So this is your freshman year in college? You are excited about residential living, no doubt, but what are going to do about the cold walls that greet you along the seemingly endless corridor?

You find yourself staring at the cold, hard bed and missing your warm comfortable one already. True, you’ll be spending most of your time in college, attending classes, tutorials and completing exciting projects and assignments.

But your dorm is your home for the next four – did you say five? – years and it has to be a special place for that reason.

The first thing you want to do is jazz up those forbidding walls. Shopping complexes cater to many outlets selling relatively inexpensive tapestries – under $20 – which are cheaper than posters and also give a ‘classy’ look to your interiors.

But if you want to settle for something even cheaper, you might bring out all those postcards, photos, etc. that you brought from home and stick them to your walls. And if you are artistically inclined, you might consider doodling with colored washable markers all over the mirrors and windows as well as other surfaces.

Next, you have to think of ways to cover your floor space. For that you need to get hold of seating arrangement that goes with the room. Bean bags usually do the trick beautifully. They not only ‘homey’ and comfortable, they also look extremely inviting. Get colors that match those of the rest of your upholstery.

To give your room that extra comfy look you might want to indulge yourself a little and dig a bit deeper into your pocket. A jute rug just under $70 would do just fine even as it brightens up your room.

Next, you need to turn your attention towards your bed. Bedspreads and bed sheets with crazy, cool patterns are available for less than $20 at Ikea (accessible through the net in case there are no outlets nearby).

That done, you might just want to focus on the ceiling. The florescent lamps hanging overhead appear too dull and dingy – a huge turn-off, if you ask me. Chandeliers look gorgeous, admittedly, but out of reach pocket-wise. So, what is the next best substitute?

Well, you could traipse down to a Target store (or equivalent) or a second-hand shop and get hold of one of those absolutely exquisite floor lamps bearing Asian themes. These come for less than $30 and lift your room at the same time.

But if you want to go really cheap, on the other hand, look no further than Christmas lights which come for less than five dollars. They create a cool, party-like ambience, especially when it is dark. Have a cool time!