The door to Luo Chen's dormitory looks no different from the 30 others on the fifth floor.

But inside and you'll find the stereotype of shabby student accommodation has been kissed goodbye with home appliances and electronic devices.

The new semester sees many college students personalizing their dorms to improve their quality of life, and to have fun. However, there are safety issues and tricky social implications of the DIY dormitory.

Back from home with a stack of red envelopes of cash, and tired of traveling long way for a hot shower and endless struggle with laundry, Luo, a sophomore at Wuhan University, recently launched a dorm upgrade project with his three roommates.

A water heater and washing machine were installed for about 400 yuan per person.

According to Luo, the money is well spent. Now the four don't have to waste time queuing at the communal showers.

The time saved doing laundry can be used for reading books and completing assignments.

"With the assistance of appliances, we are making the best use of college time in learning rather than in house keeping," said the 19-year-old.

However, Li Guohui, of the student service center of Zhejiang University of Technology, sees some of the electrical appliances as ticking time bombs.

According to Li, most campus fires are caused by devices overheating. Although heaters are prohibited in many universities, students still plug them in.

Li thinks the ban is unfair since colleges provide a very limited electricity supply to dorms and this makes it more likely that electrical appliances will fail.

"Many schools are upgrading the power grid on campus, but it takes time," said Li.

Not all upgrade projects are for studying, some are just for fun.

Coming back to Beijing Institute of Technology campus for his second semester in college, automation freshman Liang Xiaoxu and his buddies are delighted by the new student deal in Zhongguancun — a wireless router that frees online surfing from Internet plugs.

Now, holding an iPad, the 18-year-old can virtually video chat with his girlfriend anywhere in the dorm. A new video game console even makes Liang's dorm the most popular one among floors.

"Our technological dorm upgrade is a real hit. We had a boost to having fun with our neighbors," said Liang.

However, not all students like those new appliances. Cheng Qiming, 20, a sophomore at Nanchang Education College recently got rid of his mini fridge, washing machine and a small TV set.

Last semester, his dorm was considered a posh lounge with all that stuff. And he was labeled as a rich boy who shunned conventional campus life.

"With the convenience of appliances, I cut off some do-it-together experience with classmates," said Cheng. "Now I am back to normal."