how can I organize my dorm room?

are you going to share the room with anyone else?

many dorms will allow you to store you bed that they provide and build a loft for your bed. this allows much more floor space for desks and dressers and bookcases.

bring a bookcase. you should only be taking 3-5 classes at a time, so a 5-6 shelf bookcase is reseasonable to keep all your classes separate. a desk hutch is another option, if your desk doesn't have an upper section with cubby holes

check out a place like Ross, TJ Maxx, or Big Lots, or even walmart and get a desk organizer set. this will give you a place for pencils, pens, incoming mail, post it notes, white out, highlighters, cell phone chargers, notepads (i really like the faux leather with white topstitching, as opposed to the wire basket organizers, which look dusty really fast, the wood finishes are nice too)

store all your clothes in your closet. set aside space on the floor of the closet for shoes and your hamper. take advantage of storage boxes. if you live in a northern climate you temps can range from 100 degrees Farenheit to 26 in one semester. store you shorts in the winter and sweaters in the summer. stack them on the top shelf, or at your parents' house during the off season. save a nook in your closet for bath products, if your dorm doesn't provide lockers in the community restroom

remember, you don't have to take everything you own with you! most parents are reseasonable, and will let you store boxes in the basement or attic, or keep your room for you until they're sure you are gone (like when you have a full time job, 3 years after you graduate)

keep your study space separate from your relaxing space (bed) it will help with your studying habits and your relaxing habits. something as easy as not throwing your bookbag on your bed, instead storing it next to your desk can help.

if you can loft your bed, placing a small loveseat or armchair underneath can provide a small "living room" space so you don't have to limit your relaxation to your bed. (it helps to remember (and practice) that beds are for sleeping, it will train your body, and you will stay healthier when your classmates are sick).

you can stick your dresser across the room, with your tv or stereo on top. make sure you can't see the tv from your desk, or you will be constantly distracted. if you have your stereo across the room, try to bring one with a remote, so you're not getting up to adjust it all the time.

decorate it to your taste. (easier without a roommate) light colors (not pastel, just light) are good, look in to color psychology (orange=hunger, blue=tranquility, etc). use curtains, but keep the windows open as much as possible.

avoid plastic totes in your living space, keep them out of site in the closet. they may keep you organized, but you'll feel like you're living in transition without a permanent home all the time. don't be afraid of a $20 locking filing cabinet for your personal files and school records. you can store this in the closet too. if you are purchasing a computer, i recommend a laptop over a desktop, they take less space, and can be locked away if you need to. most campuses have wireless connections, and you can work outside your room (sometimes you just need to get away)

go ahead and bring real lamps, for your desk, for your bedside, for beside your couch/armchair, and on top of your dresser

bring framed photos rather than posters for the wall. 3M has hooks that attach with double sided foam tape, and remove more easily than other adhesives

when you purchase anything for your dorm room, ask yourself, "is this something I want to live with 10 years down the road?" i still use my desk lamps and blankets from college (4 years later)

as far as bedding, if you have a bold, or busy print, it is going to make your room look messier. simple patterns, or solid colors work well. make your bed. if you want to keep it really simple, and indulge your lazy side, get a bottom (fitted sheet) and pillow cases and a comforter with a duvet cover (an envelope with a flap, of sorts) this will save you the trouble of making the bed each day, just smooth out the comforter and you're done. just remember to wash the duvet cover.

last thing, a small fridge, if you are allowed. (so far i've told you to put a hamper and filing cabinet and ALL your clothes in your closet, and your shoes. if you can, place your fridge in there too. having your food out of site will keep you from snacking too much when you are bored.

Take the sheets back and exchange them. The local discount stores make a killing on new student move-in weekend when all the parents discover they needed twin XL rather than regular twin. And multiple sets of sheets that match a common comforter will help give your room a different look occasionally (my mom eventually got me four different sheet sets and two comforters - brown and tan, navy and blue) and cut down on laundry frequency. Anywhere else but a college dorm room the theory of milk crate storage is usually made fun of - but they work wonderfully for storing stuff in dorm rooms, whether in closets, under beds, or stacked in a corner. A basket/small bucket to organize your bathroom stuff is usually real helpful, particularly if you have a common bathroom for the floor. I had a half bookcase which I put on top of my desk for years during school; one lesson learned was that vertical storage beats horizontal storage everyday in a dorm room. Talk to your roommate. Duplicating things is very space consuming. So, one of you can bring the TV, the other the DVD. Two stereos are usually a waste - pick the nicer one, and share it (in the iPOD age, this is a little different from my era with monster speakers and separate components). Share a mini-fridge and microwave. You each probably want your own computer, but instead of two cheap printers share one.

Well I'm not even out of middle school but I have an idea. How about if you shove the bed in the far corner of the room, opposite from the closet. And next to the bed, the side where your head goes, you put the desk. The dresser on the wall next to, not parelell to, the closet. All you should bring is what you need, clothes and food, a laptop, a flash drive, pencils, stuff like that. Oh and snag some snack food in the bottom drawer or your dresser, just in case.

To have a power centered educational experience, I say

get a plastic craft drawers tower. Mall stores like target,

or ames, koolaid, walmart have those. Now while you are

looking at how much you save, get all the chore, cooking,

hobby, creative, and music stuff you can for a total room.

The small space makes you go upwards, even hanging

shelfs, baskets, nets, bunk nets, and closet extenders will

work. Now be frugal with you will have people and posters,

candles, and crafts to do, so you need be compact. In

5 years in a dorm, all the graduate students made lots of

trips to the poster shoppes, so memoribilia, pictures, art,

and logo stuff is up to you, its a cheerleader theme. Solid

studying students don't have any time to get funky.

http://www.flickr.com/ type phrases like dormart posters in search for a selection of rooms.

Declutter your stuff before you even move - that way you'll have less stuff to shift and to leave at your parents place. Get rid of anything that isn't BEAUTIFUL, PRACTICAL, OR SENTIMENTAL. When it comes to moving into your dorm, try to seek out as many storage solutions as you can, ie: baskets on top of your wardrobe; large, flat, lidded containers under your bed.

Good on you for wanting to keep it neat!

Remember, your dorm décor showcases your personality and thus, it should be functional, stylish and yet have some character of its own.

If you are investing in furniture and furnishings, invest in pieces that are versatile and can serve for multi-purpose duties. They must not occupy much space, because as you say its tiny!

Leather ottomans with storage space underneath are good options as they can be used for sitting, serve as coffee tables and can be also used to dump your magazines and old CDs in them. They look good too.

BED:In a dorm, the bed serves many purposes such as study area, couch and even a coffee table. It is also the largest piece of furniture that you may own in a dorm room, so choose a comforter that does not get dirty easily and can be cleaned easily too. Reversible comforters in solid colors that match the color scheme of your dorm room are good options. You may dress up your bed using fluffy throw pillows of different textures and colours. To lend a romantic touch to your dorm room, you can drape sheer fabric across the window or over a bed.

STORAGE: Plastic crates or wire storage systems that can be rearranged, decorative hat boxes and closet organizers can be a great help to keep your things well organized.

Cheap plastic hooks and metal towel hangers attached to your closet door and back of the room door will provide you space to hang your clothes. This will also help to keep any clutter concealed.

STUDY:Make sure for bright halogen lighting in your study area with the help of desk or floor lamp.

Use dry erase boards on your door and room to leave notes for your friends and roommates to coordinate with then. As well as write up reminders and revision notes. It may be an idea to get a small bookshelf or even make one to store all your textbooks in.

ATMOSPHERE: Fashionable and functional lights can change the look of your room too. A lamp of the study table and mini-lights for the moody atmosphere across the room is quite relaxing. While white lights are bright and good for eyes you can use funky colored lights in shape of stars or hearts for special occasions.

Funky high-tech music and light gadgets can lend an instant party touch to your dorm room. Choose something you can afford and is a source of constant fun.

If you are allowed a fridge, fill it with bottled water and decorate with pretty fridge magnets or ones that you have picked up on your travels.

DECORATION:Buy frames or make some from cardboard matte and decorate them using decorative items such as glitter, buttons, feathers and beads, some funky memo holders and French memo boards to display photos of your new friends and love interests or may be some good quotes.

You can use walls to put up posters or other wall decoration to customize your area and use special poster adhesive to avoid chipping paint.

If you are artistic types, use colored chalk or butcher paper and colored pencils to draw new murals for your wall, every time you feel inspired as they can easily be washed off or removed.

ESSENTIALS and CHECKLIST: For cleaning and laundry purposes, you will need Bleach, Dish soap, Fabric softener, Glass cleaner, Iron, Ironing board, Laundry bag/basket, Laundry soap, Paper towels, Safety pins, Sewing kit, Sponge, Stain remover and Trash bags.

It is always better to check beforehand, if you are allowed to take Cooking appliances with heating elements, Fireworks, Hunting equipment, Incense candles, Outside antennas or satellite dishes, Pets (though some of them allow you to keep fishes), Space heaters or Toaster ovens with you to the dormitory. It is better not to take anything that may be risky or pose danger or discomfort to your fellow roommates.

Other miscellaneous items may include 3-prong converter, Alarm clock, Area rug or carpet, Athletic equipment such as roller blades and basketball, Backpack, Batteries, Board games, Camera and its film, Comforter, Drawer-liner paper, First-Aid Box, Fishing tackle, Flashlight, Full length mirror, Jewelry box for trinkets, Overnight bag, Peg board hooks, Photo albums, Plants, Plastic Airtight Containers, Playing cards, Posters, Sleeping bag, Small fan, Small tool set or box, Stereo, headphones, Study lamp, Sunglasses, Tapes, CDs, Trashcan, Trunk, TV, Umbrella, Vanity mirror and Wall decorations.

You will need some utensils and some basic cooking ware so that you can make some of your favorite dishes at your dorm, on special occasions at least. So, it is advisable to pack some Bowls, Can opener, Coffee maker/pots- Espresso Machine, Cups, Eating utensils, Hot air corn popper, Hot pot, Microwave (check if you can hire it), Microwave able cookware, Mugs, Plates, Popcorn Pop-up toasters and may be a small Refrigerator.

You will need to keep Address book, Bookends, Bookmarks, Calculator, Calendar, Computer, Computer diskettes or other removable storage media, Desk organizer, Dictionary, Envelopes, File box, Folders, Glue stick, Highlighter, Hole punch, Index cards, Markers, Note pads, Paper clips, Pencil sharpener, Pencils, Pens, Rubber bands, Ruler, Stamps, Stapler, Stationery, Storage Containers, Tape and Thesaurus in your study area along with books and bags to carry them.

Really hope this helps!!!!

xox