Organisation Tips & Tricks for Students

Moving away from home is a massive step in the life of a young adult, and for the vast majority of students it is the first time they will be living without parents or family. You are dropped off and suddenly you’re an adult. You have your own room, your own clothes to wash and iron, your own dishes to clean and put away. It isn’t an easy transition, but it can be helped by having things organised.

A student room is usually small, so you need to utilise all the space you have. Below are a few tips and tricks I have learnt from my university time (which sadly came to an end last year – I miss it!)

Under Bed Storage

The lonely space you have below your bed (providing you don’t have a box bed) is the best place to throw your belongings such as bedding, big jumpers/ coats or spare clothes, extra bottles of things like hand wash that you may not need to use just yet.

Buy a few big storage boxes to organise your things into, but remember to make sure the boxes will fit under your bed before you buy too many! I’d suggest buying around 3, one for bedding, one for clothes and one for spare toiletries/cleaning products or for maybe for any food you might want to keep in your room.

Don’t rush out and spend loads of money on storage boxes, you can use a simple cardboard box (you’ll probably have a few left over from moving in) or for something a bit sturdier, pop to ASDA for a cheap plastic box. This won’t be too costly, and will make a big difference when you need to change your bed, and already know exactly where everything is!

Vacuum Seal Bags

These things are brilliant for freeing up space when you have a lot of clothes to store. I usually put my ‘winter clothes’ such as jumpers, vests, scarfs etc into a couple to shrink them down and throw them at the bottom of my wardrobe throughout summer. Again, this is a quick and easy storage solution. I purchased mine for Argos about a year ago for £15-ish. You can also use them for packing more into a suitcase when travelling! Just be careful of the weight, and try and remember what you’ve put into the bags – it can be hard to see once you’ve vacuumed the bag.

General Room Storage

£3.50, IKEA

You can get boxes like this one (left) to throw all sorts in, and they can sit on a bookshelf or tuck away out of sight. I’ve even purchased shoe racks before, painted them and used them as book stands. It’s a nice idea, if you want a little project, to paint or decorate storage boxes, and it can add a little personal touch to your room.

You’ll also want large a laundry basket, or bag. I opted for a large bag with a zip, because I had to carry it to the other side of campus to get to the laundrette, and no one wants their dirty laundry blowing down the road!

There are also some really lovely storage boxes and duvet covers in ASDA’s home section at the moment. Best of all, they are really cheap and good quality!

Bathroom Storage

£5, ASDA

Whether you have an en-suit or share a bathroom, you’ll want to invest in a few storage baskets to throw make-up, deodorants and the like in. You can, again, get these from supermarkets relatively cheaply, or places like The Range or IKEA.

Remember, you’ll want something waterproof, and not too big. Student bathrooms tend to be on the tiny side.

 

Make-Up Storage

£11, ASDA

It’s a great idea to use kitchen or household storage to organise make-up. I use a small version of these drawers (left) to store my eye-shadows, lipsticks and make-up I don’t use everyday. I also have kitchen pasta storage jars, which I use to put cotton pads in, and pencil pots for make-up brushes.

Craft-storage and organisation is also great for make-up storage, as it’s on a smaller scale and usually cheap buy.

 

 

Using the Library 

If you have an academic-heavy course, think of the library as your second home. Best of all, go early and grab the books you will need before everyone else gets them, instead of buying them all at ridiculous prices online – yep, I’ve been there! You can also leave them there at the end of the day, instead of having books piled from floor to ceiling in your room! However, if the library isn’t really your thing, check for Kindle versions of your reading list.

 

I hope this list is helpful for any students moving into university, or anyone trying to organise their house this autumn! If you have any handy storage tips, let me know in the comments! 🙂