• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • ABOUT
    • About Me
    • Policies
      • PRIVACY POLICY
      • DISCLAIMER & TERMS OF USE AGREEMENT
      • DISCLOSURE POLICY
      • COPYRIGHT POLICY
  • BLOG
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ORGANIZATION
    • Organizing Projects
    • Organizing Process
    • Organizing Products & Tools
    • Habits & Routines
    • Productivity
    • Paper
    • Photos
    • Information
    • Kids and Families
    • Holidays
    • Preparedness
  • HOME DECOR
    • Decorating Project Gallery
    • Home Staging
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Home Improvement
    • Tools & Inspiration
    • Shopping Guides
  • DECLUTTERING
    • Decluttering Tips
    • Turn Clutter into Cash
  • CHALLENGES
    • The 40 Bags In 40 Days Declutter Challenge
    • The Organize and Refine Your Home Challenge
    • The 10-Week Digital Photo Organizing Challenge
    • The One Pile at a Time Paper Declutter Challenge
    • The Organize Your Holiday Challenge
  • SHOP
  • PRINTABLES VAULT
    • Become a VIP
    • PRINTABLE VAULT ACCESS
Refined Rooms logo.

Refined Rooms

Organizing, Decluttering & Home Decor Blog

College Prep: How to Prepare for Dorm Room Living

Organize, Planning

group of college coeds in a dorm room. Text overlay "3 steps to prepare for dorm room dwelling".

Earlier this week, I received a call from a reporter who was in search of tips for organizing college dorm rooms.  Since this topic is likely top of mind for many of you, I thought it might be beneficial to address the topic of organized dorm room living this week (which follows up nicely with the previous post on back to school organization tips.)

 

co-eds moving into a dorm room together - Text overlay "3 steps to prepare for dorm room dwelling".

This post contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission, which helps keep my blog up and running but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Planning and preparation are the keys to success in so many aspects of our lives, and preparing for dorm room living is no exception!  Begin the planning process by gathering as much information as possible about your new “home away from home”.

 

How to Prepare for Dorm Room Living

1. Research Your New Digs

Luckily, we live in an age where new students can find out everything they need to know about their dorm space well in advance of move-in day.  Most colleges and universities provide detailed information regarding student housing on their websites.

In addition, you can usually visit an actual dorm room during a campus tour to get a first-hand glimpse of a typical dorm room.

 

Sketched Layout of typical dorm room.

 

Here’s a list of key questions to ask during this information-gathering phase:

  • What is the size of the overall space/common areas/private areas?
  • What furniture does the college provide?
  • To what extent can the furniture be reconfigured?
  • What storage space do I have for clothing (dresser and/or closet)?
  • Will I be sharing a closet?
  • What is the size of the bed (to ensure you bring the correct size of bed linens)?
  • Will I be allowed to secure items to the wall?
  • Am I allowed to utilize the backs of doors for storing items?

 

2. Determine What to Pack

Knowing what furniture comes standard with the dorm room is the first step in helping you determine what you need to bring along. Check your college’s institution-specific guidelines for what you can and can’t bring.

The next item on your to-do list should be to communicate with your future roommate(s) in order to iron out agreements concerning what items you are willing to share in your common area in an effort to avoid duplication and save space — do you really need multiple microwaves and televisions?

When you start to create your packing list, be realistic about what items will make the cut, since you need to operate in significantly less square footage than you have at home.  There are several great dorm room essentials checklists such as the ones provided by The Container Store and RealSimple.  

Once you review the extent of “essentials” on these checklists, you’ll soon realize that the drum set is not coming along with you.

When it comes time to pack your clothes, avoid the temptation to pack your entire wardrobe.  Instead, take only your in-season clothes and plan on swapping them out for your winter wardrobe during the holiday break.

Related: The Benefits of a Capsule Wardrobe

 

3. Organize While You Pack

When you arrive on campus that very first day, there will be so much to do and discover.  The last thing you will want do is spend a lot of time unpacking and organizing your belongings.  

Do yourself a huge favor by allowing plenty of time on the front end to pack your belongings in an organized manner.

 

college student unpacking boxes in dorm room.

Photo © Deposit Photos/vadimphoto1@gmail.com

Group like items in storage containers (e.g., office supplies, personal care, electronics, linens) and clearly label your containers. During the weeks prior to move-in day, refer to the dorm room floor plan and room photos as you give some thought as to where you will store each group of items within your dorm room.

By following these simple steps, your unpacking process will be a breeze.

Related: Organize Like a Pro: A 5-Step Process for Organizing Any Space

 

4. Explore Ways to Maximize Dorm Room Space

Dorm rooms aren’t known for being spacious. You’ll need to make the most of that humble little corner of campus that you’ll soon be calling home. Check out this round-up of Must-Have dorm room storage products that will help you to maximize space and efficiently store all of your dorm room essentials.

 

5. Explore ways to save money and time

Did you know that you can purchase your college textbooks via Amazon?

Investing in an Amazon Prime student membership saves you countless trips to the store (which can be difficult if you don’t have a car on campus) by delivering anything that you need right to you on campus. And college students only pay 50% of the normal cost of Prime!

 

Wishing you and/or your new student the best of luck as they head off on their new adventure! Got a great tip for adjusting to dorm life? Drop it in the comments below.

 

Ready to get epically organized?

Get access to 100+ printable pages to help you organize your home and life!

Welcome, Insider!! Look for a welcome email that includes the password for my free resource library full of organizational printables created just for my subscribers!! ** If you don't see it initially, please check your SPAM folder **

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

6 Comments

Previous Post: « 10 BACK TO SCHOOL ORGANIZATION TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL START
Next Post: ROOM REDESIGN PLAN PRINTABLE: ORGANIZE YOUR ROOM MAKEOVER »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  1. Melanie at Dish Dish says

    August 13, 2017 at 4:49 pm

    These are some great tips – especially like the tip about organizing your things as you pack so that unpacking is much easier. We have a free recipe e-book for college students with simple meals they can make in their dorm room, which helps them eat a little healthier perhaps and have fun eating with friends. http://unbouncepages.com/cooking-in-college-dorm-recipes/

    Reply
    • Natalie Gallagher says

      August 13, 2017 at 6:51 pm

      Awesome Melanie! Sure beats Ramen Noodles every day! Thanks for sharing…

      Reply
  2. Lorelai @ Life With Lorelai says

    August 11, 2017 at 10:35 am

    Hey, Natalie! Just wanted to let you know that we loved your How To Prepare For Dorm Room Living so much when you shared it at the #HomeMattersParty last week, we’ve FEATURED it THIS WEEK! Hope you can check it out when you get a sec. Happy Friday!!!
    http://lifewithlorelai.com/2017/08/10/home-matters-linky-party-148/

    ~Lorelai
    Life With Lorelai / Home Matters Linky Party

    Reply
    • Natalie Gallagher says

      August 11, 2017 at 4:39 pm

      Aweesome Lorelai, Thank you!

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?

Welcome!

Natalie Gallagher of Refined Rooms Blog.

I’m Natalie & I’ve never met a label maker I didn’t like!

I’m a former professional organizer who blogs about all things home organization and decluttering. I also share my great affection for home decor and productivity hacks here, with occasional DIY projects thrown in just for fun!  Learn more about my story here!

BECOME A VIP

GET ACCESS TO MY ORGANIZING PRINTABLES VAULT

PRIVACY POLICY
By opting in, you agree to receive my newsletter and ongoing resources. Unsubscribe at any time.

SEARCH BY CATEGORY

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Footer

DISCLOSURE

This site contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission, but it won’t cost you a penny more). Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

COPYRIGHT

I love it when you share my tips, ideas and inspiration! Please keep in mind that all images and text on this site are the property of Refined Rooms, unless otherwise stated (regardless of whether photos are watermarked or not). Feel free to use one image, provided that a link back to my original post is included. Please do not remove any watermarks, crop, or edit any of my images without first obtaining written permission from me. All free printables are for personal use only. Pinning is always welcome and appreciated! Thank you!

Privacy Policy