Making the Most of Your First Year

As our twin sons closed their freshman year at college, I can say we all learned a thing or two about college choices and college life here at home. While they did well, learning to be away from home and manage life in the “real world” didn’t come without minor bruises for all of us.

A Whole New World

Though they share the same name, freshman year of high school and freshman year of college are vastly different creatures. As a freshman in high school, you’re probably moving from one school in your hometown to another slightly larger one with more challenging classes and maybe a vending machine or two.

As a freshman in college, it can feel like your whole world has turned upside down.

You’re likely living away from home for the first time in an unfamiliar city full of strange people and places. If that sounds a bit terrifying, don’t worry; you’re not the only one to think so. Luckily, this feeling doesn’t last long. You’ll quickly grow to make new friends, find new favorite places, and feel right at home at your new school.

Here are some tips on getting settled into your freshman year of college life and making the most of it. 

Get Comfy in a New Routine

Humans are creatures of habit, and when in a new place, these habits can help you feel comfortable even in new places. Think back on your high school routine; did you work out every day or visit the same coffee shop on your way to or from class?

You can likely create something similar in your new life as a college freshman. Ask one of your dorm’s RAs if any gym facilities are available to students or good trails for running.

Look for new coffee shops to try when you’re walking to and from your new classes.

Having a college life routine that somewhat resembles the one you’re familiar with will help you feel less like an outsider in a new place, even if you are. Once you get comfortable, you can add new things to your routine or change it completely to fit your new class schedule if needed.

Part of turning this new environment as familiar as possible is creating a comfy and welcoming dorm room. Pay attention to what you love the most about your bedroom at home and try to replicate it where you can.

It can be the way your desk is set up, how you keep your closet organized, or even the sheets in your bed. Try to recreate as much as you can in your new space.

If you are in the process of shopping for your dorm, click here to see my best tips and resources. Below are my sons’ favorite college dorm purchases, which are now moving to their apartments.

COLLEGE DORM FAVORITES

Join a Club or Three

Student organizations are the fastest way to find people who enjoy the same things you do, making finding friends quick and easy work. Many schools will have a student org fair at the beginning of each semester where you can browse the various clubs and groups operating on campus and put your name down for one or two.

Having club meetings on the calendar will give you something to look forward to in college life other than your regularly scheduled classes and, of course, the weekend.

They can also introduce you to new opportunities to advance in your field or try out new hobbies and areas of interest that might not align with your major.

For example, if you’re studying architecture, volunteering with Habit For Humanity can be a great way to acquire skills related to your field while meeting like-minded people. Planning on going into engineering but fascinated by filmmaking? There’s sure to be a video production student org on your campus that would love to have you!

Make Time For What’s Important

It’s easy to fall into a routine of eating junk food out of the vending machines and staying up late playing video games with the other people on the floor, but that’s not going to keep you throughout an entire year of school.

Get out your planner and look at the gaps in your schedule between club meetings and classes; do you see an hour when you can hit the gym? Do you have a class near a dining hall where you can get a real meal for once? Can you think of anywhere you can sit outside and study for a few minutes before heading back inside to stare at your laptop for a few more hours?

You don’t have to devote hours of your days to self-care to keep yourself happy and healthy. A little exercise here, a nap there, healthy snacks every so often, and time to relax are more than enough to keep you in good shape throughout your entire first year in college.

You can even keep playing video games all night with your friends as long as there’s some time on the schedule to catch up on zzzs later. You can also invite these friends to come with you to the gym if you need an exercise buddy or some social time. Who knows, maybe group workouts will become a fun part of your routine!

I love this presentation by Cal Newport, which discusses strategies to have a great quality of life in college and have (nothing less!) a 4.0 GPA.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

High school teachers love to frighten students by saying that college professors won’t have time to help them individually, but that doesn’t fly when you’re in college.

You’ll quickly find this to be completely false.

My sons got tons of help from their professors, who were more than willing to give them guidance during office hours (tip: make the most of it!) or via email over the weekends or breaks.

If you don’t understand something, have a question about a class, or want to say hi to your professor, head to office hours. Professors love seeing students taking the initiative to do well in their classes and will be more than willing to help you succeed.

Getting to know the experts in your field of study is also a great way to learn about opportunities to advance in your career path and get a feel for what professional life after college might look like.

For out-of-class issues, contact your counselors and dorm RAs; that’s what they’re there for.

Have a question about a class you want to take or are unsure what would fit best in your schedule? A quick conversation with a counselor can easily clear things up and put your mind at ease.

While the boys made good friends in their first year in college, it’s my perception that a lot of freshman year is going to feel lonely. But you have to remember that there is a whole campus of people around you who want you to succeed or are students who went through the same thing as you during their freshman years. Not to mention that you certainly have someone back home cheering for your well-being and your success. #youvegotthis

If they can make it through their first year, so can you. Don’t worry, you’ve got this! 

Shop College Dorm

New post How To Nail Your Freshman Year of College on A Personal Organizer by Helena Alkhas

Most first time college students, when it comes time to move into the dorm, fall into one of two categories: either hyped beyond belief to meet new friends and start a new independent life or dreading the thought of moving into a small space, shared room for the next year. Dorm rooms have never been anything to write home about, but, luckily, there are tons of things you can do to turn your new living space into one you’ll enjoy spending time in your new school year.

Here at home, we’re moving our twins to different colleges in the Fall, and here are 5 things we’re finding out we should keep our eyes on before they move into their room.

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you click on the link and purchase the item, A Personal Organizer, LLC. may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

What To Bring To The College Dorm

One of the biggest challenges of moving into the dorms is deciding what stays at home and what comes to school with you, even more so when you are making a long-distance move.

The key is to only bring the absolute essentials and have a spot for everything you do bring in your new home.

Take your selection of shoes for instance; are you going to wear all five pairs of sneakers enough to warrant finding a place to store all ten shoes? You can easily stash footwear under the bed or in a shoe rack that you can tuck into the closet, but are you sure you want to use all of that space on just shoes? Try not to bring clothes you don’t wear very often, or accessories that take up more space than they’re worth.

Photos of your best friends and family, bulletin boards, and Christmas lights are winners when it comes to decor, things that stay close to the wall will keep your space from getting too claustrophobic.

Create College Dorm Kits

When packing for your first year move, it’s a good idea to organize your college packing list by areas of activity like Sleep, Eat, Wear, Personal Care, Study, Clean, Electronics, Sports, Travel, etc.

The areas my twins are most concerned about are their electronics and sports equipment! From extension cords and a surge protector to computer locks, we have been researching the best tools to keep them connected and keep everything stored and safe.

The same goes for their ski and other sports which we will have to figure out how to do the dorm move and store these large items while keeping an eye on the dorm essentials. Since they’re going to different schools, we are looking for solutions like storage units or under-the-bed storage.

Go Vertical

You won’t have a lot of floor or closet space to stack things on, so make some surface space of your own. Lightweight shelves that you can stick to the walls with command hooks are a great way to turn empty wall space into storage for light items or things you’d like to keep within the arm’s length of your bed.

You can also put this tactic into practice by buying a hanging clothes rack or shoe organizer in your closet. This convenient tool will provide you with little compartments that you can use to store shoes, clothes, and even school supplies.

These are also usually pretty easy to put up and collapse when needed. If you have a couple of old locker shelves from your days at middle and high school, bring those along too.

Pack The Essentials

There are a few college dorm room essentials that every student needs to bring with them to college no matter what form student housing takes at their school. One of these is a reliable shower caddy.

Most students will use communal bathrooms but even if you have a room with a private bathroom, it will be super helpful to have all of your shower supplies in one place that you can move around as a unit instead of fumbling around with an armful of shampoo bottles.

If you are looking at a communal bathroom situation, a shower caddy is a great way to move everything to and from the showers easily on a daily basis.

Another organizing essential are storage containers speciously under bed storage. If you can find something that rolls in and out, even better, but any thin storage container that can easily fit under an un-lofted bed will work perfectly to store items like paper towels, trash bags, Clorox wipes, and other supplies that don’t need to be out at all times.

If you live somewhere with changing seasons, plastic storage drawers are also a great way to store winter clothing when it is warm and shorts when it’s cold.

Finally, you are going to want to invest in a good set of drawer organizers. Sure, you don’t “need” them, but being able to organize your drawer space into different compartments is super valuable when you have limited space.

Instead of devoting an entire drawer to your socks and underwear, divide it into several areas that can hold different clothing items and save you much-needed space. It will optimize your space the best way possible and will keep everything you have organized in an easy way to find what you want.

With so much to do who needs to waste time and energy looking for their clothes?

Keep Your Stuff Safe

Even if you trust your roommate with your entire heart, it doesn’t hurt to put a couple of security measures in place in your college dorm room. Plus if you want to spend a weekend away you want to have a safe spot to place your valuables and important documents.

Some dorm dressers will feature drawers that are lockable with something as simple as a high school combination locker lock or a simple key padlock, so be sure to make use of that if it’s available.

If it isn’t, you can buy small, fireproof, lock boxes that will fit in your drawers or under your bed that you can use to store money, valuables, or medications.

Even if you aren’t worried about thieves, it’s nice to know that all of your important things are in one secure place whenever you need them.

Be Prepared To Compromise

You and your future roommate will each have some space to call your own, but a lot of your time will be spent living almost directly on top of each other.

Be prepared to share your storage solutions and space with them and to make a compromise or two to avoid butting heads every other day.

You’re going to be living with them for an entire year, so it’s important to not start things off on the wrong food. You aren’t going to get everything you want, so instead of holding a grudge for an entire academic year, talk it out and try to find a compromise that both of you can agree with.

Your first years in the dorms aren’t going to be a walk in the park, so having someone you can call a friend from the very beginning is one of the most valuable things you can have.

New post 5 Things You Need To Know Before You Move Into The College Dorm on A Personal Organizer by Helena Alkhas

Maximizing College Dorm Space

Everyone and anyone who has ever gone away to college knows the value of space or the lack thereof in college dorms. Luckily times have changed and nowadays there are not only many creative and efficient ways to create storage space in your really small dorm space but also inventive and very useful organizing products.

Is It a Couch, a Daybed or Both?

Using your bed to double as a couch is probably the only way to go when it comes to having space for television viewing.

When you are not busy sleeping in your bed and expect to have some friends over, make your bed up as usual and place some really big fluffy pillows up against the wall in numbers.

Your company now has a great space for kicking off their shoes and catching a show with you.

All-in-One Appliances

The greatest invention ever known to dorm life is the invention of the micro-fridge. It is a microwave and refrigerator in one combination.

The microwave is attached to the refrigerator so there is no movement when in use and the fridge is underneath.

Do Not Forget under the Bed

In dorm life, every ounce of space is necessary for utilization. Under the bed is one of the greatest places to store out-of-season clothing.

For example, winter sweaters, scarves, and hats can easily be stored in an under-the-bed container for when you need them.

Bulletin Boards Everywhere

Each and every wall of your dorm is up for grabs and bulletin boards make great places to store family photos, college notes, reminders, and even your jewelry.

Wherever there is wall space, hang a cork board and be creative. You can even place one right above your bed and hang a picture of your family pet to help you sleep peacefully at night.

Keep your jewelry on thumbtacks on a cork board and you will never lose it again.

Shelving

A college kid’s best friend has to be the use of a shelf. Shelves are easily placed anywhere and have multiple uses, from decorative to practical.

Books are easily stored on shelves, and picture frames or even toiletries are found easily on them.

The free-standing Elfa shelving you see below is a great option if you can’t install shelves on your wall.

Who’s behind the door?

A great way to create a landing area in your dorm is using the back of the door.

As soon as you arrive you’ll have a place to leave your keys, handbag, umbrella and anything else you need to come in and out for classes and activities.

Check this great portable solution, that you can take with you once you move, which makes it ideal for dorms and rentals.

The Ceiling

Do not forget the ceiling. The ceiling is a great place to post family and friend’s photos from back home.

You can even hang a net from one corner to the next with things you do not use every day, such as scarves and gloves or even just some old favorite stuffed animals.

With a little ingenuity, dorm storage can be fun and creative. What’s your favorite dorm organizing tip?

New post Making The Most Of Your College Dorm Space on A Personal Organizer by Helena - A Personal Organizer