Living in a 15’x15’ box with another person is a huge adjustment when moving to college as a freshman. Most of us are used to having our own rooms, privacy in the bathroom and a full kitchen to cook our meals. Here are some tips and tricks to conquer your new home away from home.

1. Use pop can tabs on hangers to fit more in your closet.

There is limited space in freshman wardrobes, so if you have a lot of clothes (probably the ladies), this is a great way to expand your closet. Now you will have room to bring those snazzy sweaters you haven’t worn in two years (but insist you will).

2. Refold your clothes to save space in your drawers.

Do you have “too many” band t-shirts? Fret not! If you slide them into your drawer vertically, you can fit more and still see all of them. No more messing up your entire drawer to reach that punny “Stay ‘Au’ Ponyboy” shirt you want to wear today!

3. Use binder clips to hold your cords.

With the immense amounts of technology we have comes an immense amount of power cords. If you put binder clips on the edge of your desk to hold your cords, you won’t have to crawl underneath and inevitably hit your head as you search for and untangle the correct cord.

4. Get yourself a hot pot.

A hot pot is a covered heating appliance that is perfect for making tea, hot chocolate, soup and other foods you may need to boil. You can conveniently cook all the Ramen you want! 10 points for college stereotypes!

5. Make it smell nice.

It’s going to happen. Your dorm room is going to attain an odor that is a cross between stale, unwashed clothes and forgotten, festering food. No matter how much you clean, the scent will live on. Tape dryer sheets to the vents or use car air fresheners on them to spread some nose-friendly aroma. Need something stronger? Try a scented wax melter.

6. Use binder clips to maximize space in your fridge.

The mini fridge you have to share with your roommate poses a challenge for food lovers. Use binder clips to stack bottles without them rolling away and hang frozen bags from the racks.

7. Have a quick, tasty breakfast in your room.

As a freshman, you are almost guaranteed to have to battle at least one 8 a.m. class. The cafeteria opens at 7:15, but you know you won’t roll out of bed until 7:45 anyway. Crack some eggs in a mug, heat for 45 seconds. Stir and heat for another 45 seconds. Voila! Scrambled eggs in a mug. Add some cheese or milk if you are feeling adventurous.

8. Use Command strips and hooks to organize your life.

Command strips will become your new best friend. Use the strips to hang up posters, bulletin boards, mirrors and calendars, or the hooks to hang up jewelry, belts, purses, sweaters and more without damaging the walls or furniture. You don’t want to be billed for tearing paint off the wall with your Star Wars poster. The force of tape is stronger than you think.

9. Hang light-blocking curtains.

Yes, your windows come with blinds on them, but depending on where you are in the building, there are still varying amounts of light coming into the room. Light-blocking curtains also come in handy when you give in to the nap culture of college and want to sleep in total darkness in the middle of the day.

10. Turn your phone into a projector.

Maybe you are one of the fortunate few with a television in your dorm, but maybe you aren’t. If you don’t have a television, you can still have movie night in your room with your friends. Or maybe you just want to make watching cat videos on Youtube more of an event. Either way, to find out how to turn your phone into a projector, go here: http://content.photojojo.com/diy/turn-your-phone-into-a-photo-projector-for-1/