It is the day that they find out that everything that they really need to bring (and absolutely can't live without)in order to help further their educational experience, isn't going to fit in that tiny 15x15 room. UGH! What now?
It is evident that the walls can't be pushed back, the ceiling is high, but the school would frown on anyone putting up shelves from floor to ceiling and there isn't any room to put very many clothes especially if you are taking clothes for three seasons of the year. Remember, you will be going home at some time, you may want to leave some of those clothes at home for now.
There isn't any way to hire a room expander, but there are ways of improving this situation.
Let's start with the door to the room; The perfect place for an over the door hanger to hang all of your jackets, scarves etc. on. Now they won't take up space in the closet. It is real easy to attach a string or ribbon to the top of this and hang it on the outside of the door and attach a pocket with paper and pencil so friends can leave notes when you are out and push them under the door.
Closet Invest in a closet rod addition. These can be purchased in the housewares department of most stores. Hang blouses on the top, skirts and extra jackets on the bottom.
Shoe caddy This is a great place for storing extras like, pens, pencils, erasers etc. Hair accessories, combs brushes and hairspray; Make-up, tanning lotions,perfume,deodorant are also hidden but within reach.
Rubbermaid Don't forget under the bed for that extra storage space for the clothes that you aren't going to wear until next season
Microwave Cart Add the microwave on top Heating dishes and paper plates/plastic forks on the shelf Fast heating food on the bottom-keep mac and cheese, rice-a-roni, canned spaghetti and beef stew ready for those late night cram sessions.
3 Drawer plastic drawers on wheels These are great for keeping the computer paper in as well as notebooks and theme paper etc. These also come in handy for socks, underwear etc. Throw a tablecloth over the top and they can second as end tables; Put a table cloth over them and no one will know hat is under there.
There are so many fun things to do with dorms such as; color co-ordinate, use a theme and just seeing how much stuff two people can get in it can be the laugh of all time. Try to think of things that have a double purpose, items that are inexpensive, things that are easy to pack and move. Keep in mind that during Christmas Vacation and Spring Break most schools have the students empty their dorm rooms so they can paint and clean. All dorm items need to be convenient to pack, carry and relocate.
The college dorm room is perhaps the single most difficult room to furnish of all. Nowhere is real estate more valuable and in need of being maximized to its fullest potential. Dorm rooms can make studio apartments look like palatial estates. Oh, and you'll probably have a roommate, so take that already miniscule square footage figure and divide by two. What you're left with is an area roughly the size of a small closet. There are ways to use to this space wisely, though, and make your dorm room a great place for…studying?
It's best to start with the essentials. Even though you think you'll being doing so much "studying" you won't have time for sleep, a bed is still necessary. Think small here…now think even smaller. If you toss and turn when you sleep, you either need to break yourself of that habit or cushion the floor beside your bed. Actually, single beds aren't that bad, and that's what you'll need here, a basic single bed, no bells and whistles. Another option here is a futon. Futons get a bad rap, but some actually are comfortable, and of course double as a sofa-ideal for late nights playing X-Box, er…studying.
The next piece of essential furniture you'll need is a desk. Much like your bed, think small and then cut that in half. Laptops are ideal for dorm life, and need only minimal desk space, but if you do have a desk top, look for a compact corner desk. These corner units provide enough desk space for a monitor and leave you enough room to stash your CPU underneath. Since floor space is limited, you need to go vertical…think Manhattan. Look for a desk with stacking shelf features for your printer and other miscellaneous stuff. If need be, mount shelves in the wall (if allowed, obviously) to accomplish this.
Lastly, use every bit of room you have. For clothing storage, use plastic bins and store them under your bed. If you need a bookcase or portable shelf unit, think tall and slim (like a Brazilian supermodel). If you have room for a chest, there are some narrow ones out there such as slim lingerie chests. Hopefully these tips will help you turn your dorm room into the bastion of higher education you envision it as.
Both Jan Hayner & James Allen are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.