College Dorm Life: How to Prepare for Dorm Room Living

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

I now am the proud Mama of two dorm-room dwellers at two different universities – so I definitely have some thoughts on this subject!

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Planning and preparation are the keys to success in so many aspects of our lives, and preparing for college dorm life 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 fact, we were able to access a ton of information for Ball State’s dorms via the Office of Residence Life’s YouTube video series for each residence hall when we were preparing to move my daughter. The details available for dorm rooms are even more plentiful on University of Kentucky’s website (where my son will be attending this fall).

In addition to online resources, you can usually visit an actual dorm room during a campus tour to get a first-hand glimpse of a typical dorm room. Make sure to take video footage and photos of the sample dorm room so that you can reference it later.

It’s also a great idea to bring along a tape measure to gather some basic measurements during your dorm room tour (to measure standard furniture dimensions if you don’t have access to this information online).

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

2. Determine What to Pack

Knowing what furniture comes standard within your dorm room is the first step in helping you determine what you need to bring from home. Also, be sure to 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 order 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 that you can download online to help with this step of the planning process. Some of the best ones can be found on The Container Store and RealSimple websites.

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.

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!

Have some sage college dorm advise to share? Drop it in the comments below.