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There are many wonderful things about starting college life. For many young adults, college brings far more freedom than they ever had living at home with their parents. They have the option to sleep in as late as they like, go out as much as they want, go to bed as late as they choose, eat whatever they want, and sit down at their desks and study when they feel like it. College usually means new clubs, new extracurricular activities, new sports teams, and lots of new friends. Students who move away for school have a new city or town to explore, with all of its parks, restaurants, and hang-outs. Many students find their new college classes to be far more interesting and challenging than those they took in high school. In short, college is often a very exciting time for young adults.
One drawback of moving away from home for many college freshmen, however, is their new living space. Dorm rooms on many college campuses in this country are not known for being spacious or comfortable, and they often include little more than two beds and two desks. Many college-bound teenagers fear they will find themselves in a cramped, smelly, room with a tiny window and disagreeable roommate. Although much of a college student's fate in this regard must be left up to the dormitory gods (and most likely the university's housing committee), there are several things that you can do to make more space in a crowded dorm room.
Many dorm beds are designed so that they can be arranged either as bunk beds or separate twin beds. Bunking beds is one easy way to save space. Another option is actually raising the beds above dressers or desks. This way, you save the floor space of both beds instead of just one. If this is not possible with the type of beds in your room, you can still lift the beds as high as they will go in order to store clothing, mini-refrigerators, microwaves, bicycles, and other dorm room articles underneath.
Buying space savers for closets is another way to free up space in your room. You can buy extra shelves that hang in your closet to hold clothes, as well as cloth shoe racks that hang over closet doors. If you have a lot of clothes and shoes, this is a great way to avoid buying bulky drawers and shoe racks.
There are many other simple things you can do to make your room a little more spacious, such as keeping trashcans hidden under desks and keeping the floor relatively clean. If your floor is covered with clothes, it doesn't really matter how much floor space you have!
Moving away to college is an exciting time, and the experience will ultimately depend on far more than your living situation. That said, it is nice to have some room to move in your bedroom. Shifting your furniture and belongings around to make a bit more space will help make your new dorm feel like home.