College Series Day 8: Furniture in Dorms & Maximizing Space

Moving in to dorms can be a challenge because you don't have endless space in your car to pack up a bunch of furniture. You will want to check with your college to see what is provided in your dorm. Most dorms provide you with:

• A wooden bed frame and mattres
• A side table
• A desk
• A chair
• And some provide a mini-fridge and microwave either for free or that you can rent. 

Story time: I have an older sister and I helped her move in to college her freshman year. I remember seeing a couple of guys walk past us carrying a massive couch, a bookshelf, and a table, none of which were going to fit in his small freshman dorm! They carried them up 3 flights of stairs and then figured out there wasn't going to be enough room, and had to carry them back down 3 flights of stairs and put them back in their car and take them back home. 

Don't be that kid. You don't need a bunch of furniture at all. All you might possibly need furniture-wise is patio furniture IF you have a patio, or possibly a comfy fold up chair for in your room. Nothing else. Seriously. 

There may not be a ton of furniture in your room, but you room is going to be small, so you are going to want to maximize as much space as you can. I suggest: 

• Bed risers or bunking your beds. Bunking your beds won't allow for much storage underneath your bed, but it will allow for other things to be put where the second bed would have taken up space. Raising your bed allows you to store things under your bed. Last year, one of my friends stuck her desk under her bed so that she could put her comfy chair and television in a sitting room style where her desk used to be. Or, you can put a bunch of storage containers under there with your luggage/boxes that you used to move in. Whatever works :)
• Stack things vertically. Every storage container or shelving unit should have a lid so that something else can be stacked on top of it. You aren't going to have much floor space, so taking advantage of how tall your room is will work to your advantage. This also goes for your closet and underneath your bed. The more you can stack on top of something (safely!), the better. 

College dorm rooms aren't for displaying things on your shelves. It's going to be about fitting as much on those shelves as possible. You can still decorate your room in other ways, but don't waste space for decorating purposes. Hope this helps and I'll see you tomorrow!