Brightly colored fabrics will easily make the space feel more comfortable and add a flair of personality and character to the otherwise plain decor. Use an old bedsheet in a cheerful color and paint it with fabric paint and stencils to form a one-of-a-kind curtain for the room. Hang it up on a rod and use it for both privacy and decor. The cost is negligible and the project will be enjoyable and simple to complete. Use similar colored fabrics to create pillow covers for the bed and throw pillows for seating and the floor. Coordinate the colors and theme with the bedding to create a cohesive look that will make the space feel more like home and more organized.
Homesickness is a common feeling in going away to college, and living in a bare dorm room will only make it worse. Decorate the room with large collages of friends and family to not only keep you company in the space, but also to show new friends what life was like at home. You can print out photos for little cost, then paste them onto cardboard backing and hang the collage with either putty or double-sided tape. The bright colors and familiar faces in the photos will make the room feel like home, and add a decorative feel. Alternately, you can frame the photos for a cleaner look.
The bedding provided by the dorm may not be of poor quality, but it will more than likely be plain and lack visual interest. One distinctive way to dress up the space is to create a quilt. Use square or rectangular pieces of old clothing and fabric and stitch them together. Line the quilt with a softer, warm fabric such as fleece for the cold nights and stitch the top layer on. The quilt will be funky and interesting, and will exhibit personality and character to make the space feel more cozy.
"Rental Decorating Digest" suggests using durable cardboard boxes to create ottomans to rest feet on or as impromptu dining tables. Take a sturdy box and fill it with relatively light items that you don't use regularly, such as out-of-season clothing or past class textbooks you've chosen to keep. Fold fun, colorful fabric over the box and tuck it under the bottom, then duct tape the fabric to the base of the box. The "tables" will be stable enough to use with some weight so they will not tip over or collapse.