Students create low-budget dream rooms

While at college, a student must recognize their �home away from home.� For many, decorating the dorm room not only expresses individuality, but also makes Seton Hill University (SHU) their new home for the school year.
After draining bank accounts for books, tuition and food expenses, there’s not much money left for room d�cor. Making it a comfortable dome of privacy doesn’thave to leave students in debt.


By Tiffany Gilbert,
Center Spread Editor
While at college, a student must recognize their �home away from home.� For many, decorating the dorm room not only expresses individuality, but also makes Seton Hill University (SHU) their new home for the school year.
After draining bank accounts for books, tuition and food expenses, there’s not much money left for room d�cor. Making it a comfortable dome of privacy doesn’thave to leave students in debt.
As for freshmen Alyssa Davis and Jess Shimko, living in Brownlee Hall doesn’tseem like community living at all. These freshmen have personalized their dorm inexpensively.
Their dorm furnishings consist of a beige shag rug, a multi-colored spider lamp, a tall body mirror, Christmas lights, and three stackable fans which also light up, providing a retro illumination of green, pink, and orange to the room.
All of these furnishings cost about $70. The spider lamp and body mirror averaged about $15 each from Target.
The stackable fans/lights were $39.98 at Wal-Mart and the Christmas lights can be found at any dollar store for a buck.
�We wanted our room to feel like home away from home,� Shimko said.
These girls added to their comfort factor by hanging pictures on the wall. It covers up blank white space and surrounds the tenants with the memories of friends, families, and good times.
Another freshman, Jessie Pilewski, decorated her room with vibrant shades of pink.
�I found my pink striped bedspread for $20 at Target, my flowered carpet at Ollies for $40, and my pink chair and stool for $40 at the Bon Ton,� said Pilewski.
Pilewski’s walls are also covered with picture collages.
�It adds personality to my room…I make collages because it’s an inexpensive way to personalize and decorate,� Pilewski said.
�If you�re having trouble choosing a style, go with what catches your eye,� Davis said.
College shopping doesn’thave to be a burden on the wallet or bank account. For less than $70, one can create a colorful, vibrant new �home.�
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