Wednesday, July 19, 2017

The Confidence

“College has given me the confidence I need to fail. (Jarod Kintz, author of This Book Has No Title)

Attending college takes both an emotional and financial commitment. In the 2017, the average cost of tuition and fees for was $33,480 for private colleges, $9,650 for state residents at public colleges, and $24,930 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.
This year there are 17 million twenty-year-olds with student debt. The average American in their twenty's owes around $22,135. Between the ages of thirty and thirty-nine, there are 12 million student loan borrowers. These graduates hold a collective $408.4 billion dollars in debt. That means that Americans in their thirty's with student loan debt has an average balance of $34,033.

Once a college student acquires their financing, and is cutting living costs everywhere possible to get that education. Doesn’t it make sense that the one room some students will spend the most time in look the best it can (while they are living there). Below are eighteen economical dormitory decorating ideas that any college-bound lady will love:

"There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs." (Zig Ziglar)

1.      Cut the colored cupcake liners into flower and leaf shapes with a hole in the middle of each, and then tape or glue them to the back of the Christmas tree lights creating these adorable flower lights.  


2.     Instead of spending the money on a brand new duvet, just redo your old one with this iron-on technique. Put your printer to good use, and make your bedding more attractive with printable iron-on decals.

3.     Attach an embroidery hoop to a nice pillowcase for an, always-open laundry bag.


4.     Spray-paint a brick with gold, and then decorate it with trims of lace or other fabric for a glamorous, feminine bookend.


5.     Flowers made of egg cartons and pipe cleaners can be bunched together to decorate a dorm room mirror.

6.    Attach a plastic toothbrush travel case to the wall with removable wall stick-ons to create a toothbrush holder. 


7.     Add a colorful area rug to bring your space together.


8.     You're not limited to photos with clothesline picture holders. Hang up a variety paper memory items to create an eclectic  display for your room. 


9.      Use washi tape (colored paper tape) for dorm decorating. This colored paper tape is like painter's tape. It removes easily without residue. It can be used with paper lanterns, to line bookshelves, or to decorate wall, desk accessories, mirrors, windows, or a cork board


“Do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do.”  (Oprah Winfrey)


10. If you're not allowed to bring in extra furniture, spray paint an inexpensive wastebasket in the color of your choice, flip it upside down, and use as a bedside table.


11.   Consider this slouchy storage bag as a catchall for your dorm room. You can stash keys, sunglasses, magazines, notebooks, and more. Even if it’s empty, it doesn’t look out of place. 

12.  Instead of spending your limited funds on curtains, dress up a pair you already have with colorful trim! You can buy all sorts of fun inexpensive stuff from the craft store.

13.  Since floor and shelf space is rare and hard to come by in a tiny room, think vertically. Hang these colorful little neon straw hanging planters right in front of the window for lots of sun.

14. Since most college dorms ban traditional candles, use electric tea lights in decorative jars.


15.  Use various containers like mason jars, vases and tin cans to create a personalized matching desk accessory set that will keep all your school essentials organized and within reach. 

16. No need to buy an expensive magnetic board. Grab a fun, colored cookie tray from the local supermarket and stick it on the wall with a few poster stickers. Then, decorate it with a variety of adorable magnets.

17.  An affordable, easy way to keep your earrings from tangling: spray paint a cheese grater, and hot glue large beads to the bottom for feet.

18. Spice up an old table with some chalkboard paint. Use it to jot down your creative whims, phone numbers, to-do lists, or doodles.

“Decide that you like college life. In your dorm you meet many nice people. Some are smarter than you. And some, you notice, are dumber than you. You will continue, unfortunately, to view the world in exactly these terms for the rest of your life.” (Lorrie Moore) [i]



[i] Sources used:

·        “13 Cheap and Easy DIY Dorm Decor Ideas” by Kate Wilke

·        “16 Easy DIY Dorm Room Decor Ideas” by Janine Ko

·        “26 Cheap and Easy Ways to Have the Best Dorm Room Ever” by Gabby Noone

·        “46 Ways to Decorate Your Dorm on the Cheap” by Kate Thorn

·        “Here’s How Much the average American in Their 30s Has in Student Debt” by Abigail Hess

·        “What's the Price Tag for a College Education?” (http://www.collegedata.com/cs/content/content_payarticle_tmpl.jhtml?articleId=10064)

This post is dedicated to my college-bound daughter, Allena Kinker.

 

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