Less crash, more flash: Making your dorm room more homey

Dorm life is a rite of passage for every generation of American, and no less so for the thousands of millennials headed to college or university for the first time this fall. Your diminutive dorm room likely wont be any bigger than your bedroom at home, except youll likely have to share it with roommates, their friends, your friends, books, clothes, food and more.

So how do you make your dorm room feel like home away from home, on the one hand, and your own exclusive fortress, on the other?

Here are a few cool and budget-conscious ways to create your own space:

• Basics. Explore local vintage or second-hand stores, on foot and online, for some basic must-haves  like a comfy chair, area rugs, colorful curtains and a bright lamp. Theres likely a lot of great furniture floating around from former students.
• Pics! Printed and framed wall photos may be so last century but theyre way more inspiring than drab walls. If you dont have the patience or cash to start buying frames and hammering nails, improvised washi tape frames do the trick.
• Map it. Whether its a world map with pins marking the places youve been or dream of going, or a blown up map of campus or your universitys town, hang one up by your bed or desk  its inspiring and great conversation starter.
• Green it. Add some real life to your room with a couple of cute plants  but unless you have a green thumb keep it simple with a succulent or cactus, which wont die if you forget to water for a week or four.
• Zzzzz. If you can afford it, invest in a new mattress and pillow. Youre going to be having a lot of long nights  make sure you can sleep well when you get around to it.

Want more ideas? Buzzfeed (of course) and The Frisky have the goods. And please drop us a note and share your own dorm room ideas in the Shop Talk Blog community forum!

Plus visit our Facebook page to answer this months live poll

Did you know?

Dorm theater

Did you know you can turn your phone into a photo or movie projector for about a buck? All you need it a shoebox, paperclip, smartphone, magnifying glass, x-acto knife and duct tape. Visit here to put it all together.