The standard two-person college dorm room measures 180 square feet- or 90 square feet for each roommate. That is not a lot of space considering a Ford Explorer offers 93 square feet.
Sounds crazy, yet it’s true. So the big question is, how are you going to fit all of your things into this small amount of space?
Underestimating exactly what you are in for when moving into a dorm, you may pack everything you “think” you need. When this huge truck load ( or truck loads if that’s the case) does not fit into your room like you planned, it is probably time for some organization.
You have to have some room to live, and all those boxes on top of your bed are not going to disappear.
The key to dorm room life is to have space, and to learn how to maximize the space that you have. This may call for extreme measures.
What exactly do you do when 1.) you are living with another person…maybe a complete stranger, 2.) you come to the realization that you and your room mate both have to live in this space with two refrigerators, T.V.’s, and all of your other necessities and 3.) your room is not even the size of an S.U.V.?
“Stack everything on top of each other. Like the refrigerator, we stacked two on top of each other and put the T.V. on top of that,” Shatara Johnson, freshman from New Orleans, who lives in Ellender Residence Hall, said.
Move over Martha Stewart, Nicholls students have got better organizing skills than you. Maybe Martha should pay a visit and see exactly how it’s done.
Well, then again, maybe not. Imported storage containers are not really what students have in mind, we’ll all probably just stick to Wal-Mart.
But no matter how great your organizing skills are, you do need to sit down and go through your things deciding if you really need them or not.
“We use 20 percent of our things 80 percent of the time,” Elaine Bloom, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers said, in an article in Student Advantage Magazine.
So this proves that it is not a bad idea to really sit down and think of what you really need. Are you really going to get the urge to pull out that old box of New Kids on the Block tapes, or do you really need all of those stuffed animals?
Now, if you can’t live with out your whole wardrobe, all your childhood stuffed animals and every CD and tape you own, don’t sweat it because there are things you can do to maximize what little space you do have.
Cinder blocks can become your best friend when you are looking for extra space. They can raise your bed so those large storage boxes can easily fit underneath.
The only things to worry about are either a stubbed toe, or if you like to jump on your bed, a block tipping over. Other than that it is a great idea.
Hooks that you can stick anywhere are good for hanging up towels and other things that you want at easy reach. They can help greatly in getting things off your vanity and desk to give you more space.
Storage boxes are some of the greatest things to have when trying to have more space. You can find them in all shapes, sizes and colors, and most are stackable.
By organizing your things into groups, it also makes it a lot easier to maximize space.
“Remember this: like goes with like. Group together all your course books, toiletries and clothes you always wear,” Bloom said, in and article in Studnet Advantage Magazine.
By organizing your things in both practical and inventive ways you can truly maximize your dorm room space. Won’t Martha Stewart be proud!