Hello, Class of 2016′ers. We know you’re at that stage right now…that wait for UChicago to start, ohmygodwhyisitsofaraway, canijustgonowplease stage. We’ve been there, too. To fill those long, hazy Summer months before you come here and hang out with us, try thinking about your dorm room’s decor. Housing decisions won’t come out for a while (are you a Maxxite? A Southy? Breck?), but one thing’s for sure: it’ll be home.

In the meantime, we thought we’d share some MODA dorm room style inspiration. Over the coming weeks, we’ll let you know what we brought with us when we got here, how we coped, and exactly how warm those winter coats need to be. Enjoy!

This room belongs to Maximilian Sinsteden. “You will not find any bubbling lava lamps, fluffy flokati rugs, or Led Zeppelin black-light posters here. Maximilian Sinsteden’s dorm room, a tiny box in Hoyt-Bowne Hall on the bucolic campus of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, looks more like a space fit for Thurston Howell III.” – NYMag

Take not of his use of fabrics – rugs, pillows, blankets. It’s a cheap and easy way to bring color to your dorm without painting the walls (which isn’t allowed, sorry!)

Fairy lights – also known as Christmas lights, they’re a fun way to avoid awkward overhead lighting, and you can hang them from almost anywhere. Girls in a Max dorm room last year pinned them to the ceiling.

Bedding – comfortable, colorful, easy to clean. You’re going to be spending a lot of time napping – make your bed nice!

Inspiration walls – bring your favorite photos from home, pictures, quotes and postcards. It’s nice to look up from your desk, and your Hume papers, to see happy faces and open space.

Honestly, your dorm room will evolve when you move here, as you go thrift store shopping in Belmont or bring back posters and photos from adventures with new friends (there’s an antique photobooth in a comic book store in Wicker Park that’s amazing). But it doesn’t hurt to start off first year with a beautiful space.