A group of students in front of their college building overlay

How to Make Moving to College a Breeze

Posted in How-to,Moving Tips & Tricks,Planning the Move on July 5, 2022

Moving to college is, without any doubt, a life-changing experience that can go both ways – negative and positive. It is up to you to learn how to use this major life change as an opportunity for growth and personal development. Luckily, with this guide, you will learn more about common dilemmas and how to solve them.

When you are moving out of state for college, you should try bringing as few items as you can into the dorm room because you probably won’t have much space. Getting professional assistance for relocation purposes is also a great solution, as well as renting a storage unit where you can keep the extra belongings.

What Should I Know Before Moving to College?

How do I prepare to move to college? Moving away for college is probably one of the most exciting reasons to move. You probably have many plans about the future or some interesting ideas about things you expect to happen there. While you spend your days imagining your new life and wondering how to overcome potential issues, moving across the country for college can sometimes feel frightening as well. Fear of the unknown is something that you can’t overcome that easily, especially if this is your first time relocating alone.

Is It Good to Move Away for College?

So, the question is, is this really a good idea? Of course, it is – at least in most cases. Some students from all over the world move thousands of miles for studies. Eventually, all this hard work and sacrifice will pay off, especially if you go to study what you love. You’ll also get the chance to meet many young people who share the same interests as you, so it won’t be hard to make new friends and develop strong connections, even if you have to say goodbye to many old friends when you move.

Why Is Moving to College So Hard?

The most challenging part is that you’re relocating to another state alone. You’re probably used to living with your parents or guardians who take care of all the major responsibilities. Once you have to move out on your own, many of these responsibilities will fall on you. You’ll have to take care of your budget, nutrition, studies, organize your move, do your own laundry and housekeeping duties, and so on. 

This might feel overwhelming from time to time, especially because it all starts at once. Once you get used to it, you’ll become a responsible person ready to take care of yourself while away from home. Most importantly, you’ll be unstoppable to do whatever you wish in the future.

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What Do I Need to Move Into a College Dorm? Decide What to Pack From Your Home

Another challenging part of the process is packing to move. This is not the same as the regular moves because the dorm rooms are usually smaller than homes and apartments people rent, and in most cases, you have to share your personal space with roommates. When deciding what to keep when relocating, you need to reduce your inventory list to the minimum. This especially applies to packing clothes and other stuff that might take a lot of space. Some of the things you should bring include:

  • Bath and bedding (blankets, bedsheets, pillows, towels),
  • Toiletries,
  • Clothes and laundry,
  • School supplies and books,
  • Electronics (laptop, tablet, tv, chargers, cords),
  • Miscellaneous (documents, umbrella, toolkit, first aid kit),
  • Decoration (curtains, rugs, clock).

Also, if you’re used to pulling all-nighters, do not forget about the kitchen section. This should include a small refrigerator, coffee makers, dishes, and other small appliances you might need.

Guide on Things Students Shouldn’t Pack – Plan Everything Carefully

Unfortunately, there are some items that are not allowed to be brought into the dorm, but these rules are not the same for every school. For example, some do not allow microwaves, and others are very specific when it comes to the size of a refrigerator that is allowed to be kept in your room. Relocating with pets is not allowed as well. 

When it comes to this and many other rules and questions you might have before you move, you should consult directly with the university’s management team. You can contact them through their email or simply look for this information online. They will usually be very open to conversation but also strict about their rules, so it shouldn’t be hard for you to get the needed information. 

How Long Does It Take to Move Into a Dorm?

Most colleges host the fall move-in day during August. On average, the majority of these move-in days fall from the 15th to the 20th of August, which is conveniently a few days before classes start. If everything goes smoothly and you move efficiently by following the previously mentioned rules, it shouldn’t take you more than 1.5 to 3.5 hours to move into your new room and fully set it up with the stuff you bought there. 

If you do not feel like unpacking immediately the day you arrive or have something else planned for the time of your arrival, have a box with relocation essentials separated from the other stuff. This way, you will be free to grab some of the most important things as soon as you get there – such as a laptop, chargers, or medicines.

What Should I Know Before Moving Into a Dorm?

These are only a few of many things you have to acknowledge if you want to be successful in your student life once you move into a dorm. If you learn this and other useful information before going away from your home, it will be easier to avoid relocation stress or even depression after relocating.

  • You will have to adjust to living with someone you maybe don’t know,
  • You should set quiet or study hours for your room,
  • You should make a plan about the things you can share and borrow from each other (it might be convenient to reach out to the person you’re going to stay with before you get there to make some plans about this),
  • You will have to follow some rules when it comes to locking and unlocking your doors,
  • You will have limitations when it comes to visitors and times when visits are allowed.

Consider Hiring Long-Distance Moving Professionals in Your Area – They Can Give You Many Great Tips

One of the most complicated parts of the process is shipping all of your inventory on your own, especially for cross-country moving. While you may be lucky to get your parents to assist you with packing fragile items or furniture, they probably can’t help you relocate all of these belongings across the country. In other cases, they might be able to assist you, but they don’t know suitable relocation hacks or how to use packing supplies to protect your items appropriately. This is where professional cross-country movers jump in. Not only that they will help you move efficiently, but they can also give you many useful relocation tips

With their convenient cross-country moving services, you can move all of your belongings without experiencing any stress or unpleasant surprises that might occur when relocating yourself. The only thing you need to do is to decide what to move and what to get rid of, and professional long-distance movers will handle everything else. 

Just ensure you learn how to recognize relocation scams and avoid them. You have to look for reviews about the chosen company on various websites, ensure you check if they have a website, and don’t agree on anything before making a legal contract. Apart from that you should also check their quotes and compare the potential prices for required services with other companies. If the offered quote is very different from some average value, this should cause some suspicion.

Rent a Storage Unit Close to Your Campus

Is your door room too small to fit all the belongings you want to relocate? If you can’t think of any creative storage ideas and you need your stuff to be easily accessible, renting a storage unit close to your campus might be an excellent solution. Once you decide what items you want to move to your room and what to store, you can rent a unit, and professionals can assist you with relocating all of your belongings to your desired destination.

Things that you can keep in storage include seasonal clothing, sports equipment, and other stuff that are too big for a room that you use frequently. Making this selection might also help you reduce the number of items you’re going to move, which can be helpful for your relocation budget.

What to Do After Moving Into College? Plan Your Actions Carefully After Relocation Day

Are you curious about things to do after moving across the country for college? As we already said before, one of the very first things is to meet your new roommate and unpack after a move. This shouldn’t take a lot of time – considering the fact that you couldn’t bring too much stuff into your door room, you’ll be free to start exploring your new campus soon enough. In order to stay active, healthy, and productive, ensure you plan activities in advance and always follow your schedule. 

If you start avoiding your school tasks and obligations at the beginning, know that it will be much harder to catch up later. It’s important to set up good habits at the beginning, as it will be much easier for you to make excuses later here and there. This video might help you organize your time better and save yourself from potential troubles once you move and start with your classes and other responsibilities.

Moving to College Can Be Much Easier With Professional Long Distance Relocation Services

How to move to college without any problems when you’re moving across the country? Hire professional movers, and every worry of yours can be put to an end. One of the best things about this is that movers can help you move all of your inventory in a short time, and you can book them in advance – for the exact dates that your school requires you to be there.

This way, you can be certain that everything will go as planned, and you won’t have to depend on help from your friends or family (in case something comes up for them). You can also calculate your budget in advance if you contact the chosen company and ask for a free quote for moving cross country. After calculating potential prices, you can decide if they suit you or not. If the whole preparation process is too challenging for you, you can also choose to get packing services and not worry about a thing.

Anastasia Hill

Apart from being the next fashion icon, Anastasia is also a freelance writer and expert on moving (and packing clothes).

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