Top Dorm Room Essentials

When your child starts their freshman year in college most likely they will live in a dorm room. The first thing to learn about living in a dorm is the lack of space and storage. Most kids will of had their own room growing up and sharing a room is a new experience. There are some dorm room essentials to add to a packing list for college.

No longer can they decide to "store" their clothes on the floor, or just shut the door to the mess by closing the door. Their roommate lives there too and won't appreciate tripping over shoes.

I have brought a son and daughter to college and helped them shop for dorm room essentials. I myself lived in a dorm room for two years before I moved to an apartment. There are essentials that you must have to make living in a "shoebox" more livable and increase your storage efficiency.

College is not just bout studying, it's about socializing and eating food. At first it's all about pizza delivery and eating out. Then the budget gets tight and eating cheap becomes the college mantra.

It's not always possible to get to the cafeteria for all meals and many college students eat one or two meals in their dorm room. So what is essential to eat healthy in college?

Cooking in the dorm room is restricted to appliances that can NOT catch fire, so no open coils, and George Foreman grills are not allowed in most schools. But you can have a microwave, rice cookers and normally there is a kitchenette somewhere in the dorm for more involved meals.

Even though each dorm room has two closets, there is no way they will be big enough for two seasons worth of clothes, shoot, her closet won't even be big enough for her coats and sweatshirts. The traditional plastic tube hangers really take up too much room, and wire hangers are out of the question.

Why? Because Mom says so, wire hangers indent the shoulders of your clothes, bend, and become a tangle in the closet. Stay away from wire hangers.

Obviously the first step is only take what you will need. But, girls don't think that way. "I'm going to need everything Mom!" If you can get a floor layout of the room ahead of time and learn the limitations on mini fridges and microwaves. Some dorms don't allow microwaves in the rooms, and there are size limits on the fridge. Share a fridge with your room mate to save room.

Think under the bed storage, totes that stack, and pack your clothes in containers that will serve a double purpose in your room.

When I lived in a small house I found tall skinny dressers were invaluable. They took up a little over a square foot of floor space but had the same storage as a standard dresser. My daughter has one in her room now that will be put in the back of the pick-up and taken to school, but they are pretty easy to find at most department stores.

Often called Lingerie Dresser, it's ideal for other clothes besides underwear such as swimsuits, T-shirts, socks, workout shorts, and pajamas.

I'd like to think my daughter will keep her shoes up off the floor, and an over the door shoe storage unit would be ideal. Most will hold 20 shoes, which should be enough for any normal person. In the empty spaces, if there are any, the pockets can hold brushes, curling irons, and other miscellaneous items.

Shoe storage space can be found under the bed, in trunks (doubling as a sitting space) or over the door.

Colleges and Universities have strict rules on how you can hang items on your wall. Pictures and decorations must be hung in a way that will not damage or remove the paint or finish. If it damages the wall then you are responsible for the cost to repaint and many times forfeit your housing deposit.

Every dorm room and residence hall is a reflection of the students inside, in my daughters case it will be a sign of a creative mind, an eclectic personality, and someone who loves her friends.

The trick is attaching the wall decorations without damaging the walls. Most colleges and universities don't allow tacks, nails, or anything that will damage the paint. Luckily the

It's amazing what you can store under your bed, it's also amazing what can get lost under the bed. If you're lucky you can raise your bed quite a ways and fit small pull out drawers in an accessible fashion. Most college students will have less than a foot of space under the bed.

Never fear, there is something for everyone. Even my storage challenged daughter with a dorm room measuring 12 ft x 14 ft, oops that's right, half of that is for her roommate. So everything needs to fit in a 6x7 space, and most of it will be under her bed.

Be honest, did your college freshman over estimate the room in their residence hall or dorm room? Did they have enough space?

If you have time search on eBay for dorm room essentials and storage solutions. Trunks, mini-futons, sling chairs and shelving can all be purchased for a fraction of the cost. As most college students are on a budget spend wisely, take your time and get into your room first. See how you use the room before investing in new, or used furniture.

You may find out a desk unit would be a waste of time if your roommate is too loud, or the neighbor is playing music at all hours. The library may be where most of your studying is done. In that case a sling chair or storage ottoman might be a better choice. Or maybe that big screen TV is just the ticket.

Was moving your college freshman stressful? How many cars did it take to move them into their room? Did you bring anything back? What did you forget? Inquiring minds want to know.