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So you need to organize your dorm room. Organizing a small space on a budget isn’t easy, but it is doable. In Part 1 of this set, I provided you with the following dorm room organization tips:

1. Make use of divided plastic storage containers.
2. Use soda can tabs to expand wardrobe storage.
3. Use bulletin boards to store more jewelry and other odds and ends.
4. Use tension rods to store lots of shoes.

Now let’s check out a few more clever ideas!

5. Shower caddies work surprisingly well for storing school supplies.

Shower caddies aren’t particularly useful as such when you are in college, because they are an inconvenient size and shape to haul back and forth between your room and the bathroom. They are however extremely handy for other uses. For example, they actually are great for storing school supplies like day planners, notebooks, and so forth. Since they are a form of wall storage, they free up space on your desk.

6. Use space to organize time (get a whiteboard).

While you are busy organizing your space, it is easy to forget about the need to organize your time. But this is important as well—arguably more important in many ways. But there is no need to create a false dichotomy between the two. You can in fact organize your space in such a way as to facilitate time management. One great way to do that is to make sure you leave space on one of your walls for a whiteboard.

7. Label your plastic storage drawers with chalkboard paint.

This is a genius dorm room hack because it solves a couple of problems at once. First, it helps you find what you need. Secondly, you can use it to make clear plastic bin drawers opaque, which gives you some much-needed privacy. Alternately, if you do want to still be able to look inside your bins, you can just apply the paint to part of each drawer, leaving the rest clear. Just paint over enough that you can write clear labels.

8. Think about the future.

Chances are good that after college, you might be moving out of your parents’ home to an apartment. Your apartment, like your dorm, will likely be small. So while you might imagine now that you will be purchasing all kinds of fancy furnishings, you probably will actually be relying on the exact same storage solutions you are using now.

So purchase supplies that you can picture yourself using for many years to come. Plus, you will probably get attached to them and will not want to part with them. So think about aesthetics and durability, not just cost-savings and convenience. Do not be surprised if you are still using the same set of plastic bins a decade after you graduate.

I hope that you enjoyed these dorm room organization hacks! Keep checking out the other articles in our archive to learn even more about getting organized at school and making the most of small spaces!