Categories: Dorm Life

5 Essential Organization Tools to Have In Your Dorm

College can be one of the most stressful times of your life, but you can make it a little less stressful by staying organized. Here is a handy list of 5 essential organization tools for your dorm room!

1. Plastic Drawer Organizers

You have no doubt passed these organization tools times in the store. These white and clear plastic drawers come in different sizes and can serve a variety of purposes. Drawer organizers can be added to just about any area of your dorm and will serve a functional purpose. Add your new drawer organizer to the bathroom to store extra toiletries or cleaning supplies. Use your drawer organizer to store personal items or cosmetics.

Put a drawer organizer in your closet if you want to have extra storage for socks and underwear. If it’s large enough, you can even use your drawer organizer as a makeshift dresser, rolling your clothes to maximize your space. Assuming your bed is raised high enough, you can put drawer organizers under your bed to store assignments, extra office supplies, and snacks. Drawer organizers are one of the the more versatile organization tools in that they can be used in just about any area of your dorm!

2. Record Crates

Record crates are excellent organization tools and they’re not just for music fanatics. They can be made out of a variety of materials (generally plastic or wood) and are very affordable. Record crates can be used to store all manner of items – namely school books, clothing, snacks, or alcohol bottles. They can be stored under your bed, in your closet, or under your desk. They can even act as makeshift shelves if you turn them on their side and stack two of them. Using record crates as shelves is a great way to add a rustic personality to your dorm living situation.

Of course, you can also use the crates for their original purpose and store records in them. A lot of college students are music fanatics and need the extra storage space for whatever music they might have purchased since they moved into their new on campus living situation. It’s important to remember to make your dorm room your own!

3. Second Closet Rod

When you’re living in a dorm room, a closet is one of the few free storage spaces available to you. Luckily, there are organization tools that can help you maximize your closet’s storage space. By adding a second rod to your closet, you double the amount of clothing you can hang. You can also begin to organize your clothing or outfits on each closet rod, depending on how formal they might be or how likely you are to wear them.

Having this extra storage space will also allow you to expand your wardrobe. No one wants to wear the same seven outfits every week! Assuming that you have drawers where you keep other clothing, you can clear up space by moving these other items to your closet. Adding a second rod to your closet is an easy way to create more storage space and to stay organized.

4. Over-the-door Storage

Maximizing your usable storage space is essential for dorm room survival. So, assuming you’re not using the back of your door for a full body mirror or a Pulp Fiction movie poster, you can choose from a few over-the-door organization tools. For instance, you can add a fabric over-the-door organizer to your closet door and use it to store your shoes or other personal items. This is especially helpful if you’re the type of college student who feels the need to have a pair of shoes for every occasion.

If you want to really maximize your storage space, however, you should go with over-the-door hanging shelves. These provide a lot of extra storage space that can be used for everything from office supplies to spare toiletries. You can even use these shelves to set up a little hangover station with aspirin and a snack so that when you make up with that dreaded headache, you don’t have to scramble around for relief. At this point, you’re just creating more space for whatever you might need to store!

5. Personal Whiteboard

Personal white boards are practical organization tools that can be used to plan out your weekly or monthly schedule. You can write important due dates and meeting times on your whiteboard to make absolutely sure that nothing is forgotten. For instance, during finals week, your tests are often in different classrooms and at random times throughout the day. Use your personal whiteboard to organize all of these hectic details into a coherent list. Having this information readily available without having to open your syllabus or check your email is fantastic for reducing stress in what is already an immensely stressful time. You can also use the whiteboard to remind you of assignment due dates, as it is easy to forget exactly when certain papers are due. It’s understandable that you might get dates mixed up, you’re juggling responsibilities for several different classes after all!

You can also use your personal whiteboard to work on equations or to outline your essays. For instance, if you’re brainstorming your argument for a paper, it can be incredibly helpful to have the ability to erase certain parts of your argument to keep everything clean and organized. On a more domestic note, you can leave notes for your roommates on the whiteboard. Maybe leave it on the outside of your door with a note asking for privacy if you need to be alone, or leave a reminder to grab more coffee in the kitchen area. Your personal whiteboard can also prove useful in a recreational setting. Use your whiteboard as a scoreboard to keep track of the score in whatever drinking games you and your roommates might be playing. A personal whiteboard can help you stay organized in all aspects of your college life!