We Need To Bring Back 90s Dorm Rooms Immediately

Before I left for college in 1999, my mom took me to a big box store to pick out a new comforter and extra-long twin sheet set for my dorm room. We also got a fan, a shower caddy, and a waste paper basket, along with a few other smaller items. The biggest deal was my first computer — a purple iMac desktop. You remember the one.

I was absolutely thrilled to be living on my own, 1,000 miles from my family, and taking care of myself. And I felt grateful for the things my parents got for my dorm room to help me start my journey.

When I settled in with my roommates, we decorated more. And by that, I mean we went to the campus poster sale, found a floral couch on the side of the road, and strung up some Christmas lights. Done! Home sweet home.

Flash forward to 2025, when a relative of mine is starting her first semester of college this fall. And the pictures of her dorm room blew my mind.

First of all, her and her roommate’s families must have planned extensively because everything matched, from the throw rugs to the linens to the curtains. Next, everything had a theme, everything had a place, and everything was brand new. Her name, in neon lights, hung above her perfectly coordinated bed.

Reader, no room in my house looks nearly this good. This child has more throw pillows than I’ve owned over the span of my lifetime. Is that wallpaper??

Soon I found myself scrolling a Facebook group called “Dorm Room Moms,” which has 137,000 members, where parents are sharing their kid’s rooms for the year. And it is also incredibly off the hook. While some moms shared pretty low-key dorm room glow-ups, the majority show what must be thousands upon thousands of dollars of decorating.

Coffee tables and sitting areas. Area rugs. Light fixtures. Coffee bars.

And on top of that, a lot of the girls’ rooms had their school desks transformed into vanities or tabletop kitchens. In some odd way, the rooms didn’t look very livable, especially when it comes to college life.

“This only took two days,” one parent commented, I believe unironically.

“Months of preparation but the final result is beautiful,” another mom wrote.

“We finally settle upon the theme of 1950s Hollywood,” added another.

All I could think about was 1999 and my Army duffle of clothes, my cardboard boxes, and my parents telling me, “You’ve got this,” before some quick goodbyes.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m glad that these parents care a ton for their kids. And I hope that I’m not just being nostalgic about the past and my own experiences. But I just don’t see who is benefiting from these insane dorm room makeovers that seem to be the result of fast fashion, mom guilt, social media, and sheltering.

It feels like these parents are wasting a lot of money just to keep up with the Joneses and make a social media post that shows how much they care.

It also feels like parents are channeling their big feelings about their kid moving away into choosing colors and measuring for window treatments.

And then it feels like once some parents start doing it, other parents just don’t want to be left behind — with their kid being the only one who doesn’t have an amazing room. It’s the same thing that’s happened to birthday parties and vacations: it’s gone over the top for no reason, and it’s going to take conscious effort to change. Once pictures of these hit social media, both kids and parents think that this is just how the world works.

I also can’t help but think: what happens to these rooms after eight months when everyone moves out? Even if they get reused through college, that just a few years before many of the components are no longer useful. It’s wasteful.

I think we have to ask ourselves: what is college about? When we look back on our college experiences, what did we learn, and what do we value?

I can still remember the excitement that came with decorating my first-year dorm room with my two roommates. None of us had cars to drive to town or much money, but that was the fun of it. The walls were hung with magazine clippings and art we made. And our desks were covered with very non-aesthetic school work. Since everyone had the same shitty dorm room with the same shitty furniture, we were all on equal footing with each other.

Let’s not steal from our kids the opportunity to make their first home away from home by themselves. Let’s give them the chance to figure out what they need and where it goes. And let’s give ourselves back the time, money, and planning that goes into these rooms. Let’s process our anxiety about our kid leaving the nest in other ways that don’t involve monograming dorm room towels.

It’s okay to leave your kids at college with a shower caddy, a poster with that wave on it, and a prayer. Let’s return to it.

I do want a neon sign with my name on it, though.