Are you the parent of a rising freshman of college? If you are, I bet there are lots of things on your mind. I’m also sure your child has lots on his mind, too! He (I’m using ‘He’ but you substitute the pronoun ‘She’ if you have a daughter) has probably received information from the college about his new living space (dorm room) and maybe even the names and contact information of his roommate(s).
I was at a client’s house a few weeks ago and my client’s son was talking to me about his dorm room. He received the dimensions of the room (it’s small) and now knows that he’ll be sharing the space with 2 other guys. He’s always had his own room! He’s starting to wonder how he’s going to keep everything he wants to bring with him organized. He’s also wondering how he’s going to manage his time – have fun and do school work.
I gave him a little advice which I’ll share with you. Make use of vertical space. Use the space under the bed. Many companies make plastic storage drawers that fit beautifully under beds. Use the vertical space in the closet – maybe invest in hangers that hook onto each other. Don’t forget to label all electronics – cords, chargers – everything. So many people use the same or similar devices. So, keep track of what’s yours by labeling it!
As for managing time… even though you and your child may use the calendar in your phones buy him a calendar to hang on the wall in front of his desk. Get one that is large enough so that he can write down the important things to remember. This way important meetings and paper due dates will be front and center. Prioritizing tasks and keeping track of everything you need to take care of is a learned skill. Try writing these tasks down. Do the one you think will take the most time and that you want to do least FIRST! This way you get it over with (no procrastinating) and maybe it won’t take quite as long as you thought!
If you live near Metro-Atlanta my colleague, Jonda Beattie, and I are presenting a workshop on July 20th which will cover topics like setting up a dorm room, budgeting, paperwork and time management. Complete information about the workshop is on my website under ‘Events’. Maybe I’ll see you there!