It’s out there, waiting - bleak, gray, cold, uninviting. Ignore it, but it won’t go away. You’ll have to face it, and for some of you, pretty soon.

No, it’s not a horror movie at the multiplex. It’s your dorm room at college.

It would be great if you could open the door to Room 328 in Fabulous Hall on the campus of your choice and find the décor elves had put your favorite color on the walls and tricked the place out in advance of your arrival, but that’s not how it works.

The walls are neutral so they’ll go better with whatever colors and styles you and your roommate choose. Same with the floors.

So think of decorating your dorm room as choosing stuff for your first home away from home. It’s a place where you definitely want to let your personality show while adhering to the rules.

We invited two Sun Herald Teen Board members on a miniquest for dorm coolness at various stores on the Coast.

Christina Steube will be a senior at Harrison Central this fall, but next year she’s planning to attend Ole Miss, where she plans to major in journalism and advertising. We brought her along on this trip to get a woman’s perspective.

Cree Cantrell will be a freshman at Millsaps College in Jackson this fall. His majors will be international business and political science, and he will play football for the Majors. He graduated from Mercy Cross this year.

Christina is a fan of pink, so naturally, she was drawn to anything in that color. At JC Penney, the Seventeen line of bedding offered the Sweetness collection, a pink satin comforter with tucking that she especially appreciated.

“That is really cute,” she said.

Another comforter, also from the Seventeen group, was a little more rugged. It was fuchsia with rough-edged seams, accented with denim throw pillows decorated with rhinestone butterflies.

“I like this, but I don’t like the pillows,” she said. “I think it would be better if it was just blue, not bluejeans material.”

Although she has a year to choose her dorm look, Christina is already thinking of others.

“And, it does depend on what your roommate likes, too,” she noted.

Cree skimmed over the comforter selection but was excited over an option provided at Millsaps.

“There’s a company that will sell you all your stuff in one pack,” he said. For around $189, the pack includes a reversible comforter, bed linens, a small rug and other dorm necessities. He especially recalled the Bedside Buddy, which attaches to the bed and holds items such as the TV remote and magazines. “It even comes with that egg crate thing that goes on your mattress and makes it feel better.”

He did take notice of one comforter with a subtle, guy-friendly plaid pattern.

Both immediately found things to love in the accessories area. Butterfly chairs with brightly colored fluffy pile upholstery. Squooshy accent pillows to snuggle up to. A lap desk equipped with a small, battery-operated task light. Even garbage cans got a nod of approval - but which one, open or with the swinging flap lid?

“You’d probably want to pick a trash can with a lid on it to keep the smell down,” Cree said.

At Belk, Tommy Hilfiger comforters dominated offerings. Neither Christina nor Cree was drawn to the collections, but for those who might like preppy prints on a cozy quilt, the Myrtle Bay collection includes tiny dragonfly, frog and flamingo prints matched with beach-evocative plaids. The Molly collection features a white comforter with a sophisticated large, red floral appliqué and contrast topstitching.

The search continued at Bed, Bath and Beyond. There, alarm clocks, placed conveniently near the front, got their attention, especially one equipped with nature sounds - could be good for muffling that bass line down the hall, but could get on the roommate’s last nerve.

Beaded pillows and a beautiful memo board made with ribbon appealed to Christina. Cree headed for a microfiber and walnut bentwood chair.

“I’m a connoisseur of chairs,” he said, sinking appreciatively into it.

When they approached a media rack of gently twisting metal, both agreed it’s an essential part of dorm décor.

“You need somewhere to store that stuff,” Cree said.

And so an afternoon of shopping ended with the acknowledgement that there are plenty of ways to conquer the horror of the bland dorm room.