Clean up your messy dorm room.
How do you fit your books, clothes, linens, computer and other necessities into a space no bigger than a prison cell? With some creativity and furniture that's vertical, functional and dual-purpose.






6 Steps to a Clutter-Free Dorm Room
Step 1: Upload your "before" photos

Step 2: Think it through

Step 3: Think F.A.S.T!

Step 4: Create and maintain zones for your dorm room

Step 5: Problem solving for common issues

Step 6: Upload your "after" photos
We want to see your dorm room disasters! Take pictures of what your room is like now, and send them in. Peter just might be able to help you if you have questions—or you could be on the show!
What You'll Need to Get Started
Digital camera
Computer

Upload your photos


Improve Your Chances of Appearing on The Oprah Show!
1. Don't pick up your mess before you take your "before" photos. The messier, the better!
2. Take a photo from each and every corner of the room. Get the widest angle possible—the more we see, the better.
3. Get creative! Take a few photos of specific areas of the room—your desk, bed, dresser, closet, etc.
4. Make sure the room is well lit. If not, use a flash.
5. Make sure your camera settings are on the highest resolution possible.
6. Turn off the time/date stamp.
7. Don't include anyone in the photos. Rooms only, please!
8. Try not to submit blurry photos. We may not be able to use them.
9. Remember, you can only submit up to three photos, so pick your best ones!
You got into college because you've proven your book smarts. Now, let's put your organizational skills to the test. When it comes to your college stuff, less truly is more—especially if you have multiple roommates. Having a little more room to move and to think goes a long way. It's time to reimagine your dorm room and make your possessions serve your life, instead of vice versa. Take your vision and make it a reality. Here's how to create a shared vision even your roommate will love.
What You'll Need to Get Started
Download a room function chart PDF

How to Create a Shared Vision
Gather your roommates. Talk with your partner about what you envision for the dorm room. More studying? More entertainment space? Keep in mind not everyone will share the same idea, so be mindful of each other during this process. Having to toss treasured possessions can be a highly emotional exercise for most people. This is a tough job, and you are going to engage in tough conversations, so get off on the right foot together.

Establish a basic premise. The best way to enter a tough discussion is to establish where you stand at the start with respect and understanding. Before you talk about the clutter, talk about what is important to all of you. Discuss what you want the final outcome of this cleanup to be. Agree on ground rules, and return to this initial conversation when things get difficult or uncomfortable.

Don't make it personal. As you discuss your hopes and goals, make sure you don't start blaming your roommate for the mess. Instead of focusing on whose mess it is, think of it as a group problem that you're going to solve together. Don't use words like "yours" and "mine." Talk about the clutter and challenges surrounding it as "ours."

Don't point your finger at others. The goal is to reframe the discussion away from the item itself to its significance in your lives. Here are some questions to help you make decisions about what to keep without starting arguments or passing judgment.

  • Instead of "Why don't you put your shoes away?" ask: "What is it that you want from this space?"
  • Instead of "Why do we have to keep your stuffed animals?" ask: "Why is that important to you? Does it have meaning?"
  • Instead of "There's no room for all of your stuff in there," say: "Let's see how we can share this space so that it works for both of us."
  • Instead of "Why do you have to hold on to these ugly sweaters your dad gave you?" ask: "What do these sweaters make you think of or remind you of?"
  • Instead of "I don't understand how you can live with all of this junk," ask: "How do you feel when you have to spend time in this room?"
Complete a room function chart. Download a copy and give one to each roommate. Fill them out individually, then meet to compare your results. At this stage, it is best to simply hear what everyone has to say without dismissing any idea. The more comments, feedback, insight and discussion, the better! Welcome surprises and be prepared for some interesting points of view.
With any project, it's important to kick-start the process. Until further notice, do not go out and buy anything new and unnecessary???no retail therapy, no "great deals" and no sales! Instead, purge as much clutter as possible as quickly as you can using the F.A.S.T. method. Here's a step-by-step breakdown on how to clean house and get organized.
What You'll Need to Get Started

Trash bags
Download signs to help keep your piles in order:
F: Fix a time. Schedule a time that suits everyone involved. Cleaning up is a group effort, so get everyone on board by scheduling your kick-start at a time that works for everyone and make attendance mandatory! Set aside a Saturday or a Sunday, or a few hours every day, to start the process.

A: Anything not used in 12 months. Face it: If you haven't used an item in the last year, it is highly unlikely you really need it or that you are going to ever get enough use out of it to justify it cluttering up your home. Take the plunge and get rid of it! Ask yourself these questions as you encounter each piece of clutter:
  • Do I use this?
  • How long has it been since I've used it?
  • Will I use it again?
  • Is it worth the space it takes up in my house?
Remember: The objective is to get stuff out of your room, not to move it home again. You will be amazed by the sheer volume of unused and unneeded items in your room. Don't spend time inventing reasons to keep these things.

S: Someone else's stuff. It's bad enough when clutter is your own, but it is totally crazy when the clutter belongs to someone else. Your room should not contain anything that doesn't belong to you. If it's something you've borrowed, give it back. If you've ended a relationship, now's the time to let your ex's belongings go.

T: Trash. The trash can is your friend. It is your very hungry friend. Take pride in how much you throw away and make it fun. Compete with your roommates to see who tosses the most or award a prize to the best purger. Remember the goal: You only want to keep the amount of stuff that makes sense for your space.
Dorm rooms are always used for different purposes at the same time. In order to decide what should stay and where, you need to identify the different activities that take place within each room and divide them into zones. Once you begin organizing, these zones become the center for specific items related to the designated activity. Then, it becomes immediately clear where things belong, where to find things and where to return them.
Sample Zones for Dorm Rooms
Sleeping
Relaxation
Storage
Entertaining
Dining
Studying

Quick Tips for Your Dorm Room
1. If you can, find out what furniture is included with your room. Many dorms have suggested floor plans to maximize space; some schools won't let you bring your own furniture.

2. Use a footlocker-style trunk and stackable, interlocking plastic crates to transport your things to school. The crates can serve as storage unites, and the trunk can double as a coffee table or an end table. Suitcases can store clothing and extra linens.

3. Bring only the clothes you'll wear for the next few months if you plan to go home on breaks. Fill in gaps and adjust for the seasons in spurts.

Storage
  • A tall bookcase and a rolling file box, if permitted, are both useful and inexpensive space-expanding furniture pieces.
  • File cabinets or carts and expandable files keep papers organized.
  • Subdue your CD collection with a multimedia rack or CD box. Better yet, upload all of your music on your computer before you head to school!
Studying
  • Put up bulletin/magnetic boards to keep track of deadlines and to express your personality.
  • Add a hutch on top of your dorm-issue desk for handy access to your ever-increasing collection of textbooks.
Layout
  • Investigate ways to maximize the closet space. Buy multi-tiered racks and hangers, stacking open crates and so on.
  • Set up a loft bed, which creates underbed space for a desk and storage. If your dorm doesn't permit lofts, increase available floor space by stacking the beds into bunks, or raise your bed on cinder blocks to slide in shallow underbed boxes or drawers.
Get ideas for organizing and redecorating your dorm room.
By now, your dorm room should be a true delight. Show us how far you've come!
What You'll Need to Get Started
Digital camera
Computer

Upload your photos


Improve Your Chances of Appearing on The Oprah Show!
1. Take a photo from each and every corner of the room. Get the widest angle possible—the more we see, the better.
2. Take the "after" in the exact same place you took all the "before" photos. That way they will match up perfectly.
3. Get creative! Take a few "before" and "after" photos of specific areas of the room—your table, kids corner, bed, dresser, etc. Just remember to have the same angle for both photos!
4. Make sure the room is well lit. If not, use a flash.
5. Make sure your camera settings are on the highest resolution possible.
6. Turn off the time/date stamp.
7. Don't include anyone in the photos. Rooms only, please!
8. Try not to submit blurry photos. We may not be able to use them.
9. Remember, you can only submit up to three photos, so pick your best ones!
Published 03/12/2009

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