Closets in college often are not as big as we wish they would be. Trying to fit the majority of your belongings into a dorm room is tricky, especially when you don't have optimal closet space. A lot of the time college closets are a major downsize from the ones students have at home, and they have to crame even more belongings into the tiny space.

While some schools give students wardrobes to serve as their closets, freshman housing at my school has closets in every room. These closets don't have a lot of shelving, and there is a good amount of space that goes unused or feels useless. If you to have a similar organization situation, I have a solution.

A shoe rack.

Yes, a shoe rack. Sounds silly/too simple? Well, it is simple, which is part of what makes it such a great solution. Buying a shoe rack is an awesome way to step up your organization game, and make your closet more functional and appealing. I used to keep all of my shoes on the floor of my closet, and it was very cluttered and messy. However, after purchasing a shoe rack, it looks way better and allows me to see all of the shoes and actually know what I have in my closet. Even if you go to a school that gives students wardrobes or something other than a closet, having a shoe rack can still be helpful, as it provides a clean, organized look, even if it's sitting outside your designated closet space.

While I find a shoe rack that sits on the ground to be the most helpful and visually appealing, there are other options. Like shoe racks that hang in your closet. These are typically made of a cloth material and can fit in essentially any space, as long as there is a bar to fit the straps around it (closet and wardrobe friendly).

While this may sound like a lot of praise for something like a shoe rack, it has been a game changer for my organization and closet!