For most college freshmen, moving into the dorms this fall will be their first foray into independent living, but that doesn’t mean it comes without rules: no holes in the walls, no paint, no removing furniture, no damage to the room. But don’t despair, there’s plenty of ways to make the room your own, and make it suit your needs.

Let’s face it, the dorm room life is a squished life. I was reminded of the fact as I dropped my younger sister off at BYU to start her sophomore year. We arrived at her apartment, took a look at the worn-out cabinets and shelves, entered the bathroom to see that the toilet didn’t flush, and there was mold growing in the corners of the shower. Typical college apartment, right? It doesn’t have to be! With the discovery of some mahogany stain under the kitchen sink, we spruced up damaged areas of the wood, bought some bleach and cotton balls to soak the moldy areas and quickly notified maintenance about the toilet (S.O.S.!) Thanks for the help, mom! With these projects underway, we went to decorating the (under furnished) apartment. Here are a few tips that guided us to making her dorm-like apartment her home for the next few months. We hope you can use and share these tips too!