Going to college is a brand new life chapter and your to-do list should contain a lot of tasks. First of all, you’ll need to get some books, class schedules and meet your roommate. Once you’re done with those, go ahead and start thinking about organizing your part of the dorm room. You should be aware that space you’ll be getting is limited and good planning is crucial for success. In order to make your home there, you’ll need to be creative and dedicated. Don’t get discouraged by tiny space since there are plenty of tricks and strategies to make it comfortable and enjoyable.
Make some space management plans
Before you start redesigning a boring dorm room, you should sit down and picture how it should look like after you’re done. Think of it as a campaign with numerous steps which will lead toward great achievement: transferring default room into your home. Your part of the dorm room will be your studying station, bedroom, living room, your whole world. That will be the place where you go when you feel homesick or need a rest from everything. Picture yourself spending a lot of time there and it will be easier to get organized.
Walls are your best friends
Since you’ll probably have at least one roommate in your dorm, you should start thinking vertically. All that stuff you used to scatter all around your room will need to find its space in your new dorm room. Because of that, the wall above your bed is your canvas. Everybody will become homesick once in awhile, so will you, and it’s perfectly normal. By assembling a wall collage or using regular photo frames, you’ll make your space as relaxing as possible. That way, you’ll make sure your loved ones are close when you need them the most. Your wall can also be used for schedules, notes, reminders and various to-do lists.
Transfer your room when needed
There will be times when you’ll have guests coming over. Your dorm bed won’t be big enough to accommodate more than, let’s say, three persons. A great way to make some extra room when needed is to get yourself a few pieces of inflatable furniture. Your new chairs can be inflated the moment your loved ones arrive, and deflated and put under the bed few seconds after they leave. In order to change the face of your room quickly, you’ll need to be very creative and open minded. That’s the reason why you should find multiple purposes for every item you put in there.
Create your sanctuary
After long days of studying and long nights of partying, you’ll need a suiting place to unwind and relax. Your room can easily become that place if you work on its aesthetics. Before heading to college, make sure to bring your favorite cushions and bed sheets, so you’ll always feel like you do at home. You may bring a few stuffed animals as well. Those will provide some more comfort points when you need them the most.
Think about lighting
In order to get yourself enough light when in need to study, make sure to bring over your favorite lamp. That way, you’ll see better and won’t disturb your roommate who needs to rest. On the other hand, when you need relaxing atmosphere, go ahead and light up a few scented candles. The dimming light and pleasant smell will blow away all worries. You may use fairy lights as well to decorate your wall collage. Those lights can also be used to make cool captions or shapes above your head, making your part of the room more fun. Another way to get more light is to put a big mirror on the wall. Besides more light, you’ll get an illusion of double space so your room will seem bigger.
Fight the clutter
You should work on regular decluttering of your dorm room. You won’t even notice before you can’t move freely. Start by cleaning all surfaces with piled papers and various documents. Get yourself a folder for all that stuff so you can move it somewhere else. Once in awhile, you’ll get something valuable that can’t be thrown away, but can’t be placed in your dorm room either. The best way for keeping pricey stuff is by renting an affordable secure lock up storage unit in your area. Go ahead and make under-the-bed drawers and put the rest of stuff in there. Keep your room tidy and uncluttered, and you’ll feel your stress levels decrease noticeably.
Final thoughts
The tips mentioned above are just a few from countless of possible solutions. Once you’ve settled in your new dorm room, you’ll be able to invest your free time to make the space more functional and comfy. Before you make any major decisions considering redesigning the place, make sure to let your roommate know, and hear out their feedback. If you work together, your living space will look much better and both of you will stay happy and satisfied.
For some people, going to college can be a very stressful period, so try to comfort your friends in need because they’ll remember that and will do the same for you. Your most valuable capital while you’re there are the people you meet and spend time with. Think about them when rearranging your room since they’ll feel better while visiting your special place.
Author: Victoria Lim
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