To coordinate or not to coordinate, that is the question. How to best decorate a residence hall room, apartment or house is one conversation that will be had by most students as they enter a new school year.

Fortunately for SDSU students, there is a wide variety of affordable options to make their space truly their own. Stores such as Goodwill and A to Z Furniture in Brookings as well as other easily accessible options like Saver’s in Sioux Falls can be a college student’s first stop when trying to equip a room with all the essentials.

A little ingenuity is all it takes to utilize these economical treasure troves. Sophomore Kaitlin Wanek from Rapid City, who didn’t buy a single item for her room at full price, claims a little creativity is all that is needed.

“The curtain in front of my clothes is actually a beach wrap I found in Goodwill and bought for a quarter,” Wanek said.

One of the more interesting objects adorning Wanek’s room is a hammock, also purchased at Goodwill for a mere two dollars.

“You could say Goodwill sponsored my room” Wanek said.

A short hike through the residence halls can show that creativity abounds.

Everyday items such as boxes can be cut and layered on walls and doors to create a multi-surface collage. “My roommate used Mt. Dew boxes to cover his door last year, it really made their door stand out” sophomore Jared Ellefson, a political science major, said.

Having original doors and walls seems to be a trend that is gaining popularity. Walls can be covered in everything from pictures to posters to calendar pages. “I had a friend that kept her “Hunk of the Day’ calendar pages to hang up on her wall. Her room was pretty popular.” junior Stevie Underberg, a civil engineering student, said Since the “Hunk of the Day’ shrine may not be everyone’s cup of tea, pictures can be a great, inexpensive way to break up the monotony of white walls. “Pictures are cheap and they are

your memories, not someone else’s so they mean more” Wanek, said.

It seems that a bit of creativity, time and gumption can give a student endless opportunities to express themselves and stick to a budget the average college student would be proud to call their own.

#1.1573451:1628553563.jpg:Brittany Utley and Ashley Zollner spice up their dorm in Jackrabbit Village with simple accessories :Brittany Utley and Ashley Zollner spice up their dorm in Jackrabbit Village with simple accessories from Target.:COLLEGIAN PHOTO BY BRITTNEY CANALES
#1.1573455:675684629.jpg:Brittany Utley and Ashley Zollner spice up their dorm in Jackrabbit Village with simple accessories :Brittany Utley and Ashley Zollner spice up their dorm in Jackrabbit Village with simple accessories from Target.:COLLEGIAN PHOTO BY BRITTNEY CANALES