Moving Successfully Without Problems

Moving To College: Tips Every Freshman Needs To Know

Moving to college is one of the biggest transitions you will go through. It's often tough on both parents and students. However, with all the preparation and getting ready for classes, you also have to plan your move, especially if you are going to a school that is far away from your hometown.

Here are some moving tips every freshman needs to know.

Pack light

You might struggle with the idea of leaving half of your belongings behind when you go to college, but the reality is that most college dorms don't have all that much space for storing a ton of personal items. About a month before you leave for college, start going through your room and sorting out the items you know you'll have to leave behind. 

Examples of items to leave behind include:

  1. Old schoolwork, yearbooks, and other school paraphernalia. You may want to bring some photographs of friends with you college to hang on your wall, but most of your high school stuff will gather dust under your bed. It's not something you'll use very much. 
  2. Belongings that have no immediate purpose. If you have a great snowboard, a collection of guitars, a variety of stuffed animals, or even a piano keyboard, consider leaving them behind. There might be space for one guitar in your dorm, but not several. If your college is not close to a mountain, a snowboard or skis won't do you much good. Unless you're going to majoring in music, large musical instruments will take up space and could be damaged in the back and forth moving that occurs between years at college.
  3. Seasonal clothes. You won't have room to store large winter jackets and snow boots, especially because you often won't need them for simply walking to and from class. Keep these seasonal items at home. If you end up needing them later, you can pick them up at Thanksgiving break or have them mailed. 

You should also be sure to pack the things you will need. You'll need most of your clothes, comfortable shoes, and work out gear. You'll also want to bring most of the things you use every day, including your laptop and a personal printer. These things can take up more space than you might think. If possible, get a printout of your dorm or apartment so you have a better idea of how much storage space you'll have.

Arrive early

College towns can get crowded quickly with all the students flooding back in to start the new semester. Not only might it be hard to find parking, but you also will have longer to wait for registration and accessing your keys to your dorm. Stores that provides basics like food, towels, sheets, and trash cans will be picked clean by all the incoming students who brought few supplies with them.

If you can arrive early on the day you're allowed to check in, you can avoid all the rush-hour traffic and get the first pick of which room and bed you want. You might even consider arriving a day or so before check in. There can be a fee, but it could be worth it to reduce the hassle of moving in.

Invest in study boxes and totes

Many apartments are accessible from the outdoors or are not on the first level. You'll usually have to go up a few flights of stairs unloading all your items. Don't pack your things in trash bags and laundry baskets, because these are tough to haul up and down the stairs. Instead, pack your items in medium sized boxes with handles that will not be too heavy or awkward to handle. 

For more information on preparing for your move, contact a company like Bekins Van Lines Inc that provides professional packing services. 


Share