One the most quintessential college experiences is living in a small dorm room. You have most likely enjoyed the privacy and space of your own room up until this point. In a small dorm room shared with someone who is essentially a stranger, there are no closets to hide your messes. There is no space under the bed to kick dirty clothes or empty drawers to clear a messy desk. Not having much space to call your own can add to college stresses. Keeping your living space clean and organized can alleviate some of that stress as well as keep distractions from studying at bay, which should be your main focus at college. Right?
Every penny counts while going school, so these dorm room organization hacks will save space, keep your dorm organized, and help keep your sanity without emptying your wallet. Use these ideas to keep your head and room free from clutter throughout the school year.
Closet size is drastically reduced and often includes drawers that take up valuable space as well. Squeezing every possible inch out of this space is absolutely necessary. Organizing belts or scarves with cheap plastic shower curtain rings on a hanger keep them easily accessible and off the floor. Try this with your collection of cami style tank tops, too.
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There are products designed to enable multiple hangers to be stacked upon each other, but if you're watching your pennies, the same thing is accomplished by just using tabs from soda cans. Organize by color, style, or clothing piece and you have a nice looking closet that holds more than you though it could. In a previous post, we provide additional tiny closet storage hacks that may be helpful for your dorm closet.
You will do a lot of homework and studying in your room and that is why it is most likely equipped with a desk. With all the technology we use and the mobility of those devices, power cords can get out of hand and become a tangled nest that is no fun to dig through every time you need to power up. Simply grab a set of binder clips and clip them to the edge of the desk. No more tangles and easy access when you're in a hurry to charge up before the next class.
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Keep all the notebooks for your classes organized with this ingenious use for a cheap dish rack.
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There is just something about new school supplies that is satisfying. Stocking up for the year without enough drawer space can cause desk clutter. Stray pens and paperclips can be found in the oddest places. An over the door pocket organizer has a place for everything and you can easily see what you have and replenish as you need to without the last minute panic while studying for finals.
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You're going to need the energy to keep you going during late night study sessions. Keep it all easy to see and organized in the over the door pocket organizer.
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Keep your utensils and plates organized with a pocket holder that is draped over the refrigerator or microwave.
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Your magnetic looks and personality will appreciate this idea. Keep makeup organized by magnetizing it and sticking it to a decorated metal sheet such as a cookie sheet. Makeup is artfully displayed and clear of valuable shelf and table top space.
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These bedside pockets keep walkways clear while organizing and storing item you might keep in a bedside table if you had more room in your dorm room.
Image via PB Teen
College is maybe your last opportunity to sleep in a bunk bed and it be acceptable as an adult. Cherish it. And, cherish this organizing gadget that hangs from a bunk bed rail. No need to use door space, wall space, closet space, or table space.
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Remember that using vertical space is essential when living in a dorm, so stacking will be most helpful. Just be sure that items being stacked upon can hold the weight on top of them.
Image via The Lovely Side
Speaking of stacking, stack your bed on bed lifts to create usable space under the bed for storage.
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Have you come up with a valuable dorm room organization hack that helps you keep you sane and the room clean?
Here are some other articles you may be interested in:
Get More For Less In Your College Dorm
How to Make Small Spaces Seem Bigger
7 Ideas to Get You Hooked on Organization
6 Ways Self-Storage Can Help When Downsizing Your Living Space
Resolution: Get Organized
[…] storage, but you have to fit a lot in what amounts to a "micro room". Our recent article provided 12 Dorm Room Organization Hacks to help keep everything organized. This guide will help you to identify space you never knew you […]