When I moved into Smith Hall (my college dorm), I took the usual stuff: shower caddies, sheets and towels, rolls of shiny quarters for the laundry and emergency supplies of Haribo gummy bears (essential!). I also took about 350 paperbacks (because you can never have too many books), my own book shelf, a collection of art postcards and an array of colorful paper lanterns. Having my own funny collection of odds and ends transformed my too-small institutional room into a cozy retreat that felt like home.
As the annual move back to the dorms begins, my fellow Etsy editors and I thought it would be fun to riff on dorm room decorating as a rite of passage by pairing finds on Etsy with prospective majors. Take a look and let us know: which would you pick?

[1. Ceramic Skull Planter by mudpuppy 2. Vintage chart from BonnieandBell 3. iPad case by irisandlily 4. Vintage molecule model by OliveSomeday 5. Science pencils by WeTheSciencey 6. Science pillow by dirtsastudio 7. Solid wood lamp by nordarchitectdesign]

[1. Bookshelf print by Wannanea 2. Herringbone slippers by RomeroAndMcPaul 3. Composition notebook mug by LennyMud 4. Vintage leather satchel from LarkVintage 5. Leather key ring lanyard by LarkPractical 6. Linen blanket by myBlueMeadow 7. Knot bookmark by LaurensBookmarks 8. Pencil set by thecarboncrusader]

[1. Wood laptop decal by youyoudecal 2. Air and linen spray by HomeIntoHaven 3. Macrame plant hanger by DanceOfTheSoul 4. Crystal bookends from EarthSeaWarrior 5. Vintage flip alarm clock from TheCuriousCaseShop 6. Custom notebook pouch by MontclairMade 7. Pencil holder by roughfusion]
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, age 18 or older. Entries must be received between 10:00 AM ET on 08/12/2013 and 5:00 PM ET on 8/16/13. One drawing from entries received. Go to etsy.me/13SLu0j for Official Rules. Sponsor: Etsy, Inc
1 Featured Comment
Nina from NinaRaizel said 6 years ago Featured
Decorating a dorm room can change your whole year! It's so much nicer to come back to a fully furnished living space after a long day of classes than a room resembling a jail cell. Even if you can't move in your own furniture, there's so much you can do to make the space your own!
92 comments
candlesbynature from candlesbynature said 6 years ago
English would definitely be my pick! Great suggestions :)
Lana Manis from LanaManisDesigns said 6 years ago
Fantastic picks! I especially like the composition notebook mug by LennyMud!
Nina from NinaRaizel said 6 years ago Featured
Decorating a dorm room can change your whole year! It's so much nicer to come back to a fully furnished living space after a long day of classes than a room resembling a jail cell. Even if you can't move in your own furniture, there's so much you can do to make the space your own!
Leeanna from LeeannasJewelryBox said 6 years ago
I would have to chose the vintage molecule model and the composition notebook mug. Dorm days are tons of fun...
Ann Cosgrove from acbcDesign said 6 years ago
I had a lot of fun putting my own personal style into that drab, little dorm room at USF. These are some fun picks - very inspiring!
Natalia from KMalinkaVintage said 6 years ago
Everything are so great! I love the pillow!
Leeanna from LeeannasJewelryBox said 6 years ago
I would have to chose the vintage molecule model and the composition notebook mug. Dorm days are tons of fun.
Adam Speicher from SpeicherBowTieCo said 6 years ago
Nice
Deb Vasbinder from BabyCuteBaby said 6 years ago
The biology major absolutely should own a science frog pillow!!
Kirsten Gilmore from PaintingsByKEGilmore said 6 years ago
So much time spent in such a small room...might as well make it a unique, personalized space with etsy finds. :)
Xenotees from Xenotees said 6 years ago
I remember how important my dorm rooms were for me- a little sanctuary from the chaos. Well, except for the all-nighters studying for an art history exam, or working on a painting due at 8 a.m. the next day! I didn't have Etsy then, but I definitely hit a lot of yard sales to help decorate my space. ::Sidenote:: My sister also went to Smith- I helped her move in... and out! She was in a beautiful building while she lived in Northampton. Love that area!
Stacey McCaffrey from vintagejane said 6 years ago
Unique picks! Dorm decor sure has come a long way!
Melissa Pancakes from littlepancakes said 6 years ago
I went to Smith too! Wilson house!
Sara Sumner from QuirkyQuasar said 6 years ago
Oh, the irony of choosing the ethanol molecule model for a college dorm...
Hillary from Sparkleandswirl said 6 years ago
English for that bookshelf print alone!
Bozena Wojtaszek from BozenaWojtaszek said 6 years ago
Love your choices!
Patrick from EdelweissPost said 6 years ago
I had two college dorm mates, so organization was key~
Stephanie Madewell from evencleveland said 6 years ago
My dorm building was named Smith ... it wasn't at Smith College, though!
Matejka Max from NattyMatty said 6 years ago
English :)
Megan from MegansMenagerie said 6 years ago
Love these finds! Perfect for back to school!
Tamara M from myazaria said 6 years ago
Cute!
Jillian Carmine from JillianReneDecor said 6 years ago
These are so good!
Marta DQ from tribomo said 6 years ago
My background is on Biology and I can see my dorm decorated like that :) Although I love the vintage leather satchel!
Xenotees from Xenotees said 6 years ago
Ah, sorry Stephanie- I guess I read too quickly! Great picks, btw! I love my Lennymud mugs!!
Field Trip Vintage from FieldTripVintage said 6 years ago
If only Etsy had been around when I went to college-- I would have preferred to be surrounded by well designed, functional objects rather than mass produced pieces when studying or staying up late to finish an essay!
EBK Riley from DeeAndFee said 6 years ago
Really nice range of items for everyone!
Aysegül from cookieletta said 6 years ago
Wonderful
Michelle from heysista said 6 years ago
Great choices! I just love the notebook mug <3
Sara from HiraganaAmericana said 6 years ago
Your dorm room is a blank canvas. Sure, it's small, but this is a time in your life where you can practice your own style on a small, easy-to-coordinate scale. I love these ideas, and hopefully I can incorporate them when I move into my new flat in Scotland!
Dale Coykendall from LizzyClara said 6 years ago
What about art majors!?
Kimberly said 6 years ago
My major is Anthropology. I would love to have a globe or a world map on my wall!
mazedasastoat from mazedasastoat said 6 years ago
A colouirful throw over the bed, or better yet, a nice bright blanket to wrap yourself up in during those chilly all-nighters is an essential item for college. Remember, when decorating the walls, some places get really nasty if you leave any damage... & even blue tack marks can count as damage, let alone drawing pin holes!
Linda from lovelygifts said 6 years ago
Cute finds! I lov!e the mug
Jena M said 6 years ago
I'd do the molecule model, linen blanket, and herringbone slippers.
Caroline from MissingTagVintage said 6 years ago
Cute finds! Boy I sure do not miss school. :)
Sheila and Laura Zeitner from WhimZeeGirls said 6 years ago
I'd choose the Biology collection- that frog dissection pillow is so cute! The colorful "science pencils" are also fun. Gotta love all these nerds on Etsy. Laura
MadisonStreetBeauty from MadisonStreetBeauty said 6 years ago
awesome finds!!
Senobar from Senobar said 6 years ago
That frog pillow and the skull planter would have been perfect for me when I was in college!:)
Scott from vinylclockwork said 6 years ago
Cool picks
E T from knottycreationsbyET said 6 years ago
Biology was my favorite class! Coffee mug is really cute:)
Samantha Skelton from WritersWire said 6 years ago
I love the ipad case in the "Biology" major, however as a whole I would have to pick the English major because I love all of those items!
D George from GeorgieGirlLLC said 6 years ago
Wow, those are some great picks, they make you want to go to school! Thanks for the post!
LetterKayDesigns from LetterKayDesigns said 6 years ago
Such wonderful picks! I love them all!
Bruce Park from BruceParkArts said 6 years ago
I love that frog pillow!!!!
Leah Fitts from TheBlackSpruce said 6 years ago
Such great picks - the vintage horse chart is a beauty! I just helped my son move into a dorm over the weekend. A joyous, yet bittersweet occasion.
ursula from EarthSeaWarrior said 6 years ago
Awesome finds and excellently curated! The timing couldn't be more perfect too, as we are saying goodbye to a student staff member today so she can get ready to start class again in 2 wks. Maybe I should give her a set of these Air Plant Crystal Bookend's as her farewell?! Anywayz... thank you Stephanie and Etsy for the feature.. we love it! *))
ThePattypanShop from ThePattypanShop said 6 years ago
Great finds!! I love the mug!!!!
Susan Jizba from TheWeaverOfWords said 6 years ago
Such a fun idea to match gifts with majors! Wonderful finds!
Lenny Mud from LennyMud said 6 years ago
*mwah* big, wet, sloppy heartfelt kisses to you all XOXO and many many thanks!
Jacqueline Myers-Cho from TheHappyMonsters said 6 years ago
Love the Mug!!
Pink Scooter from PinkScooterLeather said 6 years ago
Cool picks...had to favorite the "fresh hell" pencils:)
Michele Iljazi from OneDecember said 6 years ago
Some very cool picks! I remember how much fun it was to decorate my dorm room...if Etsy was around back then, it would have been amazing!!
Michele from MichelesAManoDesigns said 6 years ago
Definitely the English major here - love each and every selection! Mug is great as part of a graduation gift :)
Sandra from BlackberryMemories said 6 years ago
As an English Major (nerd), you chose wisely! Love all the selections!
Airy said 6 years ago
English all the way!
Ginger and Tim from PiccadillyPastimes said 6 years ago
Such cute finds. Love the mug!
lisa bradford from NoheaLehuaDesigns said 6 years ago
Love the mug and the flip clock! Oh those dorm room memories!! One of the most hilarious dorm decor ideas I ever saw was when my daughter and her 2 roommates made a bed cover tent to study in - remember making tents from coffee tables and chairs? Then you get the picture!
Allison from VintageResearch said 6 years ago
I'm about halfway through my PhD and use just about all of these things! Great post!
Lynette Long from YarnedTogether said 6 years ago
Oh I just love that mug! It's important to have pieces of home to chase away the "homesickies" and not feel like you're in an institution lol! Very nice picks here. Don't forget to sport your team colors as well! :)
Aga from AgasJourney said 6 years ago
interesting finds. Thank you for sharing
Lowe Jewelry from lowelowejewelry said 6 years ago
Great finds :)
Sarah Laguna from BemusingBaubles said 6 years ago
Very cute!
angie stowe said 6 years ago
Hello... I love all your choices...They're great!!...Too bad Etsy wasn't around when I went to college...LOL...As I heard a couple people mention, I too hit the yard sales for my unique finds...I had a roommate for awhile and God rest her soul, she was not the neatest girl and I was a complete neat freak...So that made it interesting to put it nicely...[And maybe I should add I wasn't the cause of her death, she had a car accident just out of college...It was so shocking and sad...]...Anyway, on a brighter note it does make it a lot nicer to have a warm, cozy, homey, place to come back to after classes all day...So make your dorm room about what you like, the things that please you, and pick a theme color and then if you want to go even further choose a complimenting color opposite the color wheel [Don't worry, most people don't have a color wheel either...Just Google it!!...]...Good luck and great times to all of you venturing off to college this fall...
Majed Atwi said 6 years ago
Great this i really
IKA PARIS from ikabags said 6 years ago
These are so good!
Lark Practical from LarkPractical said 6 years ago
Thanks for the mention! love the vintage horse chart!
StillVintage from StillVintage said 6 years ago
Great items chosen for this article!
Mary Richmond from CutOutTheFun said 6 years ago
Things sure have changed since I went to college in the 70s and we had Indian print bedspreads and record album covers for art...Our lamps were standard black ugly things and the walls were concrete blocks that we were not allowed to tape or attach anything to....so we painted them garish colors with hippie flowers instead...I love your fun picks--makes me want a dorm room now ;-)
iammie from iammie said 6 years ago
Love those picks!
Le Chelle from ScarvesInfinity said 6 years ago
That science frog pillow is such a whimsical piece. I would love to have it just to remind me of high school science class. Decorating a dorm is really a big deal. My room mate and I took forever deciding what to use in ours. Wish I knew Etsy then. Such fun items :) Thanks!
Kayla from LetterKay said 6 years ago
Love these finds! So fun!
Michiyo from INNERTEA said 6 years ago
Lovely choice! I would pick the Vintage chart.
Annamaria Potamiti from annamariapotamiti said 6 years ago
I would have been a happy girl when I was at college if etsy had been around then! Great finds!
Joanne from SeamsLikePinkPaisley said 6 years ago
It takes imagination and extra cash to make a dorm room feel inviting. I enjoyed seeing the options presented. I'm WAY past dorm room age but would of liked the English options in my room. Thanks!
MCrequiem said 6 years ago
i love the quotes on the English major pencils, and the vintage flip alarm clock.
crh1416 said 6 years ago
I'm an English major and I love all of your picks! My favorite is the composition notebook!
Cecilia Escobar from HandmadebyCecilia said 6 years ago
I would go with an English major. My favorite is the leather backpack. Nice and eclectic collection.
Stephanie from SuitcaseInBerlin said 6 years ago
aaa these are all inspiring and stimulating!
Diane and Glynnis from DiGiJewels said 6 years ago
Super cool finds here!
Mirjam from madebymirjam said 6 years ago
I love no 3 the most by every list..............
Jessica Mitchell from JessicasClassyCrafts said 6 years ago
Love the awesome finds here!
Catherine Maria Charalambous from BouncyTree said 6 years ago
Such awesome finds. Love the coffee mug
Rachel from PeppersJewelry said 6 years ago
The major- specific picks are cool.
Mary Lezcano from BellaBboutique said 6 years ago
Very well paired picks with the majors. I feel it's so important to be surrounded by things that resonate with you and also serve a practical purpose especially in dorms.
Viktoriya Melnikova from ARTbyViktoriya said 6 years ago
Wonderful!!!!!!!!!!
glitterandstones from glitterandstones said 6 years ago
Awesome finds. Love the coffee mug.
Anemone from AnemoneReadsVintage said 6 years ago
I was a bio major, so I'd have to go with the biology decor - great finds! But now that I sell books, the English major decor is also quite fetching. How do you combine them for a double major?
Lisa D Wiseman from AuroraBottleLights said 6 years ago
Wonderful finds and quite interesting, BUT I agree about being FUNCTIONAL and COLOR, and LIGHTS. Make it fun and exciting, you spend a lot of time in your dorm room.
Lisa D Wiseman from AuroraBottleLights said 6 years ago
Wonderful finds, but I agree with being functional, COLORS and LIGHTS., make it fun and exciting. You spend a lot of time in your dorm room, enjoy it.
aressa from OriginalBridalHanger said 6 years ago
Great finds! Love the mug!!
Mary from MarySanzJewelry said 6 years ago
These are wonderful !
Koren Kwan from GarasuWonderland said 5 years ago
lovely finds!