Are you ready for a new semester? If you are living in a dorm there is not much room to spare. So what is the answer to your limited space problems? I will give you a hint…organize now! Being organized is your best bet on reducing your stress and time looking for that darn matching sock.

A clutter-free environment is important no matter how much space you have in your room. What do I do to keep organized? The first tip I have for you is when I was in the dorm my roommate and I bunked our beds. “More room for activities!” (Step Brothers quote) I couldn’t resist that one.

Try to save space as much as you can by hanging things up on the walls or doors (if allowed). I purchased a shoe rack that hangs on the inside of my door. I am not a shoe-lover, but I could not believe how many pairs I still had! So this really saved space and kept each shoe together with its partner.

Don’t forget about your notebooks and binder materials! Papers can really pile up as time goes on, so have a plan on where to put them. For example, I have a small filing cabinet that is organized by class so they are ready to go for when finals approach. You could go with a large binder to set aside for each class with old assignments and notes so they are separate from the notes you need currently. This will decrease the amount of unorganized papers, and less weight to carry!

Lastly, organize your time! Try to wake up a few minutes early and be mentally aware and prepared for the day ahead. Purchase a large binder-size agenda book so there is plenty of room for every assignment, meeting, etc.

Getting in the habit of being prepared and organized in college is a great start for when we are out in the real world searching for jobs. So do yourself a favor and take the short amount of time to get organized and this will certainly save you time in the future. Good luck this semester, and get to it!

Written by Jennifer Ryan, Peer Educator