Dorm Life Hacks That Every College Student Should Know

College dorm life is an exciting and transformative experience, full of learning, experimenting, and challenges. It might be pretty difficult for some students as it requires them to be innovative and creative and sometimes even overcome their fears. From navigating small spaces to managing time and budget, dorm life can offer a lot of challenges that you will need to manage. Some of the tips that we have prepared for you might come in handy and ease your dorm experience, making it rather positive. Let’s dive into life hacks that will help you out while living in a dorm.

Maximize Space with Loft Beds

One of the biggest challenges that students who live in the dorm might face is the challenge of limited space. By lifting your bed up, you can save a valuable floor space underneath it, where you can store your belongings or even place a desk to work at. Some of the students even create a space for cooking with a coffee machine and microwave so that it becomes a quiet multipurpose area in a dorm room that every roommate can use.

Lifting your bed surely might change the whole situation with the space for the better. They can sometimes be provided by the dorm itself. However, you can also find various options online to make a loft bed out of a regular bed without doing much – there are specific lifting cubes that can be placed under the bed.

Utilize Vertical Storage

As storage space is very limited, you might also want to use vertical space. You can maximize it by, for example, adding shelves, hooks, and organizers to walls and doors. Shelves will allow you to store your small belongings, textbooks, and appliances within a comfortable reach distance.

You can also buy an organizer for your bathroom door with pockets and separate holders to place all of your bathroom necessities, such as shower gel, towels, soaps, razors, etc.

Invest in Multifunctional Furniture

If you’re going to invest your money into furniture pieces that you will bring to your dorm with you, you might want to opt for the ones that serve multiple purposes. For example, futons that double as beds, storage ottomans, and bedside tables with built-in storage can help you maximize the space and also save some of your money.

Be sure to buy a few comfortable cushions for your chairs and bed to make sitting more comfortable. We would also suggest you buy your own chair – the one that provides healthy back support, in case you have such an opportunity. You will surely appreciate it during long study sessions.

Optimize Lighting

Brighten up your space with LED string lights or desk lamps for late-night studying. It’s a common problem in dorm rooms to have not enough lighting options for college students except for the big ceiling light. The problem with it might become obvious when you need to study late in the evening and there’s not enough light in the area to have an effective and productive study session. Moreover, you might need to study when your roommate is sleeping. Thus, you need a small and spotted light. That’s why it’s important to invest in additional lighting options, such as a desk, lamp, or portable and rechargeable lamp that can be used even when you don’t have enough sockets.

Meal Prep to Save Time

Save time and money by meal prepping. You can spend a few hours cooking once a week so that you have enough meal options throughout the whole week. This will save you a lot of time and will also help you avoid the pain of choosing what to cook this time, which often becomes a problem. You might save money as well because you will not waste any products. Buying enough groceries for the meals you have planned is budget-friendly and more eco-friendly. Also, be sure to invest in the mini fridge and microwave to have easy access to food without relying on expensive campus dining options or takeaway meals.

Keep Your Space Clean

If you want to keep your place clean without spending too much time cleaning, you might want to buy disinfecting wipes and microfiber cloth and keep them on hand to wipe down any spills or dust quickly. You might also want to invest in a handheld vacuum for small masses so that you can quickly remove them.

Organize Your Closet

Before you move into the dorm as well as every now and then, you might need to declutter and organize your closet. Some of the clothes that you don’t need at the time can be sent home for storage, while others can be brought back to the campus.

To make your closet less cluttered, you can invest in double-hang closet rods and stackable storage bins so that everything is organized and in place. Don’t forget to use slim hangers to save space and keep your clothes neat – this is what is not always possible in conditions of dorm life.

Stay Connected

A Wi-Fi extender can be a very useful purchase for any student who lives in a dorm. Many dorms offer free local internet, but it is not always as good as you would need. A Wi-Fi extender can be used to ensure a strong Internet connection throughout a dorm room. Search device amplifies your existing Wi-Fi signal, ensuring that every corner of your room has reliable Internet access. You can simply plug it into an electrical outlet and connect it to your existing Wi-Fi network.

Create a Study Place

Designate a specific study area in your dorm room, free from distractions. It shouldn’t be your bed, especially because beds are often associated with comfort and relaxation in our minds. Thus, you will not be as productive while studying in your bed as you are while studying at the table or desk. The best option would be to have a separate table with all the stuff you need for studying, a comfortable chair, and good lighting so that your study sessions are as effective and as productive as possible for dorm life.

Laundry Can Be Easy

Set reminders for laundry days in your calendar and use laundry bags or hampers to keep your dirty clothes organized. It is much better to store your dirty clothes in one place rather than keep them in piles on the floor or something like that. You might also need to keep a stash of quarters on hand for laundry machines and consider investing in a portable drying wreck for air-drying clothes.

Conclusion

These easy tips will hopefully come in handy, especially for freshmen who just move into dorms for the first time. Living in a dorm can be pretty stressful, we surely know. However, it is the time to mature and get more independent, to learn how to take care of yourself, and improve your self-discipline.