How to Save Space in Your College Dorm Room: Space Saving Tips for Any Student

If you’re a college student living on campus, especially freshman and sophomores, odds are your dorm room is extremely cramped. Whether you share a one-room living quarters with a roommate, or you have your own room in an apartment-style set up, space is a commodity hard to come by, but one you cannot afford to lose. The following hints, tips and information may prove useful when trying to gain those few extra square feet of breathing room.

First, if your school hasn’t already done it for you, raise your bed by use of rubber “bed stilts.” These can be purchased at an affordable price at any Wal-Mart and will allow you to store things under your bed, without taking up additional floor or counter space. Be certain your bed remains low enough for you to comfortably climb into it. This is usually only an issue for shorter people.

Secondly, invest in some plastic drawer sets for additional storage. These are typically made by Rubbermaid or Sterilite and can be found at any Wal-Mart or Target outlet. Wal-Mart.com sells the Sterilite 3-drawer set for $38.67 and an Iris multicolored, plastic organizer and drawer set for $14.88. These sets can be stored under your newly-raised bed and come in handy for holding folded clothes and undergarments, hair care products, even snacks and drinks not in need of a refrigerator. Drawer sets usually come three or four drawers high and can be found in the Home section of any Wal-Mart or Target store.

Third, if your school will allow you to drill into your closet walls, invest in a closet shelf on which to store extra boxes or folded clothes. This usually only applies to students living in apartment-style dorms, although some one-room facilities have closets as well. These can be purchased on www.walmart.com for between $12.97 and $15.00 or at any Lowes, Home Depot or other home improvement store. They are relatively easy to install and because most are made of metal, they will support a great deal of weight. The majority of closet storage shelves double as a hanging bar for clothing, so you will likely have to remove the hang bar already in your closet. Again, before removing anything or installing new hardware, be certain you know your school’s policy or consult with your residence assistant.

If your room came with a standard desk provided by the university, you can purchase an overhang shelf to place on top of your desk. It will be useful for storing textbooks, CDs and DVDs, while saving space at the same time. You can usually find these in the office section of any Wal-Mart, Office Max or Office Depot. Be certain you first measure the width of your desktop and purchase one that will fit the dimensions of the desktop. You don’t want to open the box only to discover the shelf is too wide and exceeds the edges of your desk.

If you live an apartment-style dorm and share a bathroom with a roommate, purchase a shower head storage unit to hold your shampoo, body wash and other shower necessities. This applies to guys and girls. There are plenty of steel-colored hanging shower head storage units available for guys. Check out the bath section of any Wal-Mart or Target retail store. If your items do not fill up the unit, offer the leftover space to your roommate for his or her shower essentials. This can go a long way to save shower ledge space in the bathroom and just may provide you with a healthier, friendlier relationship with your roommate.