Almost all college students are under severe budget restraints and have to make money stretch as far as possible for their accommodation, tuition, meals, and a wide assortment of expenses.
One of the costs of attending college is the expense of moving belongings, including moving in, moving out, and self-storage during the intervals between semesters. Fortunately, there are a number of ways college students can save money and be efficient in packing, unpacking, and preparing for a college move.
College Students – Moving Ideas & Tips
There are a number of tips available to help college students plan and prepare for their moves. They allow an ease of time for the student who can then focus on school and less on the work involved in moving.
Efficiency in Packing and Moving
Proper planning will make the college student moving experience far easier, more economical, and less stressful. Some things to consider before making a move are:
- Find out what appliances and commodities are already at the new accommodation. For example, if there is already a kettle in the kitchen then there is no point bringing another.
- While doing pre-move research, look into surroundings before moving. It will help you feel more prepared when arriving at the new accommodation.
- Transport may be the most important thing when moving into student halls. Several options are available including a personal vehicle, a family or friend’s vehicle, a rental truck, or a shipping trailer or moving storage container.
- Determine how long the college term is and plan in advance for the eventual move-out.
- Consider that all college students are “in the same boat” in that they have the same concerns, stresses and worries that that may not fit in and don’t have the proper equipment. Proper planning can alleviate this.
- Accept that most dormitory facilities have communal kitchens and bathrooms. Bring what’s necessary for self-support but avoid duplication of unnecessary items.
Additional Tips on Efficiency
The nature of a college move is that it’s temporary and limited in personal space. Other things to consider when preparing and undertaking a college student move are:
- Separate what items you plan to leave behind and organize those you intend to move. Do this prior to packing so you don’t mistakenly pack a non-essential item or forget ones that are. Dorms at most colleges are small and don’t offer any more space than necessary. This is also the time to weed out what you no longer want. Donate them to charity or perhaps regain some funds at a garage sale.
- Dorms at college are mostly old so having an air conditioner is not likely. Bring along a desk or floor fan.
- Whether you’re moving into an apartment or a room in a house, make sure you inspect for damage the last tenant might have caused. Let your landlord know so you don’t get charged for other people’s carelessness.
- Regardless if you’re moving into a dorm or apartment, ensure you arrange for utility connections well before the day of your move. This includes your telephone if you have a landline, your power, cable and for sure your internet connection.
- Try to make your move in the middle of the week. Weekends are when others are moving and the availability of trucks and supplies will likely be better.
- Set a goal to make as few trips as you need. Pack little items into big ones. Use other containers like sports bags, backpacks, cloth shopping bags and even handbags. Put light items into these bags and then place the bags in large boxes. They’ll be far easier to handle in bulk.
- Reduce the chance of breaking fragile items by carefully wrapping each one separately. Free materials are readily available like newsprint, plastic bags, shredder paper, towels, old shirts and blankets. Take special care with electronics and glass pieces, especially framed pictures.
- Reduce the amount of things to move by limiting your shopping list until after you move. By waiting until you’re settled in you have less to transfer and you might just stumble on some cost-saving bargains. Also, your new neighbor or roommate might just want to split some costs.
- Rely on family as well as friends to help you pack and move. What goes around comes around and if they haven’t been through a move at some time, they are certainly going to one day. Reciprocal agreements on helping others is a real cost-saver. They can also be a lot of fun.
- If the temperature is hot, make sure to pack anything perishable last and then unload it first. Be especially careful with aerosol products that can explode under heat, candles that might melt and electronic devices that can’t bear overloading on high temperatures. Insulated coolers are great for packing temperature sensitive items.
- There’s nothing to be shy about asking if discounts are available for students. Many stores, food outlets, restaurants and most moving companies have special rates for college students. They usually need to see identification from your college so have it out and be ready to save.
- Take a planned approach at moving in. Start with the larger items and put them away or set them in their final place. That includes couches, tables, beds and entertainment centers. This will give a smooth flow and leave you some organized room to later put up your pictures and other decorations. It also allows you to remove the bulky packing materials.
- Take time to make a plan that’s workable and effective. A floor sketch of your room is a quick and easy way to see if your things fit properly and where the best place for them are. Scale cutouts on a scaled diagram are handy and may save a lot of time from having to move the bed and chairs multiple times to they find the right spot.
