If your student is lucky he’ll end up with a dorm room that’s roughly the size of a shoebox (as opposed to the postage-stamp variety). Let’s face it: dorm rooms are small and cramped! And most of them already come with two twin beds, two desks and chairs, and two wardrobes, which means even if you’re student is fairly economical with his stuff he still may not squeeze everything in. He’ll probably want to bring his entire wardrobe and he’ll certainly want his computer setup. Then there are toiletries, electronics, and small appliances like a microwave and mini-fridge. And soon enough there will be a slew of books and papers to contend with, as well. Of course, if he plays music or sports there will be even more equipment crammed in. In short, your student’s small dorm room could soon become a featured residence on the TV show ‘Hoarders’ if he’s not careful. So here are just a few strategies that could help to cut down on the clutter and truly optimize your student’s college dorm room.
Pare down the list
The first and most obvious step is to pare his list of must-haves down to the true essentials. Yes, he may want to take his entire closet full of clothes, but in most cases this simply isn’t feasible, especially since he may need outfits for all types of weather (requiring a wide variety of clothing). That said, you can help him to pack a few more articles of clothing by investing in a space bag system. Since he’ll arrive at school during the heat of late summer, he’ll probably want shorts and tees handy. He can therefor pack his winter clothes into space bags and vacuum out the excess air to create packages that are a fraction of their normal size. When winter rolls around he can unseal the cold-weather clothing and replace it with his summer stuff for easy and compact wardrobe storage. Extra linens may also be stored in this manner.
Minimize the belongings
Next you’ll have to figure out how to minimize his other belongings, or at least keep them neatly organized. A good place to start is with electronics equipment, and rather than making him lug his large PC and printer to school, not to mention tons of cables, you might consider hooking him up with a slim laptop or even an iPad. This tiny tablet may not seem like a good alternative, but peripherals like a keyboard/cover can aid in activities like typing, and there are tons of apps to help him make the most of the tablet lifestyle. For example, cloud storage options like Dropbox can allow him to store and transfer files, and AirPrint (along with an enabled printer) can provide a means of wireless printing. The iPad (or alternately the Kindle) can also house a library of digital books, transforming what would have been a major storage hassle into a snap.
Maximize storage
As for storing other items, consider that there is plenty of space under furniture and overhead. Shelving units attached to the desk can provide space to store books and papers while bins under the bed can be used to house everything from clothing and shoes to sheets and towels to toiletries. Be creative: use walls, doors, and footboards to add extra storage with removeable bars, shelves and/or hooks.
While you’re at home worrying about a leaky roof or choosing your new HVAC unit, your student will be trying to figure out where he can squeeze in one more textbook or winter coat. By providing him with ample storage solutions you can help to minim