When the college rankings last year from the Princeton Review labeled UB's dorms as dungeons, many students didn't object. Some would say, however, that it's up to the students to turn that chamber into a castle.
As the school year begins anew, students old and new are settling into their new surroundings and taking up the task of making dormitory rooms into hospitable habitation. But how?
Tyannia Stockton, a senior majoring in fine arts, helped her roommates decorate their Red Jacket room to make it brighter and more colorful.
"My room was comfortable and laidback," Stockton said. "We got a lot of plants and flowers. We hung tapestries on the walls. We used Mexican draperies to put over the chairs - they were ugly and stained, and we put our own rugs over the carpet."
In addition to the larger improvements like covering the floors and furniture, Stockton said she found that a softer touch of decorating made the room feel homey.
"When you walk in the room, there's trinkets, candles and photographs," she said.
Although having a "dungeon-like" dorm may seem like an inescapable stress factor, some creative decorating can turn the drab and limited space into a place that is enjoyable to spend time in.
"When I was stressed out I'd go back to my room, lie on my bed, watch TV, read a little bit; I loved being there," said sophomore Susan Cohen, a history major. "My decorations, like my pictures of my friends, made it look like my room at home."
Cohen also suggested buying extra lamps and keeping the shades up to have as much light as possible.
"We laid down a carpet and put lots of posters up. We also lofted our beds to make more space," said Cohen's roommate Melany Reiff, a sophomore health and human services major. "We got colorful comforters to bring color into the room."
Johnson Nervil, a senior double majoring in natural studies and communication, agreed with Cohen and Reiff.
"You can decorate (the room) according to what you like. I definitely suggest more colorful stuff like posters and more lighting, and keep it neat and clean," he said.
"The carpet makes the room a lot nicer," said Nervil's roommate Michael Ponder, a senior sociology major. "Other than that, I like my room."
Despite the possibilities, some students have done little to improve the aesthetics of their rooms.
"I have a little cubbyhole I sit in, and that's it," said John Gullo, a sophomore architecture major. "It's not an overly happy place, it's a place to sleep. I can't afford the decorations I want, so it's a bit barren."
Other students have found a more extreme escape from dreary dormitory living: moving to on-campus apartments.
"The separateness of each apartment feels more like a haven, whereas the dorms feel more like a hive," said junior English major Amanda Lamy.
