Whelp, it's almost August and that means, back to school is right around the corner...as a freshman attending Binghamton University in the fall you are probably moving into the dorms, which lets face it, its not like living at home! Residence halls can a lot of fun however freshman dorms are usually small. If you're moving into a dorm room for the first time and aren't sure how you're going to live comfortably in such a tight space, often with another person, take a look at these 5 tips for living comfortably in your dorm room.
Look at Small Home Hacks
One of the biggest challenges of living in a residence hall room is the small space, but there are all sorts of design hacks that tiny homes and efficiency apartments use to make the most of small spaces, and you can alter them to fit your dorm room. Look in magazines and other print sources and websites for ideas on how you can get one space to function well for multiple purposes. One tip is to have a futon so that you have extra sleeping space when you want to have a guest. You can also create more shelf space by getting a simple wooden board that you lay across two shelves.
Leave the Extras at your Parents House
It's tempting to think that you'll need every tank top and pair of jeans, but you'll miss the space more than you'll miss a few odd pieces of clothing that you haven't worn in a year, anyway. Either leave clothing that you rarely wear at your parents' house or donate it if your parents want to reclaim some of your bedroom space. The same is true for other items, such as hair accessories, makeup, and hobby supplies. If, after a few weeks, you really miss a certain item, the next time that you go home for a visit, you can pick it up.
Some Spaces Will Need to Do Double Duty
When you're living in a small space with one or two other people, you might need some of your spaces to serve multiple purposes. Futons are a dorm room classic, but if you're going to add extra furniture to your space, why not look for furniture that also has storage space?
A Place for Everything
When you're living in a small space, even a little bit of clutter can make the entire room seem messy and chaotic. That's why you need to have a place for everything and put everything away as soon as you're finished using it. For instance, you might decide to put your hair care products in a small, plastic tote, and you should put your comb, flat iron, and everything else that you need for your hair away immediately after using it. You can even use a label maker to create labels for everything so that you remember the best way to keep your items organized.
Rent self storage for your extra stuff
Contact Laing Self Storage and rent a small storage unit - at our Binghamton location, we offer smaller units and in Endwell we offer medium size units, very affordable and close to campus!
For temperature controlled storage or non temperature controlled storage call 607-775-9776 or visit www.laingselfstorage.com. For a Free Mobile Storage Quote, you can call 607-775-9776 or visit www.laingmobilestorage.com.