When it comes to dorm rooms, I would say my freshman year was about as drab and ugly as they come. Beige brick walls, black linoleum floors, and generic wood furniture. But the plain-ness of dorm rooms gives you an opportunity to make it your own. Here are some things you might want to bring to help decorate your dorm room:

Pictures, pictures, pictures! I had about 70 photos printed at Costco and brought them to my dorm room. My parents told me that 70 was way too many but I printed them all anyway because I wanted options. When I arrived at school my roommate had brought about 300 printed pictures (see Mom and Dad?, 70 wasn’t too many). Both my roommate and I put up photos all around the room with masking tape and they were nice reminders of friends, family, and more.
Twinkly lights. Or Christmas lights, fairy lights, whatever you want to call them. They are fun looking but they also serve a functional purpose as well! Use them as a desk light at night or when getting ready in the morning when your roommate is sleeping; you’ll find a use for them. (Fun tip! Bring some colored lights to put up around the holiday time to make your room extra festive)
Command products. Command hooks, strips, any product in general will be SO HELPFUL in decoration as well as organization of your room. I used command strips to hang decorated canvases, posters, and signs around my room. They are so easy to use and make clean up at the end of the year a breeze.