How To Stay Organized in College Living Areas

Heading off to college is an exciting time in your life, but enjoying a seamless transition to campus living life takes a bit of planning. Every college’s living areas are a bit different, but there are typically two types: residence halls and student apartments. Not every residence hall and student apartment will be the same. Age, location, size and type of building complex give variety to the living areas you may choose from. Research your housing before you go to figure out how much space is available to you and how much (and which items) you should pack.

Since college living areas typically have small rooms, you’ll need to maximize your space and make the most of every square inch. However, before making any alterations to the room itself (such as putting up shelves), it’s essential to check on the regulations applicable to your housing. Check with the housing office or with your resident assistant (RA) about the rules to ensure your room modifications are within compliance. Once you’re familiar with the rules, it’s time to learn how to stay organized in college.

Your bed will likely be the largest, bulkiest item in your room, although it is generally advised to wait until you arrive to your living complex to see for yourself as beds may vary. Since you can’t store items on your bed, you’ll be best served by storing as many items as possible underneath it. The first step is to loft your living area bed.

There are a few different ways to go about lofting your living area bed. First, check the bedframe. After taking off the mattress, you may discover that the bedframe is adjustable. If so, you should be able to raise the frame upward, creating more space underneath your bed. You might need to enlist the help of your roommate and don’t forget to check whether it’s allowed.

Under-the-Bed Living Area Room Storage Hacks

Once you’ve lofted your bed, you’ll likely discover a world of possibilities for better living area room organization. If your bed is lofted quite a bit, it may be possible to slide your desk underneath, which will free up a great deal of space elsewhere in your room. If you use this option, be sure to add a few clip-on lamps to your desk area to facilitate studying without eyestrain.

If your lofted bed doesn’t allow for an under-the-bed desk, you can still use the space to create lots of new storage options. Living area room storage hacks include sliding storage bins or stacked storage drawers under the bed.

It’s generally ideal to choose lots of smaller, stacked bins or drawers instead of several large ones. This allows for better organization, as larger storage containers often force people to dig through them looking for items. In the process, this creates an unorganized mess inside the container.

Floor space in college living areas is quite limited, so it’s best to use as much vertical space as possible. Adding vertical elements to your room also creates more visual interest, offering additional décor possibilities.

You can maximize your vertical storage space in a number of different ways. Try the following storage hacks in your room:

• Closet door: Look for over-the-door vertical storage shelves for your closet door. You could hang one vertical shelving unit on the back and another on the front if you wish. Use these storage shelves for personal care items, makeup, first aid supplies and similar items. Similarly, you can use over-the-door hooks for your towels.
• Room door: The main door to your room is shared space if you have roommates, so consult with them before utilizing it for storage. One possibility is to hang a vertical storage unit on the inside of the door that features many large pockets for shoes and slippers. If you and your roommates end up not using all of the pockets for shoes, the remaining ones could be used for gloves, scarves and similar items.
• Hooks: It’s likely that your housing rules forbid hammering nails into the walls, so purchase a bunch of hooks with strong, sticky adhesive instead. You can arrange these hooks along the walls to hold everything from handbags to hats to jewelry and more. A helpful tool would be command strips, or any other damage-free adhesive.

Keeping your possessions organized will help you make the best use of the space available to you. Invest in a few drawer organizers for both your desk and your dresser, and bring closet organizers to college, as well. Organizers can also help you find what you’re looking for faster.

In addition to using organizers in your closet, an option to help maximize space in your closet would be purchasing thin clothes hangers instead of the more bulky plastic ones. The wire versions are less bulky, helping you fit more on the bar.

Use Space-Saving Folding Techniques

Even with drawer and closet organizers, you’ll find it helpful to use space-saving clothes-folding techniques. For example, fold your shirts and stack them in a pile vertically. Then, pick up the pile and flip it so that your shirts are in a row horizontally; place them in a drawer like that. This will not only save space but also help you better find the shirt you're looking for.

A shower caddy is a practical solution for college students, even with private bathrooms in their living areas. It can help conserve space and maintain organization by keeping personal toiletries separate from roommates’ items.

You might also consider looking for a larger, multi-tiered bedside caddy or desk caddy. You can use it in place of a nightstand to save space while still keeping needed items nearby (e.g., your phone, eyeglasses, charger and so on).

Oversized furniture like couches, loveseats or futons typically aren’t allowed in residence halls to maintain space efficiency. However, for students living in apartments, furniture is minimal — where only a bed and desk are likely provided — so purchasing additional pieces is encouraged to make the space more comfortable. This includes essentials like a desk chair, which is necessary for studying but often not supplied. Students can personalize their living spaces with smaller, functional furniture to meet their needs while staying within dorm guidelines. Instead of buying an extra chair, for example, look for an ottoman that doubles as storage for blankets. A reasonably sized trunk could also serve the same purpose.

Find out if the desk provided to you has a hutch for extra storage space. If not, you may want to bring one to college with you. Look for a desk hutch that is elevated enough to still allow plenty of room to work on your assignments on the surface of the desk.

Even with a desk hutch, you’ll still want to look for ways of maximizing your storage space. For instance, instead of arranging your textbooks horizontally along one of the shelves, consider stacking them vertically to create more shelf space.

If you’re currently considering on-campus housing while getting your degree, you may also want to consider the options offered at GCU. According to Niche.com, GCU is ranked as having the #1 best college dorms in Arizona in 2025.¹

Grand Canyon University invites students to explore our diverse selection of bachelor’s degree programs. Take a tour to explore our campus life and check out our student-centric housing options, including suite-style residence halls and student apartments. Get started today by filling out the form on this page to speak with a university counselor.