Dorm Style Evolution: How My Dorm Room has Changed in 4 Years

Hey guys! I recently posted about my dorm style, and taking the photos for that post caused me to think about how my dorm room has evolved over the years. In light of the new semester starting up again, I thought it would be fun to walk you through four years of my dorm rooms, showing you what’s changed and stayed the same. These photos were taken at Wellesley College and Oxford University, where I go to college and studied abroad, respectively.’

A little note before we get started: these are all iPhone pictures I took for my family, rather than the DSLR photos I normally take for my blog. While they’re certainly not glossy or professional (and I have to admit, it’s a little hard for me to post them at all!), they still showcase my dorm style and how it’s evolved over the years. I hope you can appreciate them for that!

First Year: Ground Floor Triple

In my first year, I lived in a triple (a room with three people, rather than the traditional two-roommate situation) on the ground floor of a large dorm near the lake. The ground floor was actually partially underground, so we didn’t get much sunlight in our room, which I didn’t love. However, we had a reasonably-sized space, with a sleeping area and a living area.

Because we were living in a triple, our room had fewer of my own decorations. Luckily, the roommate I was sharing a bunkbed with had a similarly-colored set of sheets to mine, so the bedding added some color to the space. We picked up a few coordinating pillows and a rug to create a casual sitting area in the other part of our room!

Sophomore Year: Top-Floor Single RA Room

In my second year of college, I was an RA in a lovely little building near the woods. I was on the top floor of the dorm that year, so I had a nice view of the trees. My room wasn’t huge, but it had a really nice closet and dresser set, and because I didn’t bring any extra furniture, it felt spacious!

You can see that I used the same sheets and quilt from my first year. The wall decorations are just old photos that I printed in the college library and taped up; the butterfly twinkle lights were new that year!

One thing I loved about my dorm room in my sophomore year was how much color (and, let’s face it, clutter) it had. My total dorm costs that year were around $25 because I reused everything from my first room and only bought a handful of new decorations. Those handmade decorations ended up bringing a ton of fun and personality to the space.

Junior Year: Single Room Abroad

I spent my junior year of college studying abroad, so all my decorations and supplies were new that year (I donated them to Oxfam before I left, so unfortunately, these adorable sheets are no longer in my possession). It’s only now that I notice that my bedding here is actually a little similar to my bedding back at my other college! I guess I have a thing for maroon!

Again, a lot of the decorations in my room were homemade that year; things like magazine cut-outs, paper flags, and other similar items. I did buy two map posters and some rolls of wrapping paper to decorate the walls and cork board.

I really loved this room, in part because it was part of a really magical year of my life. The built-in private sink wasn’t bad either!

Senior Year (Part 1): Second-Floor Single

In my senior year, I lived in the same building from two years before. While I took a semester off in the first semester for health reasons, I was able to move into the same room when I came back. The first time around, I bought new blue sheets and some fun gold decals for the wall.

In the second semester, I also added a little pillow and rug area for the floor where my friends could sit when they came over.

Bonus: My Room at Home

Since I just added a few new elements to my room at home, I thought I’d share a few photos of that as well! At home, my bed at home is a queen, not a twin, and the room is a bit bigger than my usual dorm space.

Because I took a semester off last fall, I still have one semester left this year before graduating. That means I get one more shot at dorm life before entering “the real word.” I’m excited live in a dorm with my friends one last time, but I’m also ready for life after college in my first apartment!

Will you be living in the dorms this year? How do you plan to decorate your space?