Bed risers
The space under the bed often goes completely unused, typically because colleges opt for the cheap, heavy block-like beds that just sit on the floor. Pick up some bed risers so your teen can store off-season clothes and shoes under her bed. These typically come with outlets too, so there is a little less fighting over who gets to charge their iPod.
Under-Bed Bags or Boxes
Now that your teen has all this new space under the bed, don’t let her just shove items in there. Get compressible bags or tightly sealed boxes to make the most use of that space.
An inflatable mattress
Buying your kid a fold-out couch for friends to crash on seems like a good idea, until you realize that when that thing is open, it fills up the entire common area. Get your kid an inflatable mattress for a friend to sleep on when they’re partying late, and it’s not safe to walk home. These can quickly be deflated and take up almost zero space.
Accessory organizer
That gorgeous antique jewelry box passed down from your grandmother is a gem, but it’s not suited for a dorm. Get your teen a hanging accessory organizer with dozens of flat compartments that can be hung just like a dress in the closet.
Desk storage
If the college does provide desks, they’ll be basic, maybe with one drawer. So that your kid’s papers don’t end up in a pile in her backpack, get her portable drawers that conveniently fit under a desk.
Collapsible laundry basket
A real, solid laundry basket will only take up precious real estate and encourage your kid to let dirty laundry pile up. Get her a collapsible basket. They fold completely flat when empty, and add almost no weight when your kid is lugging her clothes down to the laundry facilities usually in some obscure place in the dorm building.
Consolidate storage
Take stock of your teen’s bedroom: which items tend to cover the bed, desk and chairs, with no home of their own? Now get your teen a storage item for these! Things get lost twice as fast in a dorm room being shared by up to six people. Consider a rack with key loops, a basket for documents and a board on the back to clip notices and reminders to.
Shoe storage
The floor of the closet is not a good place for shoes in a dorm, not to mention that floor space will be puny. Get your teen a hanging shoe organizer. If her closet is already stuffed with clothes, there are some that hang over the back of the door—a space typically underutilized.
Clothing storage
Most dorms provide one set of dressers, if you’re lucky. And if your teen can’t easily see her clothing options, that’s how you end up with piles all over the floor after a frantic, “I have nothing to wear!” Here’s another hanging solution: a sweater organizer. It’s like an exposed set of drawers so your teen doesn’t have to unpack everything just to see what she has.
Consolidate electronic devices
Instead of the hazardous twisting and tangling of wires that happens between your teen’s and her roommate’s laptop chords, phone charger and blow dryer, get one of these handy charging docs; it comes with four USB 2.0 ports and is iPad compatible.
