Dorm life is a be-all and end-all for college students. It's where they study, eat, and have fun, where they meet new long-term friends and partners. It's where they experience living alone and having to take care of themselves. All and all, dorm life is scary but also a fun time for students. This post will talk about organizing essentials for dorm life that will enhance the experience for each college student, whether they are a freshman or a transfer student.
I remember going off to college, nervous, and realizing that I didn't know anyone. Everything was different from high school and my structured day. I now had to be more responsible and organized to get everything done. This resulted in me wanting to know where everything was in my dorm life. I was the first college student in my family to go to college, and I had to figure out what I needed.
My parents didn't know anything about living on campus while taking classes. We didn't have a lot of money and could only buy the organizing essentials that I needed at the time. So, I streamlined my needs and only purchased items that were necessary. Nowadays, the essential organizing items have changed a bit. I'm going to share with you the items that are organizing essentials right now! I hope they give you some ideas to help you stay organized in your dorm.
Jump to:
- Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #1 ~ Lock up your belongings.
- Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #2 ~ Have a Physical Alarm Clock.
- Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #3 ~ A secure portable filing bin.
- Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #4 ~ Under the bed organization.
- Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #5 ~ Over-the-door storage:
- Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #6 ~ Supplies on the go.
- Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #7 ~ Shower Caddy:
- Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #8 ~ Bedside caddy.
***Disclosure: The links below are from Amazon (Affiliate Link).com. If you click through and purchase an item or two, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Here are some of my most helpful organizing essentials for dorm life. These items helped me make my college experience an organized and fun time.
Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #1 ~ Lock up your belongings.
Of course, security is essential in a dorm room. Important items to have are a laptop lock (Affiliate Link), tablet lock, and safe (Affiliate Link). The tablet lock, small safe (Affiliate Link), and laptop lock (Affiliate Link) can be wrapped around the substantial college desks so no one can quickly come into your room and take your stuff. Determine how many of these valuables are important to lock up when they are not in the dorm before buying them all. Some safes are large enough to hold a tablet and a laptop.
Tip: Be sure that the combination is mixed after disconnecting it so people can't see what the combination is when it is unlocked.
Below is one example I found on Amazon (Affiliate Link).com (affiliate).
Laptop Cable Lock,Slot Plate 6.23ft Cable
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #2 ~ Have a Physical Alarm Clock.
A physical alarm clock (Affiliate Link) works best. I prefer to use the phone alarm as a backup to the physical alarm clock (Affiliate Link) to make sure I am up to when I need to up. Look for an alarm clock (Affiliate Link) that isn't too bright at night time. No one likes a bright light shining in their face while they are sleeping.
Tip: Set your alarm to wake up AND your phone alarm. It is a great backup just in case your phone or alarm clock (Affiliate Link) does not work.
Buy Now → 
Alarm Clock with Wireless Charging
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #3 ~ A secure portable filing bin.
This item is where all the important papers that needed to be brought back and forth should go. Papers for college registration, work papers, and documents are just some examples. Pick a bin with a lid that locks will keep them from falling out and getting lost.
Tip: If you get a big enough safe (Affiliate Link), you can fit these files in there as well, resulting in one less item to bring with you.
Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #4 ~ Under the bed organization.
Storing items under the bed (Affiliate Link) is a great space saver. Measure the height from the floor to the bottom rail under the mattress. If it is not high enough for a good number of bins, you can buy bed risers (Affiliate Link) to bring up the bed if it is pretty low.
Shoes (Affiliate Link), papers, clothing, sweaters, and winter clothes can be stored under the bed (Affiliate Link). Choose under-the-bed storage bins with zipper lids to protect your stuff from dust or critters.
Tip: Box everything up exactly how you want it to look under the bed (Affiliate Link) so you know the height you will need. Then, contact the dorm building director and ask them what the height is from the floor to the bottom of the bed frame.
Under the Bed Storage Box with wheels by Sterilite
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Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #5 ~ Over-the-door storage:
If there is a standard door, an over-the-door (Affiliate Link) storage unit works best. It has many compartments that are small enough to keep all the small items organized in a door room. Some items to store in them are beauty supplies, hair supplies, shoes (Affiliate Link), school supplies, and snacks.
Be sure to check and make sure you have the clearance to add an over-the-door (Affiliate Link) organizer to your door. Some doors may have a little gap around the door.
You may also need to check if you have clearance on the back of the door. If the door is up against a side wall, you may not be able to open it when the organizer is on it.
Tip: check to make sure that the doors are not super thick. They may not fit over the door.
Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #6 ~ Supplies on the go.
Having a school supply carrying case (Affiliate Link) works great for any student on the go. They can easily use it in the dorm and zip up and take it to class or even home for the weekend.
Tip: Pick a case with lots of compartments that are small enough and pliable enough to flatten in any backpack. When possible, only carry a few of each type of pen and pencil.
Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #7 ~ Shower Caddy:
A shower caddy (Affiliate Link) helps, especially when there is a shared bathroom. Pick one with lots of compartments for different cleaning items. The more compartments, the better, I always say. Pick one with a handle to really make it easy to move around and carry.
Some dorm rooms will have their own bathroom, so you can purchase an over-the-shower head version to help you stay organized in the bathroom.
Tip: Look for a caddy with flexible compartments of various sizes. It makes it easier to stay organized when you are in the shower.
Organizing Essential For Dorm Life #8 ~ Bedside caddy.
Depending on the size of the dorm room, not all dorm rooms have a nightstand (Affiliate Link) or desk that can be placed next to the bed. So, buying a bedside caddy that you can add to a bed frame will work to hold items by hanging them from the side of the bed frame. To be honest, this one is a purchase that was needed for my son, who had a small room, but my daughter was able to use her desk as a nightstand (Affiliate Link). While there is usually a frame around the bed, there may not be a headboard (Affiliate Link) or footboard.
Tip: Pick one that you can easily hold all the electronics your child will most often use in bed. Measure the width, height, and thickness and review the measurements in the specifications of the product before purchasing.
Bedside Caddy by Zafit, 8 Pockets Large Size
Buy Now →(Affiliate Link)
Well, that's it! If you are looking for a dorm packing list, check out my FREE 3-page checklist for dorm organizing I wrote previously.
I hope this helps make dorm life a lot easier to manage for your child. What are your favorite organizing essentials you had in your dorm room? Please leave a comment below.
I found some more posts from other bloggers online that talk about essential organizing supplies needed for college. Feel free to click through below.
Real College Students Share Their Dorm Room Storage Essentials
20 Dorm Room Storage Ideas for the Most Organized Room Ever
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon (Affiliate Link), and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
Janet Schiesl says
I never thought of locking up valuables for students. Good idea. I also like all the bedside caddies you showed. Now that everyone has a phone, a caddie to keep it in at night is a good idea.
Sheri Steed says
I agree with all of your ideas. You've done a great job of selecting items that will benefit any college student regardless of gender or circumstance. I never thought of #1, but it's an important one!
Linda Samuels says
It's been a while since we sent out daughters to college and even longer since I went. And it's interesting how you noted the ways in which things and college essentials have changed. Certainly when I went to school, no one had computers, laptops, or smart phones. Locking up those items isn't something I recall our daughters doing. It's too bad that it's become necessary now, but I get it. I also wonder how the COVID19 situation will affect dorm life and other possible essentials that are needed.
That first year of college is so exciting and I suspect that freshman year is going to look quite different in many colleges. In some instances, it might only delivered virtually.
For those college students that are able to be on campus, your list will be great!
Sara Skillen says
I love the bedside caddy - our daughter's dorm room had a bedside table, so the idea didn't even occur to me. I think I need one for myself (even though I do have a bedside table)!
Jamie Steele says
Love these tips. I also like the hanging sweater organizers for closets. They use the vertical space so well.
Jeri says
I've been meaning to get a laptop lock for when I take my laptop to coffee shops or the library to get some work done. All of these are great tips too for someone such as myself who does plan to live in an RV or a tiny house at some point in the future.
Sarah Soboleski says
Love that the laptop lock is top of the list. Safety first!
Sabrina says
It's my favorite one too. =) Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Sarah.
Ronni says
This is so comprehensive, again, I don’t think you missed a thing. I remember when one of my daughters went off to college, whomever arrived at the dorm room first meant you got to have your choice of which bed you wanted. So much pressure!
There are so many new products today to organize these small rooms but it can be done!
Seana Turner says
The bedside caddy is especially nice, even if you do have a bedside table or a shelf. I find these helpful in all homes, not just dorms!
Melanie says
The bedside caddy is such a good idea! Some dorm rooms are extremely small and the desk suddenly becomes a dining table, dumping zone, study space, and storage overflow. These are all great product suggestions to minimize the clutter.
Janet Barclay says
One of the things I loved about my room was the rows of shelves above the desk - tons of space for books and all types of school and personal supplies.
Jill Robson says
Great tips, Sabrina. I especially love the laptop lock, my son is not quite at this stage yet, but something for me to keep in mind when he is.