College Moving Tips 101
Congratulations! You have finally graduated from high school and are on to your next adventure: college. Whether you are staying in your hometown to attend University or you are moving out of state, there are some essential tips that can be helpful when moving to college and away from home for the first time. People often focus on just being in college but the process of getting there can leave some people feeling extremely anxious. However, there is no need to fret because we here at Zooz Moving have you covered with a few essential tips and tricks to make your transition to college as easy as possible.
College Information & Roommate Etiquette
As your move-in date is quickly approaching, the college that you are planning to attend will send you an orientation package which will include information such as move-in dates and times as well as items that are allowed and items that will be prohibited in your dorm room. Most colleges will also let you know who your roommate is going to be as well as their contact information for them. With your roommates information available, you will be able to reach out to them ahead of time and coordinate who will bring a mini fridge or microwave. This will also free up space in your vehicle or moving van for other essential items that you may want to bring along with you.
Another thing worth doing is reaching out to your college and requesting an early move-in date and time which will allow you some ease in moving in as there would be less people around and you could have first dibs on which side of your dorm room you would like, as well as getting all the furniture moved around how you like it. You want to make sure that even if you arrive early you don’t completely take over the dorm room and make all of the decisions because your roommate is also moving to college for the first time and it’s a good bonding experience to get everything unpacked together.
Your college will likely give you a loading zone pass that is good for a couple of hours so that you can go to and from your vehicle and have it parked close to the entrance. Depending on how you have packed, you may consider borrowing or renting a dolly to help you move as many things as possible from your car and the shortest amount of trips
Remember to dress for the weather
One of the most overlooked things when people are moving is to consider the weather on move-in day. Are you moving in state and whether that you were familiar with or will you be moving farther away where they have a different climate. We here at Zooz Moving get calls asking us what to expect when people move to Tucson, Arizona. Some of the tips that we give our clients is to wear clothing that is light and breathable, be sure to apply and reapply sunscreen, have plenty of water, and the most important thing is to wear a comfortable pair of tennis shoes because the last thing you want to do is drop a box on your toes if you’re wearing sandals.
Tips for Packing
When people think of moving they often envision packing cardboard boxes and carrying them to and from vehicles, but there’s a smarter way to pack especially when you consider how little room there is in most college dorm rooms. Being practical with the way you pack can make all the difference in the ease of which you transition from living at home to living in a dorm room. When it comes to clothes, you should not bring everything that you own, but rather bring the most versatile pieces that you own. Typically, college dorm room closets are not known for being large and expansive. That being said, you will really need to think long and hard about what you actually need. Keep in mind that in most college towns there’s department stores where you can always pick up more items of clothing if you need them.
A great way to transfer clothes is to put them on hangers and then cut a hole in a garbage bag and put it over all of the hangers that are bundled together and then you can bring them all in at once rather than piece by piece or all wrinkled from being in a box. Another thing to consider is packing your belongings in bins that you can use in your dorm room. Many places have great plastic bins that work as shelving or drawers and rather than pack your clothing or other items in a box you can just put them in those bins and transport them, cutting back on waste. You should also consider the non clothing items that are essential, such as phone chargers, a computer charger.. It is always a good idea to have at least one surge protector so that you can plug multiple items into one wall plug. I would recommend bringing multiple surge protectors, especially if you plan on plugging in your mini fridge and microwave. It is also worth noting that for larger items like mini fridges and microwaves it may be better to wait and purchase them until you arrive in your college town. It will save space in your vehicle and it’s something that you can easily bring once you have everything else settled in.
Final Steps
Once you have moved in all of your items it’s time to decorate! You will want to decorate in a way that is both representative of your personality and also respectful of your roommate. You will also want to make sure that you follow any rules that your college has set out as far as hanging things on the wall as many do not allow for people to use nails to hang pictures, so double-sided tape or Command hooks are going to be your go-to options. Once you are all settled in your dorm room it’s time to explore your campus. Remember this will be your home for the next four or so years, get out there and explore all of the things that your college has to offer and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and meet all of the wonderful people that will be your classmates for the next several years.
