How Does a Student Make the Most of a Small Dorm Room?

College dorm rooms are notoriously small. But there is a wealth of organizational items available to keep you from screaming in frustration. The very first thing you should remember is that you cannot block access in and out of the room. Your dorm room door needs to close and lock completely. The door should also not be blocked or impeded in any way. Any fire alarms or emergency fire extinguishers should not be blocked with furniture or covered over by posters or wall hangings.
Many colleges charge a hefty price for nail holes and tack marks in the walls. Make sure you don't fall into this trap by using pushpins to cover those blank walls. Check your student handbook for what you can and can't do to optimize the space in your dorm room.

After you've established the area of walking space, it's time to remove the clutter. The best way to do this is to organize your belongings with storage bins and baskets. Use some bins to put rarely used things at the bottom of your closet. Stackable storage bins can be used for both laundry items and clothes. Double up the items on your hangers to save some space. Two pairs of jeans per hanger works well. Have a hamper and use it. Clothes thrown on the floor add to the clutter. Add a shoe rack to help keep shoes organized.
Get your desk organized. If you're lucky, you've got a desk drawer. Don't just dump school supplies into the drawer. Put things away neatly so you'll know what you have and what you need to buy. On top of your desk, buy a desk organizer and a pen cup, tape dispenser, stapler and book ends.

Typically, two college students share a room. Two beds, two dressers, two desks--that's a lot of furniture for a tiny room. If one student can organize the unused vertical space at the bottom of the closet, it might be possible to get rid of one dresser.
If your dorm rules allow, purchase some simple shelving to mount on the wall. Using the vertical space above your furniture will give the room a bigger feel. Also, see if you can install a TV wall mount shelf. This will free up a flat surface on top of a dresser, desk or other surface.