Five steps to organizing your apartment
Photo: Miranda Cantrell/Iowa State Daily
ISU offers convenient apartment housing options for students who want more independence than dorm living offers. Frederiksen Court, located just north of campus, is one of the most popular housing options. “Freddy Court,” as it’s commonly called, offers fully-furnished four-person apartments with either two or four bedrooms. Two new apartment buildings will open to students this fall, with another four available Spring 2014.
August 3, 2015
Organizing your apartment seems like a no-brainer, but let’s be honest; no one actually wants to do it. I think it is fair to say that it is a necessary evil. Having an organized living space can aid you in many ways throughout the semester. Here are some easy ways to get started with the organization of your living space.
No. 1 – Closet Purge
Go into your closet with a box, bag or what ever you have at your disposal. Ask yourself — do I wear it and does it make me happy. If the answer to either of these questions is no, it goes. The idea behind the closet purge is you are getting rid of anything that no longer serves a purpose in your everyday life.
No. 2 – Storage Bins
It does not take a lot of time to sort your belongings into storage bins. Local retailers offer home storage sales at the beginning of the student move-in season. This is the perfect opportunity to create your organized living space.
A wide variety of styles are available to choose from. When you start to separate your things into their designated areas think back to the closet purge. Does it make me happy, do I use it, where can I store it and what is its purpose.
No. 3 – Kitchen Organization
Cabinet space in apartments can be very limited and needs to be organized so everything you need fits and is accessible. Organizing your shelving by food types or designating a section for a specific type of food will help make it easier to identify what you need to grab from the store. It is quick and painless. You just have to decide what goes where and keep that organization alive.
No. 4 – Desk Organization
Desk organization can be quite stressful. When assignments start piling up, your valuable work space can turn into a mess in a hurry. Not only is this unsightly, it makes studying more difficult.
Instead of shoving things aside or working on top of your messy situation, take some time before you sit down or after you have finished working at your desk and clean it up a little. Take the time to sort your papers into “keep” and “throw away” piles. Some students find it helpful to organize by individual class.
Organize your drawers so that you can easily find your pens, pencils, loose leaf paper and other things that are necessary to student life.
No. 5 – Little By Little
There is no right or wrong way to organize your home, it’s yours. Organizing does not have to be a tedious task. Doing a little at a time can help relieve stress from everyday life. It can be very easy and give you an accurate inventory of your possessions.
