Make your dorm room the spot to be in your hall
Your dorm room is your new home. While the blank walls and used furniture may not yet feel familiar, there are many things you can do to showcase your personality, satisfy your organization or comfort needs and make the space unmistakably your own. Thankfully, there are lots of products out there to help you with comfortable yet stylish student living.
Organize-It has been helping students customize as well as declutter their dormitories and apartments for over 18 years. The Metro Detroit based storage and organization retailer specializes in custom closets, home goods and much more – but they also offer lots of items that are ideal for students.
Organizing is an excellent means of preparing yourself for the new life transition that is college. The next few years will not only be a learning experience academically, but also an opportunity for you to fine tune healthy habits that will last a lifetime.
The average American dorm room is 12 by 19 feet, meaning each student has about 228 square feet of space – 114 square feet if they have a roommate, according to an article in The Register Mail in June of 2010. Working within that space can present a challenge, but there are a few basic rules you can follow to get the job done.
Start with a plan
Before you move in, scan the space and figure out which areas lend to added organization. Then take those areas and increase the efficiency of the space by adding plastic bins or shelving.
For example, the closet is a great space that can be broken down into different storage compartments. Organizeit.com offers a wide range of plastic drawers and hanging organizers that can help utilize every square inch of space. Over the door coat racks and shoe organizers are also an inexpensive way to store personal items without sacrificing precious floor space.
Turn your desk into an organized mecca of learning by using decorative bins, drawer organizers and other desk organizers to make sure your study space is well kept. Providing yourself with a clean space dedicated to your studies will help ensure that you get the work done.
For the bed, add risers and create extra storage space underneath. There you can add slim plastic totes or zippered storage bags to hide extra clothes, shoes, blankets and more.
If in doubt, throw it out
Before you get to work on any of this – before you even move – sort through your belongings and say goodbye to at least 30 percent of them. Moving away to college is a big life change, and with that change follows responsibility and maturity. It is time to let go of pieces of your adolescence and realign your life around new found priorities.
Once you sort through and slim down your belongings, you can now analyze what you need to store and what type of organization would best suit your needs. If you skip this step and haphazardly purchase organizers, it is a guarantee that your new storage system will not last. Trying to stuff unneeded items out of sight and out of mind doesn’t accomplish anything.
The final touch
Organize-It is more than storage. The home goods seller also features a plethora of contemporary rugs, shelves, lamps, chairs, bean bags and other essentials to help create a stylish setting for your friends and you. At the end of the day, it is important that you feel comfortable in your new setting. Small pieces can contribute personality to a bland space and make it feel like home.
Keep these tips in mind and you will find your transition to campus living will be a successful one.
Learn more about Organize-It at organizeit.com or on their blog at organizeit.com/blog.
