Photo: Mikey Harris
Dorm life, for the most part, is about making adjustments. However, you can indeed make smart adjustments to optimize the small living space. But the biggest challenge would be to ensure that your dorm room allows you to focus. If you find it difficult to concentrate on your studies in the dorm, consider making some changes. Below, you will find some of the easiest and most efficient ways to make your dorm room ideal for studying.
1. Find a Study Zone
On move-in day, the first thing to do is to rearrange the furniture efficiently. You need to accept that the layout of your dorm room can’t be changed. It’s influenced by windows, room size, ceiling height, etc. What you can affect is furniture placement, sectioning, and your personal preferences.
In particular, you need to think about where you would like to study and where you work best. Ideally, the dorm room should be well-suited for relaxation as well as focus. But with small space, the lines between study and relaxation areas often get blurry. For instance, you might prefer doing an assignment with professional help writing a paper while sitting at a desk. At the same time, on another day, you might do the same task while sitting on the bed.
To set up study zones, it's essential to understand the routine that works best for you. If you prefer daylight, keep the desk closer to the window. However, if you are distracted by what happens outside, you might want to place the desk against the wall. And feel free to rearrange the initial dorm room layout if it isn't working well for you.
2. Clear the Clutter
Most dorms don't come with sufficient in-built storage. The result is a visual clutter of boxes, baskets, and other modular storage solutions. On top of this, you might also have personal decor that adds to the items in the dorm. Well, being minimalistic is not easily achievable for students.
Nevertheless, you can organize the space well, resulting in a clean and motivating study space. This can, consequently, help you study better.
Photo: Avery Evans
3. Organize Your Study Desk
Aside from organizing your dorm, you should also have a decluttering system for your study desk. In fact, even if your dorm room feels disorganized, a clean and simple study desk can help you find motivation. Here are some organization tips that can be of help. Remove any unnecessary items from the desk's surface and remove everything else that might distract you.
Sort the remaining items into different categories, such as stationery, textbooks, notes, electronics, etc.
After identifying the categories, assign specific areas for each category on your desk. For example, designate a tray for stationery, a bookshelf for textbooks, and a folder holder for notes. You can also use desk organizers to keep small items like paper clips, post-it notes, and USB drives in order.
Keep frequently used items, such as iPad, pens, highlighters, and notebooks, within easy reach.
Ensure you regularly clean your desk, as it can help you stay focused, reduce distractions, and increase productivity.
4. Ensure Good Lighting
Exposure to light can improve your mood, energy levels, and focus. If your dorm room is dimly lit, then it isn't surprising that you would want to sleep all the time. Therefore, you should maximize the light as much as possible.
The first thing to do is add sheer curtains that let in light. If you need to dim the natural light, you can add another layer of opaque blinds. On top of this, you should also improve the artificial lighting in the room. Add more lamps near your desk and bed, or try using bulbs with a higher wattage that can instantly brighten up your dorm room.
Photo: Jeff Sheldon
5. Let Fresh Air In
It's easy to forget to air out your room regularly, especially if you're busy with schoolwork or living in a dorm. However, keeping your room airtight can have adverse effects on your physical and mental health, causing respiratory issues, allergies, low immunity, poor concentration, and discomfort. And therefore, it can also affect your cognitive abilities and focus.
To avoid these problems, it's recommended that you open your windows and let fresh air into your room at least once a day. Maintaining ventilation is important; it's also necessary to address any potential issues affecting air quality, such as mold. If you notice any problems, contact your dorm's administration instead of trying to mask the issue with air fresheners or essential oils.
6. Set up Study Rules With Your Roommate
Finally, and perhaps, most importantly, get to know your roommate and their preferences. For example, you might prefer to write essays in the early morning. On the other hand, your roommate might prefer to use admission essay writing services and study late at night, with music. Similarly, you might be very organized, and your roommate might not be.
Evidently, this can have a significant influence on your comfort as well. You can't expect your roommate to change their habits for you. Instead, set reasonable expectations and make compromises when needed. It's important to respect your roommate's requirements and personal space.
However, you can do this only by having open discussions. Don't hesitate to inform each other if you need a quiet atmosphere to study for a while. By discussing each other's preferences beforehand, you can work together to create a more manageable living and studying environment.
Photo: Johnny McClung
7. Noise-Canceling Headphones are a Must
Unfortunately, even with all the right planning and the best roommate, you can't control what happens outside the dorm. There might be parties, loud conversations, or other distractions. While there is no way to get away from these, noise-canceling headphones can help to keep some noise out.
So, don't hesitate to splurge on a pair of headphones that are comfortable for you. You are likely to use it regularly, even after college.
Let's conclude...
The conclusion is quite simple. By regularly decluttering and organizing your dorm room, you can create a space that promotes focus and productivity. To make things even better, make sure to include personal touches and comfortable furnishings that will help make the space feel more inviting and conducive to learning.
Lots of love,
Liz
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