Storage 101: Organizing Space For College Students (NAPSA)—Getting smart about organizing dorm rooms or apart- ments can help keep students focused—and keep their living spaces comfortable. After all, the spaces serve as a bedroom, office, living room and sometimes kitchen all in one. And while cinder-block walls and super-skinny beds may be what graduates remember from college years ago, students today want rooms that express their individual personalities. Once trendsetting coeds know what they want and how they wantit to look, the challenge becomes making it all fit. Try these tips: Closet Courses—College closets are small, and even smaller when shared with a roommate. You may want to invest in a storage system that can be removed and reused for the next move. Try starting with ClosetMaid Selectives 16-inch-wide custom closet organizer. The freestanding component includes five shelves and three hang rods—onefor long items and two for shorter items. From there, expand with stackable shelves, drawers, cubes and wire baskets. Study Guides—Outside of the closet, study resources reign supreme. Havingthefeel of a home office helps students to get organized, which leads to smarter studying. If drawer space is limited, hang shelves outside of the closet to keep textbooks, journals and other supplies. Just Like Home—Since most college students move every year, their living arrangements may feel temporary. Living room accents like ottomans and drapes can help by creating a warm, custom look—but they can double as hidden storage, too. “Ottomans are great because Look Smart—Closet organizers can help students make the most of small college rooms. they give your friends a place to sit other than on your bed,” says college senior Brianne Smith. “I love the ones that open up so you can store blankets, games or anything else inside.” Lisa Mooksang, also a senior, used an adjustable spring rod to hangcurtains in front of her doorless closet. “I’ve used fabric drapes or even bright shower curtains to solve two dorm dilemmas: they section off my closet and add some color.” Plan Ahead—Rememberthat storage needs change with the seasons and as students accumulate more to store throughout the year. Consider easy-to-install ClosetMaid ShelfTrack™. Only the horizontal track is installed onto the wall; the rest of the components simply attach to create a storage system that changes with students’ needs. One, two or many wire shelves snap into place for folded sweaters in the winter. Those same shelves can later be replaced by a hang rod for spring dresses. For more information, includ- ing an online Visual Storage Plan- ner, visit www.closetmaid.com or call (800) 874-0008.
