As a college student, you need to be creative and flexible with your environment.
There are many different options, and you’ll be surprised how much space you can create by trying a few of these dorm room hacks!
No matter what college or university you attend, chances are your dorm room is smaller than all the belongings you're bringing with you to school. As a student, it is an essential skill to learn how to make the most of your space.
1. Declutter Your Desk by Adding a Hutch
You'll spend a lot of time at your desk doing assignments and projects. For many dorm dwellers, your desk also doubles as a kitchen table for late-night study sessions or quick microwave meals on the go. You probably will want as much surface area as possible. Getting an extra shelf for your desk will free up a lot of surface area. You don’t realize how quickly your desk gets cluttered with paper, textbooks, and dishes!
2. Buy a Magnetic Board for Pens and Makeup Brushes
Pens, pencils, and your makeup brushes may be small and thin, however, they take up valuable surface area space. Make or buy a DIY magnet board and hang it over the area where you use these items the most. A classic magnet board and glue are an affordable and easy-to-assemble dorm organization hack.
3. Add Stacking Bins to Increase Storage
Stacking bins can help tremendously. If you can move your storage in a vertical pattern, you are more likely to optimize your space. Getting bins or plastic milk crates is an affordable option. Containers and crates can easily be taken apart and made into different shapes. Additionally, you can pack away your belongings when you are moving to and from school.
4. Vertical Storage is Key
If you have a closet or any long doors, make sure you utilize them to your fullest potential. If you plan to put drawers or shelving in your closet, try to get freestanding shelving. You can push them flush against the wall to maximize space.
5. Under Bed Storage is Also Key
Under bed storage will be one of the best areas for storing your belongings in your dorm room. Under-bed drawer bins that can fit next to the standard dresser often come in many sizes, making it easy to find what you need. Suppose your bed sits too low to fit any dressers. Consider adjusting the bed frame or buying bed risers. Bed risers give you a few more inches of clearance. Those extra inches will go a long way when it comes to storage!
6. A Great Hack - Roll Clothing to Save Dresser Space
Not only does rolling clothes make it easier and quicker to fold, but it also saves a significant amount of space. You can easily see all your clothes options at once. Organize by color. This will also keep you from worrying about ruining your clothing piles when retrieving clothing to wear the next day.
7. Purchase a Shower Caddy
You may think of caddies as something you use during camp, but caddies are a great thing to have to keep loose bottles in one place. They are also super helpful for storing cleaning supplies and household items that you know you’ll have to carry around from one part of the room to the other.
8. Don't Forget to Label Shared Items
Naturally, there might be a few things you will share with your roommates as a group. You will need to decide where you want to store those shared items. Having one area will help you and your roommates stay organized. You will also be able to lay out your room better when you have these defined areas.
9. Organize Cords with Binder Clips
Binder clips are super affordable and easy to use for any cords! You can clip them to the sides of your desk or bed. By stringing your cords through the metal ends, you can condense your different devices. They will stay secure, and you won’t have to worry as much about getting everything tangled.
10. Save Space with a Clip Lamp
Most people tend to buy and use lamps that sit on top of the desk or dresser. They make lamps that have a clip as a base. Buying a lamp with a clip is not only a space saver, but you can also direct the lamp in a variety of areas in your room.
11. Command Strips and Command Hooks
You will not be sorry if you have a few command hooks and strips in your room. They are one of those items that come in handy throughout the semester.
12. Add an Over-the-Fridge Rack for Kitchen Essentials
Get freestanding wire shelving to put over your mini-fridge. This is a great place for you and your roommate to store your cups, bowls, plates, and mugs. You can put all your shared kitchen belongings neatly in the designated kitchen area!
13. Create Adjustable Drawer Dividers
You can either purchase drawer dividers or make them using cardboard or small boxes. This will help you sort clothing or other items in compartments. This is another simple yet effective dorm organization hack.
14. Hang Up a Shoe Rack
There are a few options for this. You can get the vertical cubby style hanger that fits in your closet, or you can get a behind-the-door rack. The closet option may be more aesthetically pleasing to the room since it is hidden, but depending on the size of your closet, that may not work for you. Behind the door hanging shoe racks are classic. They tend to be bigger, so you can store many different shoe sizes. A rack behind the door might be a nice item to share with a dorm mate if you feel you can both benefit from it!
15. Rent a Storage Unit
If you’re a student traveling from afar and don’t have the luxury to easily switch out your warm and cold wardrobe at your parents’, consider self storage. Dorm organization is made even easier when you choose to use self storage!
Dorm Deck Hacks from Hack Decks™
Dorm Deck offers great ideas and dorm hacks for your dorm room. Making and creating additional space, and navigating a new environment are both key components of Dorm Decks.
Dorm Decks are designed to make the first year of college that much easier and keep you from inventing things that others before you have mastered. Just follow the prompts and learn from others. Dorm room organization, for example, is one great hack that we've discussed in this blog. Purchase a pack of Hack Deck™ Dorm Deck prompt cards to find little workarounds for your college dorm living.