Maximizing Your Dorm Room Space
College students living on campus know how cramped residence halls can be. Not only do you have to share a bathroom with the entire hall, but you also must share a room. While it can be fun to always have someone to hang out with, there’s no denying that your room could use more room. Luckily there are a few ways for you to maximize the space in your dorm.
Most dorms do come equipped with storage such as a dresser or bookshelves, or even under-bed drawers. If you plan on bringing more than just clothes and books to college, however, you will need to bring extra storage. All the furniture you bring in should be multipurpose; it can be a decoration (such a vase), but it also has to have a specific function, and it’s best if that function is storage (like a place to keep your change). Other examples of extra storage you can bring include a stack of plastic drawers or a freestanding bookshelf.
The next step of maximizing your dorm space is to follow the age-old rule of having a place for everything and putting everything in it’s place. This rule applies to everyone of your belongings. It’s important to not leave anything hanging around because then your small space will look cluttered. This will definitely make the space close in around you. So while it may be simpler to just kick off your shoes when you walk in the door, the impact of putting them in their place in the closet (or wherever) will be astounding.
One more action you can take to make your room more spacious is to be mindful of the dcor you bring in. There are certain steps you can take to make sure the decorations and colors you put into the space work towards opening it up and not closing it in. For example, light colors in the same family will help your eyes flow through the room, while bright or dark colors of different shades will make you focus on several different things. Also, adding light to the corners will open it up as well.
The last and most important tip I can give to any campus resident is to make your bed. It will instantly make the room feel less cluttered and more inviting. Not only that, but also it’s so easy to crawl into an unmade bed to take a nap while a made bed screams “sit here and study!”
Following this simple advice will set you on the right path to making your dorm feel like a home away from home. While it may take a while to get used to picking up after yourself and making your bed, these are habits that will reward you every day and benefit you for the rest of your life.