Travel Expert Anne McAlpin has been a featured guest on Oprah®, The View, and CNN, sharing up-to-the-minute travel tips. She has flown more than 2 million miles, traveled in over 71 countries, and cruised through the Panama Canal 98 times. When her nieces and nephews turn 16, she gives them a passport and takes them on a trip anywhere they’d like to go. She is currently planning next summer’s adventure for her niece, Mary Beth: Africa.

Here are seven organizing tips to help make moving into a college dorm room a breeze for your nieces and nephews and their parents! You can make it all fit into a small space!

1. Call Ahead.
Find out what is provided at your niece’s or nephew’s dorm: what electrical appliances they should bring as well as what they cannot bring (i.e., microwaves, irons, hot pots, etc.) Make sure they call (or Facebook) their roommates to see what they’re bringing. Space is at a premium, so make sure they don’t double up on things.

2. Get Everyone Involved.
Everyone can pitch in some dorm-life necessities like:
-A power strip w/surge protector
-A multi-purpose tool
-Measuring tape
-Adhesive tape/museum putty (that won’t ruin the walls)
-A flashlight
-Extra batteries
-Removable wall hooks
-Extension cords
-An inexpensive plastic tool box (that will keep everything together and slides easily under the bed)

Check out the garage first for extra tools and supplies before spending money at the home improvement store.

3. Think Better than Boxes.
Instead of using cardboard boxes, look around the house and see what you can use for packing and organizing all their things. Some ideas:
-Backpacks, tote bags, and rolling suitcases are great because they are easy to carry. Be sure to pack heavy items on the bottom, lighter items on top.
-Collapsible crates are great for storage and don’t take up space when not in use. Nieces and nephews can use them as filing cabinets, or they can make a table by putting two together with a board across the top.
-Pack a plastic laundry basket with laundry detergent, fabric softener, etc. They can also slide laundry baskets under bunks for use as drawers.
-Use a plastic garbage can to organize items such as garbage bags, zip-top bags, cleaning supplies, etc.
-Tins are great to pack small breakable items in, as they protect them and do double duty for food storage (like popcorn and cookies) to help avoid ants.

4. Keep Valuables Safe.
Make sure niece and nephews keep valuables with them at all times on moving-in day (e.g., prescriptions and computers). It’s best to leave anything really valuable – like jewelry – at home. It’s just not worth the worry.
-Designate one item (like a school backpack) to pack all valuables in on moving day, and have them keep an eye on their handbags; it’s easy to get distracted with everything going on.
-Small combination locks can be used on luggage, backpacks – anything with zippers – for more security. If your nieces or nephews have medication, keep it out of sight and locked up. Don’t forget a cable with a lock for bikes (if they’re bringing them).

5. Protect Laptops.
These are easy items to be lost or stolen. Ask resident attendants (RAs) about tips for protecting laptops in dorm rooms. Some tips include:
-Pack a laptop locking system for desks in their rooms, so their laptops can’t be grabbed easily if they forget to lock their doors. Have nieces and nephews record serial numbers in advance.
-Laptops should be carefully packed in a protective laptop case. Neon colored cases are great (laptops can be identified at a glance in a group study session) and will help protect laptops when traveling to-and-from classes.

6. Wheels, wheels, wheels!
Most colleges will have a drop off point near the dorm, but you still have a distance to haul all the stuff to the rooms. In some cases, there might be students scheduled to help you unload; but in the event that there aren’t, be prepared:
-A wheeled cooler works great for storing food items, for using as a table or an extra chair, for tail-gating or partying, and especially for using a fridge.
-Wheeled trunks are great for protecting breakables and make it easy to move heavy items; and they double as extra tables in the dorm room. Get one that locks if available.

7. Use Great Space Savers.
-Hanging shoe organizers are not just for shoes. They can be used to pack all cosmetics, belts, jewelry – everything! Get a clear pocket organizer to make it easier to locate items.
-Use a laundry bag that hangs inside and over the closet door instead of a large basket for dirty clothes.

Photo: imagerymajestic
Published: September 11, 2012