The day has come. You pack up your childhood memories into boxes and put them into your mom’s minivan until it’s too full to fit to fit anything other than a driver.

When you move out of your childhood home, you may be ready to start anew with nothing but your computer in hand. However, if you are like I was when I moved in to my first residence hall, it was incredibly difficult to keep in mind what I was there for in the first place. While memories are important to indulge in to keep feelings of homesickness at bay, it’s important to leave room for the new memories — and the growth — you will find in this room. Stay organized with these tips!

Keep your room tidy and your desk tidier

This bit of advice is something I wish I would have concentrated more on while living in a teeny time room with limited space to myself. With a roommate who rarely left her own workspace, I tended to dwell in public spaces with tables rather than do work at my desk in my room. Because of this, my desk collected quite a bit of stuff and left me with one more reason to avoid working in my room altogether. This habit has followed me into apartment-living; I often opt for crowded public spaces when I have a multitude of perfectly good surfaces in my own place. Take advantage of the solitude your desk offers by keeping it cleared off, and make it inviting with candles, lamps and lots of sticky notes and pens so you’ll want to sit down to knock out your homework.

Clean out your closet regularly and with purpose

With so many changing seasons in Illinois, there is a huge benefit to clearing away out-of-season clothing items when your closet is the size of a refrigerator box. Keep some shorts for that random heat streak in January and a jacket or two stored away from the freak negative-20 degree day in March, but other than that, get rid of your clunky snow boots once the weather warms up if you can afford using the extra space on your bus ride home. Keep your winter coat around until at least the end of March, though; random snow storms can haunt college students until summer has solidly arrived.

Snack cleanly (in more ways than one)

The fastest way to anger your roommate is to leave your smelly leftovers in the fridge and bags of chips all over your shared counterspace. Clean out your fridge at least once a week, and be sure to regularly replace any milk or eggs gone bad so you’ll always have the materials to make your boxed macaroni and cheese. Keep your shelf in the pantry fresh and updated with foods easily built into meals so you’ll be motivated to eat at home rather than going out. Make a grocery list and keep it up-to-date with things you know you need and meals you might want to try so you can shop intentionally rather than drifting from one aisle to the next. Be sure to stock plenty of grab-and-go foods in stock, too; things like protein bars or pre-portioned fruits and vegetables like apple slices or carrots make awesome treats to keep you satisfied running between classes without breaks to head home.

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