LOUISVILLE, Ky. – “Dorms aren’t exactly luxury digs,” stated the College University Suite101.com Web site.

College can be an overwhelming experience, especially when it comes time for students to choose where they want to live, decorating their dorm and figuring out if they can get along with their roommate.

A standard resident room is equipped with two beds, two desks and two closets. Students face the challenge of decorating their dorms and making their new home feel like a “home away from home.”

Naomi Rockler-Gladen from Suite101.com stated, “Most freshmen bring way too much useless and expensive stuff with them. They also overlook cheap necessities that they really do need.”

Daily necessities may include an alarm clock, a telephone and a computer, as well as a backup system for the computer. Rockler-Gladen explains that a bathrobe with pockets to put keys, a pair of flip-flops and a small waterproof basket to carry toiletries to the shower are extremely important, seeing as “you’ll be spending lots of time walking from your room to the shower.”

Furthermore, Rockler-Gladen reminds students that basic cleaning materials, basic hygiene materials, laundry materials, school supplies, medications and linens should not be left at home, and she encourages students to splurge on a good quality backpack.

In addition, some residence halls have kitchens on some floors for students to cook if they wish, so getting basic kitchen and eating utensils could be useful.

Susan Johnston of the IamNext.com Web site, stated how important it is to focus on some important parts of the room, for example, the bed. “One of the first things to pick out is a comforter,” Johnston stated. “The bed often doubles as a coffee table, couch or study area and is the largest piece of furniture in most dorm rooms, so it’s key to choose a comforter that reflects your style and won’t immediately show the dirt.”

Johnston also gives some great advice for decorating the walls. She explains that posters are the most common article used for decorating, but suggests alternatives such as drawing a mural with colored chalk, which washes off easily from walls or using a laundry line to sting up pictures and other mementos along a wall.

When it comes to storage, Johnston stated that plastic crates are essential “in your closet, under your bed or next to your desk. They are cheap and come in a variety of colors.” Also, closet organizers store clothes and other necessities, and keep articles more organized.

When it comes to being practical, Kathryn Whittaker from DormDelicious.com stated, “When working with such a compact space, including pieces of furniture that double up in purpose and function increases the room’s usable space. This way, you can use all the space of the room.”

Roomates4You.com Web site states their opinion of a typical dorm scenario: “You’re moving into a room smaller than your closet at home – and you have to share it with someone you’ve never met.” Roomates4You.com states that communication is extremely important in getting along with your roommate.

“Even if you bond instantly, there may be moments when your roomie’s little quirks get on your nerves…Communication – both talking and listening – will be the key to a great relationship.”

Communication is probably the basis for solving any problem students might have with roommates. In terms of neatness and cleaning up, Roomates4You.com stated, “If the law of averages works, one of you will be extremely neat and the other extremely messy.”

The solution is simply communication and toleration as well. The neat student will have to learn how to tolerate a little messiness, and the messy student will have to learn how to clean up after his or her mess.