Dorm Basics

If you’ve just moved onto campus and into your tiny new room, you’re probably feeling very cramped at the moment. Maybe borderline claustrophobic.

So let me shed some light on a few things I’ve learned after three years in a dorm. As far as furniture goes:

·      The most space efficient setup is bunk beds. This opens up a lot of space, so you have room to sprawl out on the floor or maybe even get a couple of chairs.

·      Unfortunately, bunk beds are not practical. No one wants to climb a ladder at 2 a.m. after a long night of studying (or other things…) and no one wants to wake up and whack their head on a bed frame. But if you don’t mind these things, then lucky you! You’ll have most spacious room on your floor.

·      The second most space-savvy setup is arranging your and your roommate’s beds in an L-shape. My roommate and I have this setup. Our beds are not touching, so there is a little space in between. My roommate puts her laundry basket there, but you could also fill the space with a little table. However if you’re comfortable with your beds against one another, you can save even more space.

·      The worst configuration is the “ mirror” setup (beds on either side of the wall, lined up with desks and dressers, the same on each side). This leaves a tiny aisle down your room with little to no room for doing, well, anything. I had this my freshman year and we couldn’t have more than three people in our room without it feeling like a sardine can.

Most schools provide incoming students with a list of acceptable/prohibited items. But what they don’t give you is a list of items that will make life a lot easier.

·      Get a LARGE refrigerator. Freshman year we had a puny little thing that barely held the necessities, let alone leftovers from when Mom and Dad came to visit. The following year, I bought a new fridge at a yard sale for $25. Best money I ever spent. It works great, and holds enough food to feed us for about a week (which is a nice break when you get sick of campus food. Trust me, that day will come.) I’m not talking kitchen-sized, but about 3 cubic ft. (33 inches in height) should be good.

o   The downside? It’s too big to fit under our bed. Instead we bought a mini bookshelf and stacked it on top. Now we have a makeshift TV stand.

·      If your room is anywhere near as dark as mine, you’re going to need a standing light (floor lamp). The brightness makes the room feel bigger and slightly less depressing.

·      Full-length mirror. I know you gals (and guys!) can’t leave the room without making sure everything matches. Most dorms only have half-mirrors. Go to Target and buy a full on for about $10 and stick it to your door. I don’t know how I lived without one freshman year.

·      If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to buy new curtains and replace the horrible ones that came with your room. We just did that this year and it made all the difference in the world.

I hope you guys are enjoying the semester so far!