College Dorm Room/Apartment Inspiration and Organization

College dorm room/apartment inspiration and organization, you need to read this if you or your child is going to college!

My daughter is getting ready to go to college, so I have had college apartments and dorm room inspiration on my mind a lot lately. It’s only a matter of time before my thoughts shift to student loan consolidation and saving money. The thought of my beloved daughter, and the light of my life, leaving home rips my heart out, but I am trying to remain strong for her. It is not easy! Miss 18 Year Old will be living in an apartment, but most Freshman will be living in a dorm room.

I have gathered some inspiration and organizing ideas that I think can be used in either a dorm room or a small college apartment. I absolutely love the way the below girls dorm room bed is decorated. It is great to personalize your space and add pictures of family and friends, especially when you are away from home for the first time. The rest of this post contains some great ideas and inspiration for dorm rooms or college apartments.

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One thing I never thought of until I started doing some research is to make a first aid kit that a college student can keep in their dorm or apartment. This one below was made using a fishing tackle box.Here are some things to put in the first aid kit:

· first-aid manual
· sterile gauze pads of different sizes
· adhesive tape
· adhesive bandages in several sizes
· elastic bandage
· a splint
· antiseptic wipes
· soap (antibacterial gel will work)
· antibiotic ointment
· antiseptic solution (like hydrogen peroxide)
· hydrocortisone cream (1%)
· acetaminophen and ibuprofen
· extra prescription medications
· tweezers
· sharp scissors
· safety pins
· disposable instant cold packs
· calamine lotion
· alcohol wipes or ethyl alcohol
· thermometer
· plastic non-latex gloves (at least 2 pairs)
· mini flashlight and extra batteries and also a mini magnifying glass because sometimes you can’t even see the splinter!
· mouthpiece for administering CPR (can be obtained from your local Red Cross or Milford Hospital will give you one)

Dorm room decor DIY your own first aid kit - you will be so glad later! Make for B when he goes away? @K D Eustaquio Martin

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Using vintage luggage stacked up is a trendy and useful way to get more storage. I love this boys dorm room! the map on the wall is so inspiring, and reminds the college student to dream big, because the whole world is out there waiting for them!

"Boys room." I really dislike how any room that implies doing anything, or being active, (travel! learning!) is a "boys room" and anything pink and passive (clothes! things! stuff!) is for girls. ARG!

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This next idea is particularly for a dorm room, where you won’t have a kitchen. Fill a Rubbermaid box with cereals and snacks that don’t need refrigerated. Something like this could slide right under the bed. I really like these particular boxes.

EVERY COLLEGE KID should PIN this!!!! "Dorm Room Groceries" I'll need this eventually

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We actually bought Miss 18 Year Old a couple of these nifty storage cubes. They can provide extra seating and storage all in one. And they are super cute! You can find a large variety of these nifty storage cube ottomans here!

dorm storage ideas | ... Dorm Rooms Ideas for Girls- How about these stylish storage boxes

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This dorm room with posters everywhere is a great reflection of the student’s individuality and personality. Looks like a fun place to hang out and study.

http://slodive.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/dormdecorating-ideas-for-girls/amazing-dorm-room.jpg

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Whether you are living in a dorm or sharing a bathroom in an apartment, this shower caddy is a great way to keep all of your bathroom items in one spot and carry them back and forth with you.

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A mini fridge and a microwave are must have items for every dorm room. A small refrigerator could also be good for an apartment, because sometimes you just don’t want to share your food or drinks with your roommates. I like the way this refrigerator and microwave are stacked on top of the drawers. You can keep food and other kitchen types of items in the drawers, and then also in the bin on top of the microwave. And hanging a paper towel holder on the side of the microwave is a great idea!

6 Tips for Keeping Your Dorm Room Organized » ForRent.com : Apartment Living Blog

Mini Fridge// Microwave// Storage cart

Using stackable bins, and these stacking drawers are a great way to make the most of a small closet. They even hung an extra hanging bar from the top one to make more hanging space. I also like how there is an area to put shoes on the side of the drawers. Hiding it all away with a cute drapery is perfection.

Dorm room ideaNeat organization for dorm closet...I personally would like this but more colorful

stacking bins// stacking baskets// stacking drawers

I love the way this student made their bed to mimic a sofa, with lots of throw pillows, and a shelf behind to hold pictures, books, and an alarm clock. And as I mentioned earlier lots of personal photos on the wall!

Dorm Rooms & Decor very similar to my dorm last year

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For the boy or girl who has a lot of shoes, using a bookshelf to store them is a fabulous idea!

Bookshelf// Source

You can see that these students are also using storage cubes. I love they way they coordinated their bedding, but it is not too matchy matchy and still lets their own individual personality shine through. So adorable!

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This command center is a great way to keep a college student on track and organized. I am thinking of using some chalkboard paint to make one of these in my daughter’s bedroom. At her apartment, they are allowed to paint if they want to.

Chalkboard Wall Calander

My daughter is very lucky in the fact that her apartment has a laundry room with a washer and dryer right in her apartment. But a lot of students have to go to a Laundromat to do their laundry, and these oversized laundry bags are a great way to get their laundry from one place to another. And if it gets stinky, just throw it in the wash while you are there!

Laundry Bag

This is such a great boys dorm room! I love the way this student is also utilizing vintage luggage for storage under his bed, and look at the metal flashing strips hanging on the wall over the desk. What a great way to display whatever you want to hang on them! Yu can buy this metal flashing at any home improvement store, and use Velcro to hang it.

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Lots of dorm rooms have brick walls, so you can’t use nails to hang things. and even in my daughter’s apartment, when she moves out, she has to patch all holes in the walls, so this dorm tape is a great way to hang posters and photos.

Dorm Tape

I love love love this eclectic and fun girls dorm room! And you can see she has lots stored underneath her bed. When you are living in such a small space, it is important to utilize underneath of the bed for storage if at all possible. Did you know that they make risers that you can put underneath of each leg of your bed, to make it easier to store things underneath of it?

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This little gadget is an all in one tool set. It contains 23 tools that you can hold all in one hand! this can also be purchased in black for boys.

Girl's All in One Tool Set - 23 PC College Supplies Shopping List For College Girls Quick Repairs Dorm Room

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This is another really cool dorm room. I love the string lights to create a certain mood in the room, and of course all of the posters and photos.

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Something that I never really though about until doing some research is to have a small sewing kit. You never know when you might need to do some last minute repairs. This is not just for girls either. A boy might be able to use it too!

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Hanging a shelf over your bed is a great way to add a little more storage to your room.

Loved our article about decorating your dorm room on a dime? Click through for Etsy Wednesday: Your College Dorm Room Shopping List.

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This bedside storage caddy is a great way to store things that you would normally put on a night stand. Especially if you don’t have a night stand.

Design something similar for the girls - but with cute fabric.

Bedside Storage Caddy

Covering basic clipboards with fun paper and hanging them in a square collage is a great alternative to a bulletin board.

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There really isn’t room in a small dorm room for a full size ironing board, so using a TV tray as an ironing board is a great idea! you can simply cover it with a little padding and some pretty fabric, and voila- ironing board!

Wish me luck over the next couple of weeks as we prepare to move our daughter into her very first apartment. And if you are the praying type, we can certainly use it. And especially my daughter. going to college for the first time can be very stressful. Everything is new and everything is changing. Not to mention that you need to study and keep your grades up. So we can certainly use all of the good thoughts and prayers we can get in the coming future.Update 9/2/14- You can see a tour of my daughter’s college apartment here.

Do you have a student who is preparing to go off to college? If so, I hope these ideas helped you to wrap your mind around all that there is to prepare for this important life change. I have created a Pinterest Board specifically for dorm room/apartment inspiration and organization, so click on over for lots of more ideas!

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