Back to college: Space-saving ideas for dorm rooms

College students across the country are packing up and heading off to school. We have several organization ides for the average dorm room.

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - College students across the country are packing up and heading off to school. For those staying in a residence hall, figuring out how to fit all of their belongings comfortably in those small rooms and still having space for living can be a challenge. We have several ideas for arranging your furniture to get the most space out of your room and some products to help you stay organized once you create that space.

Space-Saving items from The Container Store expert organizer Kelly Vrtis:

There are six basic areas we look that about getting organized when you're getting ready for your dorm room. We call them the Basic Six. First, bath. You're probably going to be taking your bath supplies down the hall to a shared bathroom. So, look for a bath tote. This one has drain holes in it to keep you from growing things you just don't want.

Next is laundry. Laundry is another thing you're going to have to carry with you. Definitely choose something that has handles, is easily portable and this one suprisingly holds a lot of dirty clothes. But, don't put it off!

Next, closet. First thing you've got to do is make sure you're not taking everything in your closet from home to college. You're just not going to have room for it. You want to make sure you're looking for solutions that will save space in your closet. Consider a vertical pant organizer. It holds four pairs of pants in the space of just one. It's a really smart solution to maximize space in your closet.

Next, we have desks. Of course you're in school to study, so you to make sure you pick a nice comfy chair that's going to help keep you productive and get you those good grades that you're working so hard for.

Then, consider decor for your walls. You really want to use your walls and doors for just posters and decorations. Command hooks are really good. They're good for putting up everything from robes to even shelves, and will come cleanly off after the school year, so you're not going to get any fees from residence life.

Lastly, we have storage. This is a stool that's also storage. Yu can store things in it, and when friends come over to visit, you've got a nice place to rest.

Space-saving furniture arrangement with University Loft's Kathy Culberson:

When students come in, they're going to be really excited about their first home away from home. The first thing they want is more space. The great thing is you can raise your bed, create lofts and put some things underneath your beds. You can re-configure your desks and drawers and move them around the room wherever you want.

That frees up space for extra furniture pieces like a loveseat or soft chair that you can put under the beds in the space created by raising them up.

Students also like to kick back and lounge. More attentions is being focused on making dorm rooms a more comfortable space to not only study, but gather for gaming or other entertainment. We have a chair that doubles as a task chair that you can use at your desk and then it comes apart into a gaming rocker that sits on the floor and the base converts into a short table for your games, laptop or other devices.