Welcome back to Ranked!

 

I believe that this is my final blog post of the semester, which is bittersweet. I have greatly enjoyed both semesters of Rhetoric & Civic Life class and this blogging outlet for me to share my ideas and passions with you all.

 

Although I have had a steady theme of ranking songs on these blog posts, I wanted to do something special for this post. The encroaching end-of-the-semester has me feeling a bit sentimental, especially in regard to things that have been constant for me this entire year while I have changed and grown.

 

One of the most obvious yet interesting consistent features of my freshman year at Penn State is my dorm room. I take pride in its appearance and have thoroughly enjoyed making it my own! I had a roommate for the fall semester which was a great experience, but she decided to stay home for the spring semester due to COVID-19. Although I was a bit disappointed my friends was staying home, the idea that I would have the whole room to myself and able to decorate however I pleased made it all better.

 

I wanted to make my room unique and also aesthetically pleasing. There are countless things I appreciate about this room, but I do have a few favorites.

 

Without further ado, here are my top 5 things in my Atherton dorm room that just make sense.

 

5. My JiffPom Dog wearing a paper hat

This adorable little friend sits atop my desk in the top right corner, always scoping out my room.

 

When I was packing for college in the fall, my mom told me that I should bring a stuffed animal with me. At first I thought, “This will make me look like a child, isn’t college all about becoming an adult?”, but I brought the dog along to make my mom happy.

 

I am so happy she told me to do this, as this stuffed pup has provided a sense of comfort for me. Seeing my JiffPom dog out of the corner of my eye always makes me smile, and this has taught me that growing up does not need to entail giving up all the joys of one’s childhood.

 

Another reason I appreciate this is the paper hat on his head. This was the result of one of my engineering design challenges in the first week of my first semester in which we had to make something functional out of things on our desk, so seeing the origami hat reminds me of that enjoyable class.

 

 

 

 

 

4. My Bed Photo Wall

 

This wall of photos has also been up for both semesters of my freshman year. This was one of my only forms of decoration on my side of the room when I had a roommate, but I love it regardless.

 

I tried to make the entire room’s color scheme light pink and dark orange, so these photos worked perfectly toward that vision. These pictures showcase myself with family and friends along with some quotes and beautiful images.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. My Kitchenette Corner

Once I found out I would be having the room all to myself this semester, I could barely wait to rearrange everything and make some new additions.

 

One of my new, favorite ideas that I implemented this semester was creating a kitchenette corner into my room using my roommate’s desk.

 

Having the microwave, refrigerator, Keurig, latte frother, snack bin and drawers full of goodies all in one place made my room a fan-favorite destination.

 

Of course I had to decorate this corner according to my color scheme, so I added some flowers on the top shelf, posters along the side wall, and origami cranes hanging from the ceiling. The pink bird’s name is Ricardo, but the rest of the posse stays neutral name-wise.

 

Last but not least, a picture of Jason Derulo that my roommate and I found last semester stays on the fridge and adds charm to the room.

 

 

 

2. The Miscellaneous Wall

This wall one the wall opposite from my desk provides an exciting background for my zoom meetings and is a fun way for me to add some creativity to the room. The color scheme remains intact (of course) with these fun additions to the wall.

 

The CDs framing this section were painted by my friends and I during a wellness day and each hold a part of my friends in them. The overview from left to right of my wall decorations are the following:

Top row: swirly poster, two CDs and a sticker from my planner, the dessert menu from The Tavern restaurant downtown, butterfly with a quote, Paris Hilton being iconic, a yellow ribbon my friends Liz & Suz gave me during my birthday brunch, and a letterboard with a quote I always like to keep in mind.

Bottom row: a drawing by my friend Maggie of our friend group, pop sensation Britney Spears, a photo with my friends from my dance club at Penn State, trippy smiley face square, Keith Haring appreciation, and “Create Yourself”.

 

 

1. My Couch

When my roommate told me she was not coming back this semester, my immediate thought was that I could make a couch for the room out of her bed.

 

I purchased a light pink comforter and sheets (color scheme!!!) and included some fun pillows to create a cozy atmosphere.

 

Having this place for my friends and I to sit when we get together makes my room such a warm and inviting place, which I have greatly enjoyed providing for people in my hall and for myself when I take a quick nap.

 

I will miss having the extra space in my room and will miss this room overall. I entered this dorm room for the first time as an 18-year-old girl who was unsure of many things and where life will take her. Now, as I write this in April 2021, I am still not certain of where my journey will take me, but I have lots of incredible experiences and knowledge from the past year for which I am eternally grateful.

 

Thank you for sticking with me on this blog! I will miss documenting my thoughts through writing… maybe someday I will start another blog and never stop sharing myself with others. Thank you for contributing to my freshman year experience!

 

Love always,

Mary