Packing for college can be a scary proposition. Knowing what to bring – and what to leave at home – can be frustrating, to say the least. While most college dorm rooms provide the basics, such as a bed, mattress, dresser and desk, other items will need to be purchased in order to make the room liveable and workable throughout the school year.
A self-storage unit can be a great asset to a college student. Storage space can be used at home to hold furniture and other items that won’t be needed during the college years, or used near the college campus to store items that were brought, but aren’t needed. This article will feature tips for keeping your dorm room organized by renting at Affordable Storage in Fall River for college students within the Southeastern Massachusetts area.
It’s All About Conserving Space
Most dorm rooms are very small, so you’ll need to learn how to maximize the space that you are given when you get to school. If you were lucky enough to get information about the square footage or layout of your room in advance, you can start planning right now before you head off to college. However, if you have no idea what you are walking into, your best bet is to start off small.
Organization is key to conserving space. Finding items that can serve a dual purpose is also helpful. You will need to find room to store all of your personal belongings, such as clothes, shoes, bathroom products, laundry products, bags, books and coats. Follow the tips provided and you’ll be ready to conserve space, stay organized and still be able to bring and store everything you might need.
Area #1 – The Closet
When it comes to closet space in the college dorm room, count on space being limited. You will need to bring a collapsible hamper to tote your dirty laundry to the laundry area and back. Get slim hangers rather than those cheap, chunky plastic ones that take up more space. Look for an over-the-door shoe rack for your closet door – it will save you tons of space compared to keeping shoes on the floor, which will be needed to store items in college. Don’t just use it for shoes either – store soap, hair dryer, flat iron, curling iron, hair spray and other bulky shoe-sized items for easy use.
HINT: Storing winter coats, mittens and other seasonal gear in your college dorm room may not be possible with limited space. Depending on the weather and season, store your seasonal items at Affordable Storage in Fall River so you can retrieve them when you need them and pack them away easily when you don’t.
Area #2 – The Desk
While most colleges provide furniture that includes a desk, you may need to bring your own. If you do, make sure to choose one that will fit easily into a small space, yet will provide you all of the cubbies, drawers and other storage space that you will need. Other items that can help in this area include a dry-erase calendar for keeping track of activities, class schedules, tests and due dates for papers. Drawer organizers can make a world of difference. Use them to keep pens, pencils, staples, scissors, calculators and anything else you might need. Look for desk lamps that include extra storage space. Some even include speakers and an iPod or mp3 player hookup.
HINT: If you bring a desk and then find out that you didn’t need it, don’t waste money shipping it back home or selling it for less than its worth on campus. Check out Affordable Storage in Fall River and keep your desk and other items that you don’t need, but don’t want to get rid of, safe and secure in a local self-storage unit until the end of the semester.
Area #3 – The Walls
Seriously. You will be storing things on the walls. An over the door coat rack can be used to store purses and coats. Even a small cube ottoman can be used to store extra sheets and blankets, while providing an extra seating spot in your college dorm room. There are some amazingly strong adhesive hooks available now that will neatly come off the walls at the end of the year that can be used to store other items. Hang your dry-erase board, posters, towels, pocket organizers, cords, chargers and other important things so they can be easily grabbed or used when needed.
HINT: If allowed by your dorm, find extra storage space by using corner shelves that can be easily attached with adhesive support rather than nails or screws. If you end up choosing shelves or other storage supplies that are not allowed by your college dorm room rules, take advantage of the self-storage unit options available at Affordable Storage in Fall River.
Area #4 – The Floor
Yes, the floor is a great place to find extra storage space in the dorms. If you are allowed to use them, bed risers are a great way to create additional storage space for a bathroom caddy, which can hold all of your bathroom items, or a storage container, which can hold extra shoes, blankets, clothing and more.
HINT: Anything that won’t fit in your college dorm room can be stored at Affordable Storage in Fall River. There are self-storage units as small as 5×5 on up to 10×20 for larger items. Choose the size that fits your need and budget.
Affordable Storage in Fall River
For college students living in the Southeastern Massachusetts area, Affordable Storage in Fall River is a welcome place to find additional storage space while living in the dorms. This well-lit, secure facility has an on-site manager and 24-7-365 access and 24-hour security surveillance to help keep you and your stuff safe. Contact Affordable Storage in Fall River at 508-675-1177 for details on getting a self-storage unit or to get a Penske rental truck.