there. You could try and get access if you have a friend living in the dorms, but the best option is to just find a laundromat around Houston.

Parking

Now here’s where things can get a bit tricky. There are many different lots to park at UH and multiple different permits you can buy to do so, though they can be quite expensive. If you can afford one, a valid evening/ weekend pass will allow you to park from 3 p.m. to 7 a.m. in different uncovered zones on campus, but if that’s not an option, you’re gonna have to rely on the help of your friends and see if anyone has some extra space in front of their house. If you don’t have anyone to help

Photo by Jeremy Kuehn

you then your best bets are going to be an RV Park (the nearest one being about 20 minutes away from UH), or a well-lit place with security cameras like the parking lot of a Walmart. Not the safest option, but definitely better than just picking a random spot in the city at night. And by the way, never park your car after it’s dark. Try to find out where you’ll be staying before the sun sets so you can familiarize yourself better with the area.

Safety

Regardless of where you choose to park at night, it never hurts to take some extra measures to make sure you stay safe while you’re sleeping. First, keep your doors locked and your phone charged at all times, make sure you get some curtains or tinted

glass for your van to make it difficult for others to see inside as well. You should always know exactly where the keys are, hide them somewhere next to the driver’s seat so you’re able to leave as quickly as possible if you have to. Just so you don’t find yourself needing to leave the van in the middle of the night, think of a way to use the bathroom while inside, some RVs have their own toilets but for a regular van, a few water bottles should do the trick. It’s a good idea to always let someone you trust know exactly where you’ll be parking every night too, communicating with other people ensures they will know what to do in case you ever need their help.

All of this advice might seem like way too much for some people,

but van life is a lot riskier and less comfortable than just living in a regular home or dorm, and you’ll have to take as many precautions as possible if you want to sleep well every night. There are just as many pros as there are cons though, if you can deal with the potential stress and do as much as you can to stay as safe, you can potentially save thousands of dollars as you work on getting your degree, have a lot more freedom on your hands if you feel like traveling, and you’ll be having a life experience that most people will never get the chance to in their lives.

*$25 electricity allowance per occupied bedroom

Taking Pride in Being a Commuter

By Liv Anderson @ruinliv

Commuting students make up about 85% of the undergraduate population at the University of Houston. In the past decade, UH has been striving to enhance its image as a school with a vibrant campus life, straying away from its history as an accessible commuter campus for working-class students. But we can’t forget that these commuting students are exactly what makes our school so special.

Before becoming UH, the school began as a small junior college, only offering night courses for working students hoping to become teachers. Now, almost 100 years later, the university has expanded to include a law school, a medical school and over 100 degree programs. It offers over 500 campus organizations and there’s always an activity happening on campus. It still

caters to working students and still offers night classes. Many UH students work full-time or parttime jobs and live at home. The university serves almost twice as many low-income students as other large Texas universities.

One of the best things about UH is how incredibly diverse it is. Our student body is composed of people of different backgrounds and a wide range of ages. Even in a city as diverse as Houston, this is something to be proud of. The school wasn’t always culturally diverse, and it didn’t become that way overnight. But there are still gaps between graduation rates of Black and white students and Hispanic and white students. Research shows that Black and Hispanic students, firstgeneration college students, and low-income students are all at a higher risk for not graduating.

These gaps are becoming smaller, but supporting commuting students and their needs is clearly essential in continuing to narrow those graduation rate gaps.

UH’s campus is uniquely Houstonian. It has a central location in our giant sprawling city. It isn’t designed to house its entire student body on campus. It has always provided a great education without requiring unconventional students to uproot their lives.

President and Chancellor Renu Khator’s investments in sports are an effort for UH to garner more name recognition and encourage campus pride and camaraderie. Encouraging more school spirit is never a bad

Photo by Live Anderson

idea, and those are respectable efforts that seem to be working. Interest in the school is growing, and applications have doubled in the past decade. But it’s clear that UH faces pressure from other big Texas universities to have a party feel, where most students live on or around campus and rally hard for football games.

Some people get the appeal of UH, and some people would rather move to a college town with tens of thousands of students living on campus. Unlike UT and A&M, UH is a realistic option for working students who need Houston’s industry resources and can’t afford to move onto campus. Houston has opportunities for people in every career field. UH is the perfect school for many students because

of its accessibility.

There is undeniably a stigma around being a commuter school. We've all heard the offensive nickname "Cougar High,” aimed at undergraduate students who live at home. It’s impressive that UH has become the powerhouse that it is today while having a relatively small number of students living on campus. Our huge population of commuting students proves that college doesn’t have to feel like summer camp to be a great university.

Ultimately, the image that UH is trying to distance itself from isn’t hurting the success of the university. In fact, this is part of what makes UH so appealing, and we shouldn’t be embarrassed of being a commuter school. Our

school has renowned programs and faculty but remains accessible to low-income, working, and nontraditional students.

Being a commuter school does not conflict with UH’s attempts to become a top 50 public university. Hopefully, as UH gains prestige in coming years, it continues to prioritize and value these students. UH should embrace its unique commuter reputation rather than try to shed it. Our history embodies all of the hard-working students that have attended this school for almost a century.

5 Ways to Furnish your Dorm or Apartment on a Budget

By Rey Mattes @reyputati0n

As college students, we know better than anyone that funds are not always in excess amounts. You may be doing fine financially, but then you need to pay your second installment, your monthly subscriptions are about to charge and you just don’t have the hours in the day to clock into work and make more money. But your dorm/apartment is starting to look a little like a cell in the county jail. Worry not! Here are the best ways to spruce up the interior of your little home to make it homier and exude your unique essence.

Hit 5 Below!

5 Below has an awesome selection of trinkets and small appliances that can add that special something to your apartment or dorm surfaces! They have a wide variety of posters from your favorite intellectual properties and cute vintage-inspired home decor!

Seriously, don’t check out their website, you may find yourself indulging in a few impulse purchases. Luckily if you do, you won’t end up breaking the bank.

Goodwill

Goodwill’s selection varies from store to store, so you may

not always be able to find great items. But you definitely can get lucky with some hilarious mugs, shot glasses, cups and even dinnerware. The only thing you have to be wary of is lead in paint on mugs and dinnerware, since vintage ceramics commonly contain lead paint. But it’s quite easy to get lead test kits online.

Amazon, Michaels, Craft Stores

Fake plants take less effort than real ones and are far easier to make fit your desired aesthetic.

Photo by Spacejoy on Upsplash

“ Here are the best ways to spruce up the interior of your little home to make it homier and exude your unique essence.

The best places for fake plants are likely Amazon or Michaels. And if you’re lucky enough to get them on sale or with a coupon, you may be able to double up. Other stores like Target and 5 Below also have fake plants, but Amazon and Michaels likely have the largest selection.

Target

If you have a particular holiday you love or if one of them fits your aesthetic most (like Dark Academia and Halloween), the dollar section at Target will be your best friend. They often have fun trinkets or small shelves that are outside of the holiday seasons, so they’d work in your home year-round. Be warned though, if you venture too far into the store, we aren’t responsible for the dollars you blow through.

Marshalls/Home Goods

Marshalls and HomeGoods may be littered with Rae Dunn, but more often than not you can find a mug or vase you adore for a fantastic price. Sometimes, they even have small pieces of furniture, like lamps or chairs, or furniture sets, like dining chairs, for exceedingly low prices. Chances are, if you want something simple, kitschy, elegant, or eclectic, you can find it at HomeGoods or Marshalls.

Ikea

Oh Sweet IKEA, our favorite Swedish furniture manufacturer. Online, you can see their pieces that are on sale, but in person, they have a fantastic sale section that has some intense markdowns. Typically, they’re items that are either lightly

damaged or items that were on display and are now being sold at a drastically lower price. Those are only available in person and vary based on store, so go visit our local IKEA, and be sure to grab me ice cream!

Of course, there are other fantastic options like scouring the neighborhood app Nextdoor, asking family members if they have anything they’d like to get rid of, and making some of your own furnishings like art and trinkets. But I hope this helps you narrow down some simple, cheap ways to treat yourself if you don’t have a lot of spending money.

Alternate Housing Options Pet Sitting

By Kimberley Parker @kimberleyalparker

Ihave been pet-sitting for almost three years now. I’ve been able to travel to Canada and around the US to different states such as Washington, Florida, California, Nevada, and Texas without paying for accommodation. I’ve stayed in an array of different homes from city apartments, to mountain getaways and huge houses that have private pools and movie theatres! I’ve looked after an array of furry and not-so-furry pets such as dogs, cats, chickens, geckos, lizards, and tropical aquariums. I’ve had my shoes eaten, cleaned up chicken poop, administered an inhaler for an asthmatic cat (yes cats have asthma too), found poop in my

bed in the morning (don’t ask, I thought it was cereal), had to feed a gecko alive cockroaches with a pair of large tweezers and saved a puppy from eating almost eating a bee!

I investigated house-sitting after a friend of my parents told me about how she went on lavish vacations to the south of France and stayed for free, by looking after someone’s home and pet(s) whilst they were away. You don’t get paid for this – a common misconception - but it operates on an exchange basis whereby the owners get free pet care, and you get a free place to stay, however with a nice Airbnb costing upwards of $100 a night

it can be worth it, not to mention the other benefits of hanging out with cool pets, traveling, and meeting some really awesome people.

I use a website called Trusted House Sitters where you pay an annual fee of around $130 and get to use the site as a sitter. It works like Airbnb where both the owners and the sitters can leave each other feedback, and you can check for available house seats by date and location. There are other sites out there as well such as HouseCarers, Nomador and MindMyHouse amongst others but Trusted House Sitters from my experience is the best.

Photos by Kimberley Parker

In Las Vegas I squeezed in a trip to the Grand Canyon, whilst in Vancouver, I did a few days skiing on Grouse Mountain, in Whistler I came across a black bear on a bike trail (hey, I’m alive to tell the tale) and when I first moved to Houston to start my MA in communication, it was a great way to make connections with people who have proved to be lasting friends.

I’m sure many of you can relate - at the start of my first semester I went through an emotional rollercoaster (how am I going to survive for the next two years as an international grad student and pay these tuition fees!?) and I can say that having three cats to look after actually helped as I felt a lot less alone than I would

have done if I’d have been in a hotel or Airbnb. The two-week sit gave me the opportunity to work things out without the added pressure and worry of temporary accommodation costs.

There are so many perks to pet sitting. However, if you’re thinking of starting you need to be committed to making the experience as positive for the owners as well as for the pets themselves. You’ll need to make sure that you spend enough time with the animals you are sitting for, and you’ll be living as a local rather than being on vacation. Absolutely no house parties and you’ll need to send daily updates/photos to the owners as well as leave their home neat and tidy.

The downsides are that you are constantly moving around with your belongings in a suitcase. You’re not guaranteed to find housesits on the dates you need or want, therefore when looking at pet sitting as a sustainable living arrangement it’s not ideal. However, if you are looking at alternate temporary living options, want to travel over the summer, love animals but can’t have your own pet right now or even if you just want some space from whoever you currently live with (parents anyone!?) then I can highly recommend getting into pet sitting.

A Guide to (Hypothetically) Cooking in a Dorm

By Jamie Thornton @ jamiee_elizabethh

Living on campus, whether you love it or hate it, is the most convenient option as a full-time student. However, living in a dorm comes with certain compromises, with cooking being a major one of them. While residential students are required to have a meal plan, we all know the food can be very hit or miss a vast majority of the time. I’ve compiled this guide to cooking the simplest of meals as well as a bit more complex ones in a dorm.

Electric Kettle

While I don’t personally own one, an electric kettle is a great option for cooking in a dorm. One way to use it is to make ramen by boiling the water and pouring it into the cup, then covering it and letting it sit for a few minutes. In addition to this, I’ve seen several people make pasta in an electric

kettle by literally just putting the pasta in the kettle with water just like cooking it on a stove. This is probably a more filling option than just eating ramen 24/7.

Air Fryer

This is a controversial topic on whether this is allowed in the dorms or not, but when I looked up UH’s policy it said “open coil heating or cooking devices (toaster ovens, hot plates, space heaters)” are not allowed. The way I interpret that is if it’s an open heat source such as a toaster oven or a toaster then it’s not allowed. An air fryer is very similar to a microwave in the sense that it closes and UH orgs have given air fryers away at several events I’ve attended, so I’m including them in this list. Air fryers are good for literally anything.

Photo by Brooke Lark

There are thousands of easy recipes online and you can cook just about any frozen food in them whether that be chicken nuggets, french fries or corn dogs. A recipe I know I’ll be using a lot is homemade pizza in an air fryer. All it takes is the premade dough and whatever toppings you want, then put it in the air fryer for seven minutes and you have pizza that’s much better than the dining hall.

Communal Kitchen

A fairly obvious option on this list is to utilize your dorm’s kitchen. I can speak for the Quad and Cougar Place that each floor has

one, so if your room is close to it that’s a great option. Although, if people on your floor are anything like mine, you’ll probably have to clean up after whoever used it last before you can cook anything. Every communal kitchen has an oven, so if you find yourself in a baking mood, or even want to cook a whole meal, it’s a great option if you’re getting tired of the dining hall.

Mini Appliances

Lastly, one of my favorite options on this list is mini appliances. There’s practically a mini version of everything from a waffle maker to a rice cooker. I’ve seen

waffle makers for as cheap as $5 and rice cookers for $20. Since they boil water just like a pot on a stove, rice cookers can be used to make pasta (again) as well as things like mac and cheese. Cooking in a dorm isn’t always ideal so creativity is a must. However, the cute color palettes make mini appliances look cute in your dorm, which is an added bonus.

All in all, there are many ways to cook in a dorm if you want something other than chicken and fries or pasta at Moody. It just takes creativity and a bit of compromise.

FALL 2023

To Moody or to Quad

Choosing between 2 of UH’s most popular dorms

By Tajj White @royal.tajj Photos courtesy of the University of Houston

When you walk by the tallest building on campus or the newest building created for students, ever wonder, what housing has to be like for our fellow cougars? Well here's an opportunity to settle your curiosity.

Moody Towers

Let's start with the first dormitory created, Moody Towers. Moody was opened in 1970. It was named after William Lewis Moody Jr. and his wife, Libbie Shearn. The dormitory stands 239 feet tall, giving it the best view. Especially if you want to see downtown Houston, with the lights illuminating at night. Moody towers residence has mostly incoming freshmen. However, you don't have to be a freshman to live there. If you want to keep extra change in your pockets this is the place to be.

Moody Towers may be cheap but it's cheap for a reason here are some reasons you might consider or even reconsider living there. According to a fellow Coog, “Catherine,” a resident studying English, says the best part about the towers is the views. The tallest building on campus. You have the option to live alone and or choose your roommate. Living alone might be preferable for most students because the super singles have full-size beds. If

you’re hungry and don't want to spend money or drive anywhere to find food, you’re in luck. Right underneath you on the first floor is the largest dining hall on campus. But, like most buildings on campus, the elevators will sometimes test your patience. If you're ever in a rush, don't wait for the elevators because they’re usually inoperable.

Another reason to not stay there is because of the shared bathroom.

And then there’s the roommate situation. Although roommates aren’t necessarily a con when you get to choose them, make sure you keep in mind who you choose.

The worst part about Moody Towers is the laundry room. It’s all the way on the 18th floor, so be prepared to take the elevator or stairs. My suggestion, go to a laundromat and save the possible workout you’ll have to endure.

The Quads

The Quads are a newly built, apartment-like residences that have replaced the five housing complexes built in the 1950’s. Although The Quads are a fairly new residence on campus, the place still has many downsides. But once again, the elevators.

Another fellow Coog, “Cory,” had a few things to say about The Quad.

“The elevators, especially for disabled people, are not useful. It sucks because they have no other access to going to their rooms,” he said. There are infrastructures that have not been fixed for quite some time, and it remains covered with trash bags and

caution tape. It has been like that for a few months. Some insects creep inside, and no pest control to keep them out.

Although students don't have

a roommate the walls in the room are not soundproof and you can hear in between rooms. Talk about a lack of privacy. It isn't all that bad at the Quads though. Even though you share a bathroom, you get your own private room and a common living area. If you desire solitude you have the option to live in a single-bedroom unit. The Quads are also equipped with a gym facility, four multi-purpose rooms, and 13 study rooms. Don’t want to spend money eating out, there are also lounges downstairs with built-in kitchens. Not only are The Quads newly furnished, but they also have an amazing view. Living at The Quads would probably be better to stay at than Moody Towers, in my opinion.

Hotel-Inspired Clubhouse with Kitchen, Cyber Café, Starbucks Coffee Bar & Media Lounge

Two 24-7 Fitness Centers

Spin Studio & Yoga/Pilates Room with Scheduled Monthly Classes Conference Center

Two Resort-Style Pool Pavilions with Sundecks

Gas Grilling Stations by Pit Masters of Texas

Innovative Studio, 1, 2, 3-Bedroom Apartments

9-Foot Ceilings with Stunning Crown Molding

In-Home Laundry Room with Custom Cabinetry, Stainless Steel Appliances, Refrigerator with Water & Ice Dispenser, Granite Countertops, Designers Backsplash & Under Cabinet Lights Lavish Deep Soaking Roman Bathtubs, Glass Enclosed Showers* & Dual Bathroom Vanities* Expansive Closet Space

The Ultimate Guide to a Maximalist’s Dorm Decor

By Catherine Volel @lady_midnight013

There's an old saying that goes "the home is where the heart is." It is a sanctuary filled with warmth and comfort after a long day of classes and work. A place where we could be ourselves, as it reflects our identity and its story.

After 18 years, I finally gaining the personal funds to get a space of my own and achieve the vision I’ve always had,

I want to tell you the story of my room and give some tips and tricks for achieving the Ultimate Dorm Décor: A Maximalist Style Edition!

Desks, Shelves, and Aesthetics

As a person with ADHD, I need my workspace to be extra organized. I got myself a mini pink drawer for excess school supplies, a couple of desk organizers and a weekly planner pad that matches the room's aesthetic.

I make sure to get the cutest school supplies each year, as well as getting the widest variety of colors in markers, highlighters, pens, sticky notes, etc. This is for organizing and aesthetic purposes. I find most of my school supplies at Walmart, but I shop online for cute organizers and adorable stationery. I use the shelf to place all my collections of figures. Dolls, UH merch, anything that fits my creepy-cute, astrologywitch aesthetic!

Then, I organize them by theme. I didn't have doll stands, so I improvised by putting all my G3 Monster-High dolls in sitting positions along with my astrology and witch-themed stuff on the middle shelf.

On the bottom shelf, I put all my One Piece figures from anime conventions and festivals together, along with some UH merch I got for free from several UH events.

Photos by Catherine Volel

In maximalism, there is no right as it reflects you and your comfort zone. The room is your canvas!

I originally got an Ouija board to mess with my friends and to add to the room aesthetic. I put that on the top shelf along with some gothic decor.

The early Halloween season (August/September) is the best time of the year for goths and witches to get their home decor. I didn't have enough space to fit my Percy Jackson Book Collection, so I used the book box sets as makeshift shelves.

Bedding and Comfort

My bed was the hardest thing to stylize, as the stores online and in person didn't carry bedding that screamed "ME!" It wasn't until some stroke of luck that I came across some bed sets at Ross while window-shopping on a whim. I bought several on the spot and later found some cute pillow covers on KillStar to match.

Leaving no stone unturned, I even decorated my bedside table with the most adorable and comfortable things. Along with my LED alarm clock, I have two mini lego figures of Tanjiro and Nezuko from Demon Slayer guarding it, along with my Unicorn Panda bank and LED cat lamp named Mini Doja Cat side by side with my One Piece picture frame as the centerpiece.

The floors in the dorms are cold, so I got a cozy rug that complements the decor and pulls everything together. Of course, living away from home for the first time can be tough, so I got myself a whole family of stuffed animals to keep me company.

No Naked Walls

The walls were the easiest thing to do. I love astrology, witches, goths, and anything cute and creepy, so I wanted the central theme of my room to center around that.

I put a gothic astrology tapestry and witch poster on my bedside while posters of the stars, astrology, and tarot cards decorate my deskside. I also got a bunch of Halloween bats to fill out the empty parts of the wall.

I love Anime, especially my favorite show, One Piece, so I filled a section of my wall with it. I didn’t want it to clash with the astrology witchcore aspect, so I contained all my anime posters into one area.

For organizing daily and monthly activities, I got two dry-erase boards because you can never have enough planners. I DIY the boards with decorating tape to blend in with the room aesthetic.

Hidden Boutique: A Compromise of Space

With the limited space in my dorm, I had to make several compromises. For one thing, I have A LOT of jewelry, and I need a space to put all of them together.

I didn’t have much space in my closet and didn’t want to turn my desk into a messy cluster, so I had the brilliant idea of turning the bottom of my bed into a hidden DIY boutique. I used my microwave and a storage container as a table while repurposing my old mirror as a

vanity.

I decorated the walls with some of my damaged posters and used an old Ouija board and my One Piece pillow to make the space cozy. All of this is hidden behind my pink drawer that doubles as a secret door, adding to the allure.

Because I used the space as a boutique, I had to make other compromises for storage. I use my giant suitcase for storage and invest in a closet organizer to save space. As for my hygiene and makeup products, I got myself a large bath cart that’s especially useful for communal bathrooms.

Conclusion

Getting everything to work took some time and patience. The room is practically alive as it evolves and shapes to reflect my identity. It took me an entire year before it looks how it is now, and even then, it continues to transform.

Take small steps when you can by getting the little things. Soon it would gradually grow over time. There are plenty of budgetfriendly places like Five Below, Ross, and thrift stores to help you get started, and you should take advantage of any sales in stores and online.

As for decorating, you should pay attention to detail by balancing the colors, the shape, and the space, as well as highlighting the theme and your favorite things. In maximalism, there is no right as it reflects you and your comfort zone. The room is your canvas!

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