During my freshman year of college, I lived in a co-ed dorm: Nye Hall . It wasn't my first choice of dormitories, but it was my first year away from home, which meant anything was going to be the bomb-diggity.

I experienced all of the typical stuff—Kraft Easy Mac® , cinder block  bed props, 3:00 a.m. fire drills, community bathrooms, and a noisy roommate (no really, she played the trumpet in the school marching band). Believe it or not, I found all of this manageable. The major challenge I faced was the dorm laundry situation.

Nye Hall had a laundry center in the basement. A scary, poorly lit, moldy-smelling basement. You never knew if it was safe to leave your load unattended and go back up to your room. Most of us did. The other option was sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair for two hours in really bad fluorescent lighting, attempting to get through a chapter of Biology  while dismissing the peculiar noises that spewed from the building pipes and walls.

I tried a few creative ideas to avoid actually doing laundry, such as spraying Febreze®  on my clothes to get another wear out of them. Yeah, I know—it was a little gross. I definitely do not recommend this as a daily practice.

As I look back on my college years, and the many loads of laundry that ensued, let me offer one piece of advice: Remember your quarters.

Remember your quarters not only when hauling your clothing to a laundry facility, but also when planning your monthly or weekly budget. I understand the whole laundry situation may prove to be unique only to us out-of-state college kids. Maybe you are living close to your parents and can do your laundry at their house on the weekend. Or maybe you have a friend with a washer and dryer  who will let you do your laundry in exchange for pizza.

The point is to consider how quickly these types of minor expenses add up. As a card I once received read:

"You're living on your own for the very first time!
Have fun spending money on things like toilet paper."

What secrets do you have for making the chore of laundry more manageable?

Editor's note: We're excited to introduce the lovely and talented Rachel as the newest member of the Student LoanDown blog team!