by Janice Suchoski

Created on: August 11, 2009   Last Updated: August 12, 2009

The best space saving advice for dormitory life is not to take everything you own with you when you go to school. The urge to move out on your own screams the temptation to remove all your stuff from the home nest and take it to your new digs. But just because you are beginning a new phase of independent life, you might not need that giant stuffed panda you won at the fair last summer.

Dorm rooms are not only notoriously small, but even with clever risers for under - bed storage, space is not anywhere near what you are used to, and your roommate will jealously guard his/her own personal space like a dragon. Edit clothing and possessions to reasonable levels, and life for everyone is more pleasant. Not only will there be space to be comfortable, but the ubiquitous weekly dorm check becomes easier with less to keep neat.

When editing clothing, take items which co-ordinate so many things may be worn in various combinations. This makes a limited wardrobe seem larger without packing small dorm closets and drawers so full it is impossible to get one thing out without unpacking and scattering the lot. Coats and shoes take up a lot of room. Limit choices to a few varieties that will answer need, not want. If you must have more, stash them in boxes which slide under the bed.

Check accommodations in person before moving to campus whenever possible. That picture on the internet is there to show rooms to advantage. It may not be obvious that the bed is bolted to the floor or is built on a box - base which allows nothing to go beneath it. Assume you do not have storage space in such places if you do not have personal knowledge of it. Find out if your dorm has a storage room with personal lockable compartments. Out of season items may be stored and rotated at need, saving actual room space for necessary items.

Resist the urge to go "dorm shopping." Retailers are loaded with decorator items and "must - haves" for dorm life, and very few are really necessary. Some items such as new bedding and pillows are great take-alongs, but move in before buying much more. Having a real idea of space and needs helps you purchase only what you need and can fit realistically. That darling corkboard for pictures and calendars may gather dust under the bed when you discover nowhere to hang it, or rules that preclude wall hangings of any kind. Stackable cubes may or may not fit anywhere but on your bed.

Packing for dorm life requires thoughtful consideration between needs and wants. Take less than you want because you will add to what you have as you live there. Everyone buys school books, extra items of clothing, irrestistible college memorabilia and so forth. The point is to settle in comfortably for a new and exciting phase of life. Too much "stuff" detracts from a pleasant dorm experience.

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