The Ultimate Guide to Saving Space in Your Dorm

By Elana Goodwin on January 25, 2018

Contrary to what dorm rooms look like in movies or TV shows, when you walk into your college dorm you should expect it to be pretty small. Add in a roommate or two, beds, dressers, and desks for each of you, and the space gets a whole lot smaller — and that’s before you start talking about a mini fridge or any other items you may want in your dorm.

That is why you need to make every inch of space you have in your room matter and why you need to save space and be smart about how you approach your dorm organization.

Here are some ideas on how you can conserve space in your dorm room with some space-saving storage necessities.

Photo Credit: Pexels.com

Desk Organization

As the semester gets underway, you will find your desk gets increasingly messier with textbooks, notes, pens, etc., starting to pile up and spread out across the surface. Having the right organizational tools to help keep your desk tidy from the onset is key to saving space in your dorm room and keeping it neat. Consider getting an organizer caddy that will give you a place for pens, post-its, scissors, paperclips, etc., so they do not end up all over your desk or taking up room in your desk drawer.

By not using your drawers for school supplies, you will leave them free to use for other things, such as textbooks, class notes, or even snacks. Additionally, desktop file organizers can be useful too if you use many notebooks or binders for your classes, though it will take up some of your desk’s surface area.

Under the Bed Storage

Under your bed will be crucial storage space in your dorm room and will help you save space in your room as a whole. There are lots of ways to approach storing things under your bed — from plastic or canvas drawers to storage boxes to bags.

Before you start buying storage for beneath your bed, you’ll want to measure how much space you have, and if you think you will need more, buy yourself some bed risers. Risers will create more space vertically under your bed so you can have taller storage or even two types of storage stacked on top of each other. Plus, you can actually also buy risers that have outlets in them which will make it easier for you to charge and use your phone, tablet, laptop, etc., without having to worry about where the plugs are on the wall.

Once you have raised your bed, you will be able to fit so much more storage and stuff under there, which will help you keep your room more clutter-free and your closet less cramped. Things like off-season clothing, extra bedding and towels, and other stuff that you don’t necessarily need to access on a daily basis can be stored under your bed towards the back while other items you’ll need easier access to can be stored more readily available and easy to get to.

Decorative Boxes

Save space and create somewhere to sit with big decorative trunks. They can sit out at the end of your bed or elsewhere in your room and give people who come by somewhere to sit, and you can also store a bunch of your stuff within them, making them convenient and functional.

Opt for whitewashed wood trunks or more heavy-duty but lightweight trunks so you can feel secure about them being sat on and which are easy to move around your dorm room as you need. Storage ottomans are great too and can serve the same purpose as trunks.

Closet Space

You’ve got to maximize your dorm room’s closet space — and the first way to do that is with a hanging closet organizer. These are great as they give you a way to store items like shoes or rolled up clothes in a neat way and won’t take up valuable floor space in your closet either. Plastic drawers are also great as they can serve as stackable shelves on your closet floor and allow you to store items like scarves, sweaters, jeans, etc., that you do not need to use up your hanging space on as they can be folded and accessed easily.

Additionally, purchasing a shoe rack for your closet floor may also help you keep your shoes organized and eliminate the need to have tons of shoe boxes stacked up and clogging up your closet space. You also won’t need to have your winter clothes hanging up during the spring and early fall so you can either store them in your under the bed storage bags or consider storing them in bins, bags, or drawers at the bottom or top of your closet, out of the way until you need them.

Make the most of your dorm room’s space by using these space-saving tips and items to keep your dorm room feeling open and your stuff organized!

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