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While you are looking for cheap dorm room ideas and stocking up on the supplies on your dorm room checklist, one thing you should take some extra time to think about is how you are going to arrange your furniture. This will impact the dorm room organization essentials which you invest in.

Here are some factors which will impact the layout options for your dorm room:

• The shape of the room. The room’s dimensions will have a big impact on what you can do with it. For example, my third year dorm room was long and narrow. The beds literally had to go at either end of the room. There was nowhere else to put them. A room with a more square space on the other hand provides you with more diverse layout options.

• How many people are sharing the room. While two is standard, in my college, there were rooms with three people in them as well. Some were larger, but most were the exact same size. This is common on campuses which are in the process of expanding, and haven’t caught up to the needs of a growing student body. If three people are being squeezed into a room for two, you will have very little room, so you will have to resolve to bring as little as possible with you to school.

• How you and your roommate plan to divide the space. Do you both feel it is important to have your own separate space, or are you willing to share areas of the room? Keep in mind your feelings may change through the year too. In general, I am a very “my space is my space” kind of person, and set up my dorm rooms accordingly. But in two cases, I was close friends with my roommates, and our stuff ended up all mixed together by the end anyway.

• Configuration options available for your bed. Different beds can be modified in different ways. Some of them can be raised up from the floor while others cannot. Some can only be notched up a couple feet, but others can be raised clear up almost to the ceiling. Like the dimensions of your room, this can be either a very limiting or liberating factor, depending on what you end up with.

So when it comes to dorm room storage ideas, you will not necessarily be able to figure out in an instant what makes sense. If you can, try and learn the dimensions of the room before you shop for your supplies so you do not buy stuff you do not need or cannot use.

But you also will need to be prepared on move-in day to rethink whatever plan you come up with—because in the end, there is a good chance that in person, you will be able to visualize a better layout with your roommate’s help. Stay flexible, and you will come up with a space-saving arrangement which works great for both of you!