Author: Lindsay Vinson

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Before I moved into my college dorm as a Freshman, I made a point to be very limited with what I brought into my dorm space. I knew that the space I would have would be very limited and that in reality, I didn’t need a whole lot. If I could just find out what exactly I needed to have for each section of the dorm, I would be just fine. This is what I wish a lot of students coming into college realized. Overpacking and overbuying will hurt you very quickly. Don’t get me wrong, you will almost certainly need to buy things for your dorm, it’s just a matter of figuring out what the right things to buy are. So, to any college student about to move in thinking, “what do I really need for my dorm closet?” this is exactly what I wish I was told:

Velvet hangers will be very, very handy in ensuring that your clothes don’t fall off of the hangers and clutter area- it can get cluttered very quickly. Clear, stackable bins for other clothes items that don’t fit well on the hangers or in your drawers are also very helpful. You may need to put your laundry bag or bin in your closet, so the velvet hangers and clear stackable bins are perfect for keeping things organized and stored well without taking up too much space in the already small area.

Why is it important that your dorm closet space is organized?

When clothes fall off of the hangers or aren’t organized well, they will pile up very quickly. This becomes very frustrating when you need something for class, work, or an event and aren’t able to find it because it’s buried under everything else. Plus, if things are piled, it can give the impression that all of the clothes are dirty and need to be washed, when in reality, half of them may be clean. Doing laundry can really be a hassle in college, so you definitely don’t want to spend more time on it than you absolutely need to.

What types of items should I put on the hangers?

Most dorms have sets of drawers either under the bed or elsewhere. Use the hangers for items that need to be hung up, but don’t fit in the drawers. For example (If you have 4 drawers, which most dorms do):

shirts in 1 drawer, pants in 1 drawer, sweatshirts in 1 drawer, and socks/underwear in 1 drawer

Hang up suits/jackets/dresses, ect.

Organize leftover items into bins (shoes, scarfs/gloves/hats, or even other extra supplies that need storage)

How many hangers and bins should I bring for my closet?

30 hangers is a safe number, as this doesn’t take up too much space, but it prevents you from bringing your whole wardrobe (trust me, you don’t need or want to do that!) The amount of bins may depend on how you plan on organizing your space and how much you are bringing, but for the closet, I would set a limit of 5. However, these are also useful for other areas of your dorm, such as under your bed or next to your desk.

I’ve found that this system is very useful because if there are too many things on hangers, they can end up being very crammed together, making it really difficult to get things out or put things back. Having a set limit of how many hangers and bins to bring also sets you up to create a clear, effective plan for organizing your dorm.

These velvet hangers are the ones that I have used throughout my college experience and loved from day one.

These bins work really well and also look nice in a closet.

I would also recommend this laundry basket. It’s a great size and the fact that it rolls is really convenient for taking it down the halls and through elevators.

Other important things to remember for your closet area:

The right materials for your closet, or any space for that matter, are nothing without habit and discipline when it comes to keeping your room organized. There are going to be many times when you don’t feel like putting away clothes or putting forth the energy to put them in the right place. Do everything you can to fight this. I promise, you will thank yourself for it.