An awesome dorm room is hard to come by because most people think inside the box. "Bed goes in the corner" or "Clothes goes in the closet." The first thing you should do in your new room, because that's what it is, your room, is think outside of the box. If your room has a dresser, try putting it in the closet. Caddy corner your bed for more room. You can even stack your furniture like legos, and build a better room. (Make sure they stack safely of course)

Decorating your college dorm room can be a difficult task. And if your like me, decorating in general is hard to do. It can take several months to perfect your room. However a nice dorm room can pay off. Having a dorm room you truly like is important because it's the one place you can hang out when you are not busy enjoying everything else college has to offer.

Below are some ideas that will help you make your college dorm room your own awesome living space.

Posters

There are a few ways to cover up your walls. One of the easiest ways is posters. posters come in wide varieties ranging from movies to nature. If you are just starting out, try picking posters that show your interests. Pick out a few of your favorite bands, movies, actors to cover your walls. While your at it, browse through some art posters to add some sophistication to your room.

Rare Posters

When shopping for posters, don't just go for the typical college posters. Instead of buying posters of new movies or musicians, do some digging and find some rare old posters instead. Even if you've never seen a Dirty Harry movie, listened to Frank Sinatra, or know what a pin-up girl is, a few vintage posters can liven up your room.

Art paper

Another fun way to cover up yours walls is with large rolls of art paper. You can cover up all your walls in your room with paper and go all out. Use markers, crayons, stencils. Anything you want, its you blank canvas. And If you get tired of what you've drawn, take it down and put up a new piece of paper. This will be an instant hit with anyone who visits. Because really? Who else will have a dorm room with walls just for coloring? Just remember to leave some markers around for anyone that gets the artistic urge to draw.

Supplies needed:

1 Large roll of art paper (can be found online or at most art supply stores)

1 Box of Markers (for coloring)

1 Roll of Masking tape (for taping)

Dull dorm rooms are boring. So shed some light on the subject and brighten it up with some fun lighting.

Floor Lamps

A quick and easy way is to light up your room is a floor lamp. Floor lamps take up little room, require no dresser or counterspace and can pump out some serious light. Floor lamps come in a variety of types, however Target.com has recently added some floor lamps that are very trendy and affordable. A double plus for any college student.

Create

Thrift stores and consignment stores are also a great place to find unique lighting that doesn't offend your college budget. And since you bought it at a good price, don't be afraid to make it your own. A $3 can of paint of spray paint can go a long way. So if you find a lamp you like, grab some gold spray paint, and make your very own golden lamp. Or if gold is a little too loud, a simple black lamp will work fine.

Christmas lights

Before you head off to college, make sure to raid your christmas light supply and take some to school. Your parents will be thrilled to get rid of some of the lights, and you can score some cool lighting for free.

A comfortable bed is most important for a college dorm room. And since most college supply the bare minumum for bedding, some extra steps will have to be taken.

Matress Topper

This is key if you want your bed to be sleepable. Many college matresses are covered with a thick, plastic cover, which can make sleeping on it nearly impossible. To minimize the aweful sound and discomfot caused by plastic matresses, get a matress topper. You can get a decent matress topper for as little as 20 dollars, while nicer memory foam toppers be as much as 100 dollars. Overstock.com has a wide variety of affordable matress toppers.

Bedding

Bed sets can be expensive. However a mix and match bed set can be more comfortable as well as more cost friendly. Discount department stores like TJ Max, Marshalls, and Ross have a wide selection of name brand bed sheets and comforters for half the price. I picked up my Ralph Lauren comforter at Marshalls for $29.99 compared to the $89.99 I would have had to spend elsewhere.

Another option for comfortable sheets is again Target.com. Target has made a lot of progress in creating quality items for college students. When of my favorite things is their Jersey bed sheets. It's like having a soft comfy t-shirt for you sheets.