Organizing tips for Art majors

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
1

<p>Hi to all the artists here, new and old, students and parents! I thought it might be helpful to pool our tips/ideas and help plan how to fit all that "stuff" into the typical freshman real estate of less than 200 square feet, which is usually shared with another person!</p>

<p>At this time of year many HS seniors (and their parents) have begun thinking about what they need to bring to college. In addition, many of us gave our kids' friends gift cards for graduation, but wanted to pair it with some little useful tool for their new life away from home. Back in the day many of us parents needed quarters for the washing machine, but these days most kids just swipe their ID card (although one kiddo still needs coins!). My kids both had private bathrooms all through school, so the shower caddies you'll see everywhere weren't necessary for them, but might be a good gift if a student will be using a common bathroom/shower. Here are some ideas that can be easily packed and have almost universal use:</p>

<p>Laundry bin on wheels (D's looks like a giant cylinder; great for laundry and holding pillows, blankets, etc. when moving/storage). Folds/squishes down flat for transport.</p>

<p>Fabric "shelves" for the closet which velcro over the pole. Holds clothes, shoes, supplies...</p>

<p>Hooks that self-adjust (Bed Bath Beyond) b/c every door is a different width! Buy a few to fit over armoire door, bath vanity, or closet if any of that applies.</p>

<p>Dishes that can go in the microwave. Hot pad or potholder, too.</p>

<p>A couple utensils. (2 forks, 2 spoons, etc.) If student is sharing more, most kids will have something to eat with!</p>

<p>Disposable water bottle. Think green! Mug for soup, coffee, tea, etc. (micro safe)</p>

<p>Surge protector and all the tech connectivity devices/chargers.</p>

<p>Extension cord. Remember there's a limit to how much it's safe to plug in!</p>

<p>D likes a little fan for "white noise".</p>

<p>A clip on light for either the desk or bed; doesn't take up desk area and also helps to be considerate to roomie if the light is concentrated in one area!</p>

<p>The Residence Life office usually sends a list with what is/isn't allowed, and might have restrictions on things like lamps, large fridges, anything used to cook aside from a microwave, etc. D's school allows certain sizes of fridges and microwave ovens, for instance. I don't think free-standing lamps are allowed (I could be wrong) but there isn't much floor space for one anyway!</p>

<p>I think most kids like to pick out their own bedding, bath mat/towels. We bought the microwave in the college town and roommate already had a fridge. </p>

<p>As for what to bring:</p>

<p>I agree with artsmarts in another thread: justbring the necessities. That alone is a long enough list! D switches her clothes around when she comes home, and/or I bring her different clothes when I visit and at the same time take some home. One thing the kids need, esp. in FL, is a couple changes of shoes or sandals in case they get caught in the rain (or snow, for those in the north). </p>

<p>Art supplies take up much of the space. D's bed is lofted, so that opens up a ton of storage space (plastic storage towers in front, suitcases and boxes for microwave, printer, etc. behind the storage towers). Big portfolios and paper pads slide along the ends of the bed. The tower drawers organize everything nicely to grab and go.</p>

<p>Metal file cabinet with locking drawer: fits under the bed, in front next to storage towers. Good for cash, IDs, medicine if needed, and files drawers organize notes, printer paper, etc. </p>

<p>When organizing, think vertical! The best thing we did last fall was to buy a stainless steel/chrome finish 6' rack (used in pantries or garages). It's nice looking,very sturdy, holds a lot of weight, and no building skills needed as all the parts snap together. I have a few of these at home and love 'em. Target sells cute (and plain) storage boxes in all sizes/colors so we got those for the little items that might otherwise fall through the shelves, and D and her roommate share the space. I found the unit after D's roommate's mom bought (and returned) a build-it-yourself bookcase at Target or Wal-Mart and it was splitting as she was building it. The plastic bins work great not only for supplies but also the kids' food items, as they come with covers that snap shut. </p>

<p>If you need more space, think vertical on dresser and nightstand, too (unless they're under the bed!). Cubes hold textbooks and notebooks; can fit frames or clock on top. Solid ones are better (more versatile) than wire or cloth. </p>

<p>Toiletries: start kiddo off with the necessities. I used to stockpile my kids when they didn't have transportation, but I discovered drugstore.com and now have things shipped to them as needed. It's great! They carry more than you can imagine, not just personal care items but also food, laundry and cleaning products, and supplies. Free shipping if you spend $25 or more, which is easy to do!</p>

<p>Decorating: that tacky, squishy stuff to hang posters. Holds great and comes right off! Not a lot of desktop room for photos, but a collage of favorites is a nice departing gift! We made one at a Target kiosk.</p>

<p>I'm sure I'll come up with more; these tips are the first that came to mind. We enjoyed this whole process; everything from shopping to moving in (your kiddo will let you know how much help they want on move-in day; our kids wanted us around but some want/need a faster break, I think). We met other parents and all went out to lunch together with the kids, and plan to do it again at the end of the year.</p>

<p>If you don't overpack you will thank yourself when it's time to move your kiddo back out!</p>

2

<p>Great list! My D brought a lot of her personal stuff (collections,etc) the first year, and we ended up bringing a lot of it back home when she moved out. The second year, all that stuff stayed at home. We’ll see how much she’s accumulated this year!!</p>

3

<p>Thanks Colcon! This is so helpful. For me, could you find out from your dd how tall the space under the bed is, please? This will help me when I order stuff to fit. Also, the metal file cabinet is a great idea…is it two drawers? I appreciate all this help. I can not imagine stuffing all of dd’s stuff into that room, particularly with the art supplies. Is there any hanging space in the rooms at Goldstein for dresses? Or where did your dd put that type of stuff?</p>

4

<p>Hi redbug, yes, D brought a few little things her first year, too. I think it helps to bring a little piece of home (but not too much!). 2nd year most things stayed home. She also discovered that the library rents almost any movie the kids would want to see, and of course that’s free! Most nights they put on a movie while they work. Once in a while she’ll ask for a dvd from home, but usually they just rent and return.</p>

5

<p>Hi phillyartmom, Yes, I’ll find out and get back to you. Her storage units are on wheels but you don’t have to use them if she doesn’t want the bed quite as high. When you move in you can ask the students who are helping you to loft the bed, or if they’re not able to do it then just ask in Res Life and they’ll send someone up. The file cabinet has 2 standard drawers plus a narrow drawer above that locks with a key. The art supplies do take up a ton of room, so do yourself a favor and encourage D to take only what is on the list! Yes, the rooms in Goldstein have armoires with hanging space and 2 big drawers below. Shoes fit below the hanging space, and the big drawers are good for jeans and sweats. My D loves wearing dresses and skirts so that worked out well. There is also a dresser and a nightstand with drawers, good for t-shirts and all the lighter stuff. We got those self-adjusting hooks to use on the sink vanity (it’s in the room) and also on the armoire door. We also picked up a couple stick-on hooks for inside the armoire door for belts, etc. Just be sure to get the kind that can be removed without causing damage. D had more “stuff” than clothes so some drawers held her extra toiletries and supplies, and of course things not needed right away can be stored in suitcases. The gals all left their shower stuff in the bathroom, and the vanity has plenty of space for everything else. D has a little rectangular basket that holds toothpaste, brush, lotions, q-tips, etc. that fits on top of the vanity. You’ll probably have extra room to start but once the projects trickle in all the space is put to good use! This year her room has a different configuration, big closet instead of an armoire, and we added the stainless steel unit. I’ll see it next week and I’m sure it will be stuffed with a year’s worth of work!</p>

6

<p>Buy white bath mats. The dark colored one had colors that ran and stained the tiles and we almost had to pay to replace them. Of course the kids didn’t try my old standby Zud which will remove almost anything. I suggested that something like that be used before the tiles were replaced and it must have worked as I was never billed. But just buy white or beige, I about had a stroke when told how expensive replacing the tiles would be.</p>