Whether you're in a dorm, an apartment, or living in your Greek organization's house, you're bound to struggle with figuring out where to put everything you brought to college. Items like shoes, big sweatshirts, and those huge plastic bins you brought things in seem so cumbersome and bulky.

Organizing your items is a pain, but it will pay off once you get into a routine at school and need to know where those scissors are. 

General Tips

1. Figure out what you don't need, and get rid of it. This one is so simple. Anything that you don't use regularly is just sitting in your room and causing clutter. Clutter is bad.

2. Invest in shelving units, fabric storage containers, etc. The things that you absolutely must have in your room need to go somewhere (duh). Look for storage that is clear so you can see what you put in each unit. Before going to look for plastic bins or any type of storage containers, put everything that you can in the storage that comes with your room. Then sort out the other things (shoes, desk supplies, etc.), and decide how much you will use them before picking a container for them.  

3. Figure out where the "dead space" is. That area in-between your wardrobe and the wall is useless. If you're in an apartment, know that you can put an item like a coat rack in the corners of the room. Doing this will maximize your space, while also making your apartment feel more homey. 

Tips for Specific Spaces

Desk Drawers: When you're shopping, be on the lookout for a tray of some sort (a tray meant for silverware works perfectly). You can put this tray in your desk and have different sections of it for all those miscellaneous, awkwardly sized school supplies. Girls, take advantage of those plastic jewelry trays. You can layer bracelets and earrings on a tray to put in your desk. This way your jewelry will be easily accessible in the morning when you're getting ready without taking up space somewhere else.

Under Beds: Use this area for all the big items that don't fit anywhere else — duffel bags, suitcases, plastic bins, etc. You can really put anything under your bed (right now I have my laundry hamper and basket with a whole slew of other things), but make sure you remember what you put under there so it doesn't turn into a dark abyss of random items. 

Closet Space: I recently spent more time than I've ever spent organizing my closet .and it has made me so much less stressed in the mornings when I'm getting ready. The OCD part of me loves color coding; but if that seems like too much for you, consider organizing your clothes by item. Taking everything out of your closet and going through what doesn't fit is also beneficial. You will probably rediscover clothes that got lost in the depths of your wardrobe over the summer. And if you want to do even more than organizing by color and item, consider arranging clothes by season — and don't forget to put away the sweaters and coats you won't need until winter.

Organizing is tough and takes time, but it really will make your life easier as the year progresses and you get busier and busier.