People define themselves aesthetically at a very young age.
Practical storage pieces are great if you have a basement or a garage. But when you actually live with them day in and day out, they should be beautiful to look at.
Mean people are no fun.
Being dull and boring is far more tragic than being tacky.
Lighting is an essential way to change the mood of a room, especially if you can use dimmers.
In college you have the license to do things you'll never do again, so have fun with it.