If you are heading off to college in the next few weeks or are moving one of your children into their first dorm room, we have a few tips to make the move more organized and seamless. 

1. Schedule a day with your son or daughter and plan to go through everything in their room at home. This may seem daunting but you will be so glad you did it. PURGE PURGE PURGE. This is a great opportunity to do the initial clean out which will make packing that much easier!
2. Think seasonally. In most dorm rooms, storage is limited which requires creativity and careful planning to utilize the space well. How large is the dorm room? Are frequent trips home feasible? Figure out all of the details before you begin packing. Send seasonal clothing and accessories only and store the rest at home. Use storage solutions like over the door shoe racks, under bed storage, and rolling carts to make good use of your space. Check out this link for more dorm room organization ideas.

3. Pack in clear tubs. College students typically move a lot. Rather than going out and purchasing moving boxes for every move over the next several years, buy some large totes that you can load up and pack easily. Once emptied, the totes can be stacked inside of each other  and easily stored.
4. Make the dorm room feel like home. No matter how exciting college can be, its always an adjustment moving out of mom and dad's house and into a space of your own. Although your kid may be excited about the change, it's always easier to adjust when your new room feels comfortable and homey. Remember that this is a dorm room and a college student. Styles change and college kids aren't known for being the most responsible. You don't need hire a decorator and take out a loan to transform a 10x12 dorm room into the next cover of House Beautiful.

Links for dorm room storage, etc., list of things to take with you to college