Do you ever have those tiny, everyday inconveniences that aren’t your priority to solve, but it would be REALLY nice if you had an immediate solution?  Maybe all your bobby pins have gone missing just when you need them, your room stays 100 degrees no matter how big your fan is, or you’re having trouble fitting your clothes into your closet space.  Don’t worry, you’re not alone.  Here are some hacks to make your life flow so much easier. 

• Bobby pins, ponytails, and Q tips, oh my! 
  

This one is for you, ladies.  These items seem to be everywhere, except for when we need them.  To solve this, next time you buy gum, get a brand that uses a plastic container.  Stick your bobby pins, ponytails, Q tips, safety pins – or anything small that you have a lot of – inside of these to organize them and keep them from getting lost!

• Cords, galore! 

With today’s technology, college students can have tons of cords plugged in near their desks, which seem to magically knot themselves together sometimes.  It can be super annoying when these get tangled with one another.  Use binder clips with the cords threaded through to keep your chargers and appliance cords organized and within your reach. 

• It’s SO HOT. All. The. Time. 

Ventilation in dorms and college housing areas
can be less than stellar, to say the least.  If your room stays extremely hot no matter what you do, try to chill the air by placing a frozen water bottle in front of your fan.  The fan will no longer blow hot air around, it’ll spread the cooler temperature from your freezer. 

• No more closet room? 

If you’re finding you don’t have enough room in your drawers or closet for all of your clothing, but don’t want to downsize, here’s a tip.  Create cascading hangers with soda pop tabs so that you’re able to layer shirts over each other, and they take up vertical space rather than all horizontal.  A way to increase drawer space is to fold clothing, then stack it vertically rather than stuffing one shirt on top of shorts on top of pants, and so on.  This will also make it easier to find what you have in mind to wear more quickly! 

• Pet smell (or just smell in general)? 

Maybe you have an animal living with you.  In a small space such as college living, this can make your room smelly.  For a cheap solution you probably already own, put a dryer sheet over your fan or on the vent.  Or, use a car vent clip or freshener in the same way to fill the room with fragrance. 

• Desk clutter, everywhere! 

A cluttered desk = a cluttered mind.  Invest in a hanging wire shower caddy to place on the wall to put your desk supplies away in an organized manner.  They’ll also be easily within your reach. 

• The coffee conundrum. 

It’s no secret that coffee is cheaper to make yourself rather than spending $5 a day at a coffee shop.  However, you might like iced coffee more so than hot coffee.  I’ve found that making a pitcher of coffee and keeping it in my fridge makes for a quick, easy, and enjoyable drink in the morning when mixed with creamer/syrup and sweetener.  Freezing some of this already brewed coffee in an ice cube tray will also allow you to have a non-watered-down drink. 

• Heavy sleeper? 

Do you tend to sleep right through your alarm, without even batting an eyelash?  This can definitely be a problem.  Put your iPhone in a glass to amplify the volume so that you don’t sleep through your next class.