By Kate Carpenter

Decorating your dorm for the holidays has been known to improve performance on your upcoming finals. OK, that may be exaggerated a bit. But decorating is sure to improve your mood when arriving back to your dorm room or apartment after a long, cold day of classes.

I know thoughts are racing through your head at this point — where do I attain these precious holiday decorations, how much is too much when it comes to decorating and what are the regulations for decorations in your dorm rooms? That is, before the resident adviser makes his rounds before Christmas break and catches you red-handed with something you thought was OK. And no, we aren’t talking about those leftover substances from the party in the dorm room the night before; we’re talking festive wreaths, hanging lights, candles, Christmas trees or posters.

According to UK’s Campus Housing website, students are not allowed to paint or put up wallpaper in their dorm rooms, but you are allowed to hang posters and pictures.

“Decorations students use for the holidays, including hanging lights, must be UL-listed as flame retardant,” said Charlene Harris, hall director of Blanding I. She said that decorations cannot block fire exits and should be removed before break. In addition, candles and halogen lights are not permitted in dorm rooms.

In an apartment, the same safety concerns should be kept in mind when decorating. In terms of finding these holiday items, Garden Ridge is a great place to begin. In addition, dollar stores always have good holiday finds. Walmart also has good deals on lights and mini Christmas trees. Good luck and happy shopping!