Moving to a college is a big change. One of the changes is the amount of room you have to live in. Whether living on or off campus, apartments can really limit your space, making it tough to stay organized. Here is a list of tips to help you get organized and stay organized.
Tip one: Start small. Cleaning and organizing a room can seem like a big job, but start by taking 10 minutes out of your day and dedicate it to cleaning. Start with one shelf or one drawer and after a week you will see a huge difference.
Tip two: Throw stuff away! As hard as it may be, loose what you don’t use. If you have clothes taking up space and you haven’t worn them in a year or two, donate them.
Tip three: Make a plan. If you want to stay organized you have to put in the effort. Continue to set goals for yourself such as, getting laundry done, folded and put away by Monday or vacuuming every Wednesday.
Tip four: Once you get your room clean, you can start organizing in order to stay clean. There are plenty of dollar store options for college students on a budget. Often times, you can even use recycled boxes to store your stuff. You can even get fancy and decorate your storage containers with fabric or wrapping paper.
Tip five: Stay conscious about how much space you have. It’s easy to get carried away and fill a room with all your stuff from home but it’s unrealistic. If you have a bunch of items that you just can’t live without, invest in a small bookcase where you will be able to stack things vertically, allowing you to free up floor space.
Now you have five steps to get you started. Living in a clean and organized space can reduce stress as a messy space can make you feel hopeless or out of control. Getting and staying organized not only helps you find things but also helps you feel more accomplished. Once you have gotten organized and you are happy with your results, your apartment can start to feel more like a home. Here are some additional links that list more organizational options.