One of the biggest questions that people often have about dorm life is how much of their personal stuff can they bring with them to the dorm.
Large items are almost always a no-go, like TVs and large fridges, but some people also want to know about the closet arrangement in the average dorm room so they know how much clothing to bring with them.
This can be particularly tough in places that have all of the seasons each year, which might mean that you will need a set of clothes for each season.
Dorms are made to save space and be very basic in most cases, which can lead to a lot of questions about how to maximize space in the dorm room.
On top of this, many dorms will require students to share a lot of the real estate of the room, which could include closet space. There are often closets in dorm rooms, but they are very small.
If you are ready to learn more about college dorm closets, you should read on!
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Do Dorm Rooms Have Closets?
The answer is that yes, most dorms have closets of some kind. This is not going to be a walk-in closet and you should expect a space that is about 3 feet wide and not very deep. There will often be two closet areas in each dorm room, one for each student.
These closets will not have doors on them in most cases and you will only have a small shelf above the clothing rack to place items that might not hang up easily.
This is not much space if you need to hang up large jackets or sweaters and have room for boots and other kinds of footwear that you might need for winter weather or wet and rainy days. This can lead to a lot of questions about what to do with your clothes in your dorm room.
In some dorms, when space is really tight, there might not even be closet space. Some dorms have shelving units and that is the sole extent of the storage space that is offered in your dorm room.
This can lead to a lot of storage challenges that some students were not expecting when they are planning their move.
What Can I Do to Store my Clothes and Personal Items?
Thankfully, most college dorm rooms are equipped with beds that have storage space under them. This means that you can bring along totes and other kinds of storage bins for your clothing and personal item storage needs.
You might want to consider the various kinds of storage items that are made for this need if you know that you will have to put a large portion of your clothing under your bed.
Rubbermaid totes and other kinds of plastic bins can be a really good solution for your storage needs and if they are clear, you will be able to see what is in them right off when you are looking under the bed.
Consider that you will want to have easy access to some of these bins for daily use and that you should not plan to pack an entire season’s worth of clothes into the closet space in your dorm room.
Most people have shoe racks and bins that they use for most of their footwear and they might also decide to add some folding totes that are easy to press down in size when they are under the bed.
If there is room around your bed, you might be able to get a plastic stackable bin that has many shelves in it. These shelves can be great for underwear and other smaller clothing items that you do not want to lose.
If you do not have any closet space in your dorm, this might be your only storage option so you will need to plan accordingly.
You may not be able to bring every piece of clothing that you own to school with you and you should plan for a reduced closet space no matter what your dorm room arrangement is.
How Can I Make Storage Easier?
If you have really limited storage space in your dorm room, you should consider leaving your winter clothes at home and bringing them back to the dorms with you after a break or a long weekend.
Switching out your wardrobe each season can help you to save space throughout the year and reduce the risk of lost clothes or clothing that becomes damaged by being stored under the bed during the parts of the year when it is not being used.
For most students, there will be a need for casual clothes most days and a very rare occasion for formal clothes. You can cut back on your formal clothing and just bring a few essential items that you cannot live without.
This is a more common need when you are moving into a fraternity or a sorority, but for most students, formal dining or formal occasions will be limited overall.
Planning Ahead Can Help You Bring the Right Clothes to College
If you have been worrying about your storage situation in your dorm, you should find out what size the closets in your dorm are and then practice fitting the clothes you want to bring into that size space in your closet at home.
This will show you how much clothing you can hang up and store and how much clothing will need to be stored under your bed.
There is nothing worse than bringing a bunch of items with you into the dorms that you do not have room for or do not need. Planning to bring just the right amount of clothing and shoes and other items from home is a good rule of thumb.
You will save yourself time and headaches on the move-in day if you have planned the right storage solutions for your needs in advance.
I am Brianna, a self-published author with a passion for sharing my knowledge and expertise on various topics with people looking to find the perfect items for their needs. I love ensuring that the right informative content is available to people looking for the right information. I am an avid horseback rider and reader when I am not writing.
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