Plain white walls are boring, and cluttered desks do not make good study environments. But let’s face it, decorating and organizing is not in a college student’s budget.

To help spice up your walls, try using pictures from magazines. You can cut them out and make collages, adding color to your room.

This is a simple solution for both girls and guys. Find pictures that help everyone in the room express themselves.

“Decorating my wall was easy. I just took old magazine ads and magazine covers and put them all over my closet doors,” said Diana Vasilakos, a junior nursing major. “My suitemates put magazine pages on the common room wall also. It looks great!”

Other than decorating walls, add color with pillows and blankets on futons and chairs.

Wal-Mart, Target, Home Goods, Marshalls and T.J. Maxx always have great pillows for low costs.

When purchasing anything, always shop around for prices. Bed, Bath and Beyond and Linens-n-Things have coupons in their weekly fliers. Both stores also accept expired coupons and even better, accept their competitor’s coupons.

Bed, Bath and Beyond and Linens-n-Things have wide selections of storage bins and organizational tools. A shoe rack, which can be hung on an armoire door, is a great way to save space.

The “15 Pocket Oversized Shoe Bag” for $9.99 found on www.lnt.com can be used for shoes and many other things. Use it to hold socks, undergarments or even an iPod or camera.

Other armoire tricks include over-the-door hooks to hold a coat or towel and a soft, multifunctional organizer to be used for clothes, hats, or extra linens.

Studying is a difficult task when you cannot find your notes or books. To stay organized, try building shelves on your desk. Use the shelves for a printer, books, and other miscellaneous items.

Students will find draw organizers helpful to organize their office supplies.

“I have draw organizers in every draw. It makes it easy to always find what I need,” said Keith Levine, a junior accounting major.

Although filing cabinets are useful to save assignments and papers, they are too big for a dorm room.

Try a soft expandable organizer, which can be kept in a desk or brought to class. These can also be used to store take-out menus.

Storage containers can be stored on shelves and used for clothes, additional office supplies or snacks.

“To get organized, I bought drawers and storage bins from Target and Wal-Mart. The extra storage was inexpensive and useful,” said Vasilakos.

Some storage bins are sold in sets of six. If there is no need for all of them, see if a roommate will split it.

Storage bins are also useful under a bed to store DVDs, clothes, or shoes.

“I have Yaffa Crates under my bed for extra storage. They really keep me organized,” said Levine.

Common rooms and common areas are often space and storage limited. TV stands with a lot of shelves help store DVD players, VHS players, DVDs and VHS tapes.

When shopping for seating for a common area, make sure the chairs can be folded and stored when not in use.

Make sure to invest in items that are inexpensive but can be used year after year.