I recently changed rooms for the second time this year (into my third room) and am currently completely overwhelmed by how messy my room is. I can’t find anything, and I can barely walk because my floor is covered in clothes, notebooks, toiletries, and papers. I am lucky enough to live in a single, so my mess doesn’t bother anyone else, but it is very embarrassing to have guests over. I decided to write this article this week to help the Her Campus Oxy readers, and myself, get organized and spice up our rooms for spring.
Organization
Storage Containers – I have tons of plastic stackable storage containers in all different shapes and sizes. These are great because they can easily fit under your bed, or sit on your desk or dresser. You can use these bins to store your clothes, food, toiletries, medication, nail polish, hair accessories, or anything else that you can think of.
Desk Separators/Trays – I have several of these little flat containers that slip into my desk drawers and help to keep my desk organized. I know that it’s really easy to just throw papers and knick-knacks into a desk drawer in the short term, but in the long term you won’t be able to find anything. These organization trays help to divide your desk and desk drawers into manageable compartments to deter you from randomly throwing everything together, and to keep you from losing important items.
Garbage Can and Liners (aka plastic target bags) – This may seem like a silly tip – but garbage cans are an important for having an organized dorm room. I know that everyone eats, opens packages, and throws away old assignments, and accumulates a ton of random garbage in their room. It’s easy in the moment to just throw your garbage on the ground, but a lined garbage can makes the process of getting rid of garbage as easy as slipping the plastic liner out of the garbage can and throwing it down the rubbish chute.
Slim Hangers/Space Saving Hangers – I actually do not have slim hangers but I am definitely considering investing in them for next year. What I do have are hangers that have an extra little hook that allows them to be hung from each other to save space. Having slim, or space saving hangers, is essential to ensuring that all of your clothes fit in your closet where they belong, rather than being strewn all over your room.
Hanging Shoe Organizer – Although shoe racks that sit on your closet floor might be helpful at home, I find that they take up a lot of space and are not so helpful for dorms. The cloth hanging shoe organizers are much better because they not only help to organize your shoes, they can also be used to store your extra clothes, toiletries, or anything else that you are having trouble finding space for.
Erasable Calendar – Though this may not help to organize your room, it will certainly help to organize your life. I have my erasable calendar hanging next to my door so that I am forced to look at it every time I walk in and out of my room. My calendar is color-coded and includes assignment due-dates, my Her Campus Oxy deadlines, and my other school/social responsibilities. It’s really a lifesaver because no matter how much I like to think that my brain’s calendar is foolproof, I more often than not would forget really important things if I didn’t write them down.
Photo Credit: http://toddlerroomdecoratingideas.com/cute-dorm-room-decorating-ideas
How do you stay organized with so little space to work with?