Set Up a Desk for Getting Things Done

Making sure your desk space is tidy may not be the most glamorous task, but the truth is, one of the best strategies for staying on top of your work is to create an organized, uncluttered working area. When your space is on the tiny side, it can be tricky to find a way to keep things neat. So how do you organize a college dorm desk? We’re here to help. Keep reading to get our top tips on organizing your desk for a small space. And if you start the year off right with a clean-cut workspace, we’ll bet that come finals week, you’ll be thankful for your quiet study oasis.

• Try using a desk hutch. A storage hutch can double as a dorm desk organizer. Depending on the size of the desk, you might have to research the best desk hutch that will fit perfectly your dorm room. It should be compact but still roomy enough to hold all the essentials for your study area. By using a desk hutch, everything you need will have its place, whether textbooks and homework or decor and personal mementos.

• Use your dorm desk chair. Ok, so maybe you used up all your dorm desk space and that wall space, too. But there’s still room to organize! Try a pocket organizer that goes over your dorm desk chair. This can help you maximize your small space while making your tablet or notebook easily accessible. Simply tie the mesh organizer around your dorm desk chair tightly and start filling it up with your study must-haves. 

• Organize your drawers. No more rummaging through overstuffed drawers! Add drawer organizers to your dorm desk checklist. Use the dorm desk organizer liners to help separate your highlighters, favorite pens, and sticky pads. Stuck on figuring out how to organize your dorm desk drawers? Consider how you work to determine which items should be stored together. And while a junk drawer is fine, it doesn’t have to be messy. Use a dorm desk organizer to separate all your necessities and collected items. 

• Keep your cords in one place. Morning buzzkill: Discovering all the cords to your earbuds and chargers are tangled together when walking out the door for an 8 a.m. class. Avoid the drama by keeping your cords separate and organized with colored dividers or clips. If you want to make sure your cords never get tangled, use velcro straps or twist ties and place them neatly in the dorm desk organizers or in a small tech storage box. Also, make sure to declutter your cords regularly so you don’t mix up old chargers with new ones. Throw away any old or broken cords to avoid confusion. 

• Take advantage of your wall space. Dorm desk spaces are small—which means you might not have enough space to hold everything you need. But you do have walls. Make good use of the wall space above your dorm desk by hanging a calendar, bulletin board, or organizer to keep up with deadlines. Use heavy-duty adhesive strips to place hooks, inspirational wall prints, or other decor and storage without damaging your walls. You don’t want to pay any damage fees—trust us.

• Get the right dorm desk lamp. The surface area of your dorm desk is probably pretty limited, making it tricky to find a dorm desk lamp that will fit. One great option is to find a dorm desk lamp that does double-duty as an organizer and charger. When you have a small space, multi-functional pieces are it.

Now that you have all the pro tips on maximizing your space, head to our storage organizer collection to shop all the necessary accessories!