Last summer was a flurry of emotions and preparations. It was the summer before sending our first born off to college, and it seems like much of that summer was wrapped up in trying to outfit her dorm with just the right items. She was moving far away, into the smallest dorm room I’d ever seen, so I wanted her space to feel as homey as possible while still being practical, since space was going to be an issue!

I think her room turned out really cute, and she and her roomie loved their space! It ended up becoming the hang out (if you can imagine more than two people in here!) for several girls’ nights and Golden Bachelor watch parties.

If you’re in the same boat getting ready to send off a kiddo to college and need some inspiration, here are some of our fave items.

1) Moving Bags

One must-have are these moving bags. I got them on a decent sale, so you might want to hold out for Amazon Prime days. They’re similar to the Ikea ones, except these have a zipper that goes around the top edges (instead of down the middle), making them really easy to pack everything inside. The handles also go all the way around the bottom, making them sturdy enough to fill with heavy items. Another great thing about these (as opposed to boxes) is that once they’re unpacked, they fold up nicely and can store easily under a dorm bed so they’re ready to be packed back up at the end of the school year.

2) Clothing Storage

There are obviously several options for dressers/cubbies, etc. Addie wanted something that looked nice and would fit under her lofted bed. We found this cute canvas drawer dresser that fit almost all of her folded clothes and looked cute too. It also was similar in price to the cubby style ones (once you buy the bins for the cubbies). This also ended up working out great to even fit a few small plastic tubs underneath and on top (links for those next). You could also use the open area underneath it for shoes if needed.

3) Storage Bins

Storage bins were a must for Addie. College kids need a place to store medicines, cleaning supplies, extra toiletries, an extra set of sheets, towels, etc. We found these simple, cheap storage bins with lids from Target and they have been perfect. The lids make them great for stacking, and they come in three different sizes. We got several of all three because I figured what she didn’t end up needing at college, I could use at home or return them. They’re just $3, $4, and $5, depending on size. Addie labeled them with a sharpie, so she knew just where to find all her extra stuff. The bigger ones worked great up on the shelf in her closet, the medium ones were just the right size for the top of her dresser, and the smallest ones fit perfectly under her dresser.

4) Fridge/Microwave Stand

Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of this with the actual fridge under it since it didn’t arrive until a few weeks after they moved in (I photoshopped one in the photo below so you could have an idea of what it looks like. It looks ridiculous. I’m obviously deprived in the photoshop department). This shelving unit provided a nice storage space for the girls to keep all of their kitchen items. And maybe the biggest benefit was they could fit Addie’s TV on the top (rigged with zip ties to keep it secure). I know most college kids nowadays just use their laptops to watch stuff, but having the TV was what turned this room into a hangout space. Addie’s friends loved all being able to watch movies and shows together, and Addie’s room was one of the few with an actual TV.

You can also find metal hooks that attach to these shelves that are great for hanging mugs, dishcloths, etc. I couldn’t find a link for them, but you should be able to find them in your hardware store by the wire shelving.

5) Bedside Tower

There are several options for what to use as a nightstand. I’ve seen people use plastic drawers, their fridge, shelves/pouches that clip to the side of the bed, etc. It really is whatever works best for your student. Addie really liked this rolling utility cart. We got the 4-tier one since her bed was lofted, making it so she could easily reach the items on the top. We also spent a little more to get a metal one after reading reviews that some of the plastic ones didn’t last as long. But I’m sure some of those are fine too! We also liked that this rolled, so if she needed to access things under her bed, this could easily roll out of the way. This one below isn’t the exact one we got her, as that one is currently unavailable, but it is very similar.

Another cute option is the tower below. Last month, it was on sale for $25, so we bought one for Addie’s room here at home (although she’ll probably end up taking it to college too), and got one for Millie to use for college (next year already!). The door fronts are darker than the pic shows, so it hides the contents fairly well.

6) Slim Velvet Hangers

As I stated earlier, space was a big issue in Addie’s dorm room. Both girls had to share a fairly small closet, and both girls had a ton of clothes. Addie bought these slim velvet hangers to maximize her hanging space. They really did make a big difference in how much she could fit in her half of the closet. They’re also great for not leaving those pesky little hanger nubs in the shoulders of your shirts.

7) Hamper

Since most students have to walk a ways to the laundry room, it’s helpful to have a hamper on wheels. We liked this one that had wheels and also a mesh top that can close over the top of the hamper (see the video on the Amazon page to see how this works). This way, if the hamper is overflowing, you can be sure you won’t lose any socks on the way to the laundry room. It fit nicely under her hanging clothes in her closet (see above pic).

8) Detergent Sheets

Speaking of laundry and having to haul things a distance, Addie got these detergent sheets so they wouldn’t take up much space and were easy to take to the laundry room. Some people like the pods too. I’ve had good luck with pods the few times I’ve used them, but have heard other people say they don’t always dissolve or will leave spots on clothing. Addie had good luck with these sheets. They always dissolved and didn’t leave spots/residue.

9) Desktop Shelf

We were fortunate enough to have someone gift us Addie’s desktop bookshelf/hutch. This really helped maximize space, and gave Addie a place to keep some favorite books. There are so many options for these, but I found this one that is similar on Amazon.

10) Hanging Bunkbed Organizer

I lucked out and found some hanging bunkbed organizers at a garage sale last summer. We weren’t sure if Addie would need these or not, but we brought them along just incase. Turns out, they worked perfectly on the end of her bed to store her hair tools (see picture above). I couldn’t find this same one online, but I found a lot of really cute options. Here’s one that I thought was decently priced.

11) Custom Poster

Obviously, this isn’t necessary, but Addie got a lot of compliments on it, so I thought I’d include the link here. She used lyrics from Taylor Swift’s song “You’re on Your Own, Kid.” Guess she thought that was fitting. 😉 We got it printed pretty cheaply (can’t remember where), and then got a lightweight poster frame to put it in. It was easy to hang on the cinder block wall with velcro adhesive strips.

These are just a few things that were helpful to Addie as she made her transition to her tiny dorm room. If you have more products/ideas that were helpful to your college kid, please share them in the comments! I’m sure there are several products that I missed or don’t know about!

Planning ahead and knowing Addie had room for all of the things she needed, plus making her space cute and cozy as well, made it a little easier to leave her there. Not gonna lie, it was still really, really hard…

But we knew she was where God wanted her, and she had an amazing year!

Can’t believe we’ll be planning for Millie’s college room next summer! Not ready for that yet!!

Thankfully, this next year, Addie will be moving into a larger room in a dorm that’s only a year old. She won’t know what to do with all the space! But her experience in her freshman dorm was one she wouldn’t trade. She chose that dorm with the tiny room because it was known for its lively freshman community and lots of fun activities. It helped her to make some really great connections. Plus it helped her learn how to live in a tiny space, so now any place else she lives will feel huge! 🙂