College Storage Checklist

How It Works

The college storage shopping checklist is designed to help students and parents save time and money. Our team of current and former students went shopping for you and compiled a list of quality products at affordable prices. Every item covered in our guide also features a need vs. want rating score and in-depth commentary, which help students and parents decide what storage related items to bring with them to college.

Storage Bins, Stacking Drawers, Dresser

Storage Bins

Stacking Drawers

Dresser

College dorm rooms have a reputation for being messy places. Living in a small space with a roommate can be difficult, which means proper utilization of storage space is essential in order to maintain an organized living environment. You can solve many of these problems with plastic storage containers, which help keep your supplies and personal belongings organized and out of the way. We recommend buying storage containers at your closest retailer, as they tend to be more expensive online.

The type and amount of storage containers you’ll need depends on your dorm room set-up and what you need to store. Underbed storage is a great space saving strategy and a few 52 quart flat storage containers should be enough for most college students. You can also bring larger plastic bins or even a small trunk for storing items in your closet.

Stacking drawers are another great way to organize and store extra supplies such as batteries, flashlights, writing utensils, medicine, and more. You can find small options that sit on a desk or floor options that are perfect for extra bed side storage. If you decide on a floor storage option, then you’ll probably want to get one that comes with attachable wheels.

Hangers, Wall Hooks, Shoe Rack, Shelf Dividers

Hangers

Wall Hooks

Hanging Shoe Rack

Shelf Divider

Most college dorms require students to share a closet with their roommate, which means you’ll probably need to implement some creative spacing saving ideas. A very popular solution used by students is to bring a hanging shoe rack for their closet. Utilizing vertical closet space ensures you have plenty of room for storing your shoes, hats, belts, gloves, and other articles of clothing. If you plan on bringing a hanging shoe rack consider getting on that features flat shelves rather than vertical shoe pockets. Having vertical shelving further increases your available storage space and allows you to store a wider variety of items like clothing.

You probably are already aware you should bring clothes hangers, but with all the chaos and stress of preparing for college move-in, we figured it would help a couple people out. If your shared closet has top shelving, it might be worth bringing a couple of cheap shelf dividers to keep your personal belongings separated.

Lastly, you should seriously consider investing in and bringing a pack of adhesive command hooks. While a lot of people completely forget they exist or overlook them, they’re probably the best multipurpose tool for your dorm room. You can use them to hang towels, jackets, belts, hats, pictures, and tons of other things. The great part is they leave no hole in the wall, so you don’t have to worry about paying any dorm damage fee.

Lockbox/Safe, Laptop Lock

Campus security does a great job keeping students safe but property theft still occurs in college dorms. If you keep cash and valuable items in your dorm room then you’ll want to consider bringing a small safe. It’s unlikely you’ll have personal belongings stolen from your room but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

The most common causes of property theft in college dorms are leaving your door unlocked and roommates stealing from you. You should have a discussion with your roommate about your policy on locking the door when you’re out and about on campus. If you decide you would prefer to have a personal safe, many affordable options are available. The sizing is up to you, just make sure to get a newer model that has an electronic key-lock. If you’re concerned about laptop safety, you can always purchase a laptop lock. The downside is the locks are fairly expensive, so most students set password locks and enable GPS locators (like Find my Mac) to deter theft.

College Storage Checklist

How It Works

Storage Bins, Stacking Drawers, Dresser

Hangers, Wall Hooks, Shoe Rack, Shelf Dividers

Lockbox/Safe, Laptop Lock

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