Hats off to the residents who live in dormitories the size of a shoebox. But hey, it’s the college experience. Maximizing space within your half of the dorm is crucial to functioning on a day-to-day basis. You should also account for storage for seasonal apparel since New Rochelle faces three weather shifts during the school year: sweater weather to winter wear, winter wear back to sweater weather, with the occasional booty shorts at the end of August and May.  

The desired objective is creating a clean, orderly space and keeping it that way. Athletes, bookworms, gamers and every possible student needs some sort of organization to keep their materials in place.  

Your desk is the main hub of your sanctuary, where you spend endless hours typing essays, doing lab work, emailing, or writing Ionian articles, so keeping it organized will improve efficiency in your studies. Keep extra pens, pencils, notepads, wires, etc. neatly arranged with desk trays that can be found at the dollar store. If you don’t have desk drawers, mason jars and old mugs are an inexpensive but cute way to store stationery.  

Plastic bins and containers are the basic approaches to storage. Try to buy under-the-bed storage units to store items you don’t use often. Dorm beds can often be lifted to make space for storage bins, drawers, or boxes. You can also loft the bed to keep a vanity, dresser, or futon below it. If your bed doesn’t adjust, consider purchasing bed risers. If you’re worried about your rooms’ aesthetics, add a bed skirt to veil your storage.  

It’s best to make use of vertical space in visual nightmares, such as closets and kitchen areas. Keeping your appliances in one area, such as a mini-fridge or coffeemaker, with a designated utensils bin with snacks on a rolling utility cart grants easy access to food and beverages. A rolling cart can also double as a side table. For your closet, splurge a few extra bucks on thin felt hangers instead of the thick wood or plastic ones. Also, adding a hanging closet organizer to store pants and shoes will make getting ready for class or a night out hassle free.  

The most important tip of staying organized is quite literally to organize. If you don’t declutter on a daily basis, junk will eventually pile up or your items will be misplaced. Frantically stress-organizing once that clutter has accumulated is not worth the time or energy. It will be to your benefit to make small tasks of putting back your makeup where it belongs or filing your papers away.