You’re going off to college. Wow! The transition from family home to dorm room can be exciting, but it presents some challenges, such as how you’re going to fit all your stuff into a small space. Nonetheless, creating a comfortable home-away-from-home isn’t difficult with a little planning. If you’re wondering how to organize a dorm room in the most efficient way possible, take advantage of a few handy tips.
Dorm Room Furniture Ideas
Dorm rooms typically come with basic furniture like beds, desks, and chairs, but a few multi-purpose pieces can help you create a neat and orderly space. Park an ottoman with a removable top at the end of your bed or in a corner for extra storage and visitor seating. Purchase a small cabinet that can double as a night stand and a closet for your mini fridge. In addition to dual-use pieces, take furniture that stores easily, like folding butterfly chairs and stackable poufs. To distinguish your sleeping space from your roommate’s, add a fun and colorful headboard to your dorm room bed.
Utilizing Door Space
When moving into a dormitory, it’s important to maximize every square inch of space. Laura Abell, a professional organizer from Baltimore, Maryland, suggests utilizing your doors for extra storage. You can keep footwear off the floor with an over-the-door shoe rack and use over-door wire shelving in the bathroom as a home for hair products, makeup, and laundry supplies.
More Space-Saving Ideas
For additional space savers, Abell recommends easy-remove hooks for holding keys, headphones, sweatshirts, and laundry bags and tiered hangers to optimize closet space. In addition, install a shelf above your desk for books and schools supplies and use under-bed storage drawers, boxes, or laundry baskets for extra shoes, sporting goods, sweaters, bath towels, and blankets. If there’s no room on your night stand, make use of a mattress caddy for your smartphone, TV remote control, paperbacks, magazines, hand lotion, lip balm, and more.
Organizational Tips
The more organized your dorm room, the more relaxed your day-to-day college experience. A few organizational tips help make dorm living more manageable for both you and your roommate:
- Cover your mini-fridge with a magnetic chalk board or dry-erase board for exam reminders, important phone numbers, and messages.
- Stock a rolling cart with food and beverage items like coffee pods, microwaveable meal packets, and non-perishable snacks.
- Pack a surge protector or two for all of your electronic needs.
- Bring a clip-on book light for reading at night when your roommate is sleeping.
- Display frameless artwork, photos, or calendars with easy-remove poster strips.
- Instead of labeling items with your name, apply a square of colorful washi tape to personal effects that may get mixed up with your roommate’s.
- Keep a small first-aid kit packed with NSAID pain relievers, antacids, Benadryl, cold medicine, and Band-Aids.
Once you learn how to organize your dorm room, you can get on with the business of enjoying life at college. When it’s time to move on from your college dormitory to an off-campus apartment, turn to CORT Furniture Rental for stylish decor and great student deals.
