By Joann Pan
Special to Relocation.com
Moving into your new dorm or new on-campus or off-campus apartment is an experience you will never forget. It’s a feeling unlike any other—it’s fueled by the excitement of being away from home coupled with the enchantment of making a home away from home, one picture frame laid out at a time. Fresh in my memory is my move into the dorms in Buffalo, NY, that was an eight-hour drive from my family home in Queens, NY. My best friends from home were spread out in Albany, Rhode Island, Binghamton and New Paltz, which didn’t help being so far away. It will sad to leave home, but just remember you are on the verge of the best four years of your life. It’s a chance for you to focus on school, your social life and your aspirations in life. Also here, is a chance for you to learn how to take care of yourself.
The reality is: moving day consists of getting to move in only a day before classes start, seeing other students bringing in their moving boxes with the same face of exhilaration and nerves. These first gleams of these terrified people turn out to be the first sights of your best friends for years to come. Remember to say hi and make a good impression.
My move ended up being pretty stress-free due to excessive planning and listening to lots of tips from people who have done it before. You want to give yourself plenty of time before the actual move date to have everything ready because all you will want to do when you get there is frantically drive around town to get all the textbooks and school supplies. You will have to go shopping for some new college gear you will probably be living year for the remainder of your college career.
Prepare and pack before moving day:
Make a collegiate packing guide of stuff you need and make sure you have everything a week in advance before the move. But, don’t freak out if you forget anything. Being in a college town means there are dozens of supermarkets, shopping centers, restaurants, dollar stores and mom-and-pop shops all over. When packing the car, make sure you have enough space for all the boxes you have packed. If you run out of space for boxes, you can always use plastic bags that are more malleable. If you gauge that some of the stuff will not fit in the car then plan ahead and ship your belongings. Call the school beforehand to see where you should send the boxes—usually it is to your own name at your dorm address.
Coordinate with your roommate on room furnishings:
To save space and money you can coordinate with your roommate about what to buy—me and my freshman year roommate shared a rug, coffee pot, cleaning supplies, power strips and a TV. Things we would not recommend sharing: food, refrigerator, pots, pans, dishes, bowls, lotion, clothing and other items you would use constantly or would have to take turns cleaning.
Finding out when to move it and how to get everything into the dorm:
The college or university will most likely let you know the earliest date and time that you can move in according to your year and where you’ll be moving to. If it’s a good school they will have little cars or wagons to load up all your stuff so you can simply just roll everything up. Take the time to place everything carefully. Unpack everything slowly maybe starting off with the bed, then the desk, then the closet. It will take a while decorating your living space for a semester from scratch. Tips to unpack all your boxes, so you don’t lose your mind.
Meeting everyone:
This may be the scariest part to some people or it may be the most exciting. Leaving your door open for your hallmates to may want to come in and meet everyone is a good idea. It’s always best for you to make the first move—someone will be thankful they didn’t have to be the first one. Go out there knock on open doors and introduce yourself. When college students meet for the first time they all want to know: what your major is, where you are from and when you moved in. (We miss having hallmates dearly. We loved the constant companionship.) With your new group of friends, it’s a perfect time to explore the new neighborhood while getting to know each other.
List of common items college students tend to forget:
- cable wire for your television
- small blanket for when you get cold hanging out with people in the common room
- cleaning supplies
- screwdriver
- personal printer
- shoe organizer
- umbrella
- stapler
Relocation.com wishes you the best on you or your children’s big move into college!