Every August the same thing happens.

Someone buys a sage comforter, a string of lights, and a rug that doesn't fit the walkway. Move-in day they find out the desk has to sit under the loft, the closet door hits the bed, and the "aesthetic" is just stuff stacked against a wall.

The room was never the problem. The missing step was seeing it.

A usable dorm layout answers three questions before you spend a dollar:

• Where do you walk? Keep 30 inches of clearance if you can. That's the difference between a room and a storage unit.

• Where does the bed go? Lofted vs. low changes every other piece.

• What do you actually need to request? Window desk, extra storage, accessible clearance — housing can't guess.

Nestform is a studio for incoming freshmen to draw that layout first. Free while we open the doors. Bring your room type. Leave with a plan you can tape to the inside of a moving box.