College, for most students, is a time to learn, have fun, and experience new things. One of those new things is living in a college dorm. For many students, their dorm is the first place they’ve lived away from home. (It’s also the first time for many other things, like sharing a room and a bathroom.) Of course, all good things must come to an end, including college and dorm life. If you’re getting ready to move out and wondering how to do it, this information is for you. It’s the top tips for college students moving out. And that is essential information to ensure your move goes smoothly. So read on for helpful tips, advice, and moving hacks when moving out of college!
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Tip 1: College Students, Prepare Before Moving Out
If you were a decent student, you prepared every time you had an exam. Think of moving like an exam, except that things could get extremely messy and stressful if you fail. Prepare as you would for an exam to avoid the mess and stress. Start a few days, or a few weeks, ahead of time. (We suggest about 2 or 3 weeks.) Below are several things you can do to prepare for your upcoming move:
- Purchase moving boxes, tape, packing paper, magic markers, and other moving supplies.
- Throw away, donate or sell anything you don’t plan to keep. That way, you will have less to move. (And less to pack, too.)
- Ask friends or family to help on moving day. Asking them ahead of time is better than the day before or the day of your move.
- If you and your friends are of drinking age, have some beer handy and plenty of food. (It might be better to give the beer after the move is done, so nobody gets hurt.)
- Make sure your college knows that you will be moving out and let them know the specific day. If you don’t, it’s possible they could charge you for an extra month.
- If you have a roommate, let them know you’re moving out. They might want to help, but they might want to leave and be out of the way instead.
Tip 2: If Necessary, Rent a Moving Truck
One extremely important factor to remember is that, when you move, many other students will be moving also. That means all the students who need moving trucks will need them at the same time you do. That, in turn, means you should reserve your moving truck as early as possible. (It’s part of the planning from the above tips.)
Forgetting to rent a moving truck ahead of time can cause you huge headaches and stress on your moving day. That’s especially true if you have furniture that you can’t move with a car. Sure, if you get lucky, somebody you know will have a pickup truck. Still, that’s not 100% certain and could leave you sitting around twiddling your thumbs. We suggest locking in your moving truck rental at least a month early to avoid all that thumb-twiddling.
Tip 3: Make Sure you have a New Place to Live
While this might seem obvious, you’d be surprised how many college students forget they need a new place to live. Of course, you don’t need one if you’re moving home, but if that isn’t in your plans, you will. In most cases, that implies checking out apartment complexes, determining a budget, and filling out application forms. Depending on where you plan to live and work, it might entail more. For example, if you’re attending college in New Jersey but plan to live in Georgia. In a situation like this, some traveling to arrange your next living space might be necessary.
Tip 4: Moving Out but Still a College Student?
Some college students get sick of dorm life and decide to move into a private apartment or residence off-campus. All of the above tips and advice still hold if that’s you. However, there are a few more that you should keep in mind:
- Do your best to find a new place to live close to your college campus. The last thing you want is to spend half your day going back and forth to class. Also, if you have early classes, living far away from campus can be a real pain.
- Be sure to budget your money correctly, especially if your on-campus housing was included or paid for. Once you’re off-campus, things like food, gasoline for your car, and other expenses can add up quickly.
- Consider getting a roommate. This goes back to budgeting and expenses. While not a perfect solution, a roommate is a great way to lower your expenses substantially. In most cases, you will cut your rent in half and your electric, gas, and water bills also.
Tip 5: Store Your College Things in a Storage Unit
There are several scenarios where a storage unit would be a perfect solution for college students. For example, if you’re going to study abroad for a semester, storing college things in a storage unit is perfect. Do you plan to go on summer break and then move into a new place when you get back? If yes, storing your things in a storage unit is also an excellent solution.
The great thing about a storage unit is that you can access your things whenever you like. If you need something, you can let yourself in and get it. If you have something else to store, you can drop it off easily and quickly.
These Moving Out Tips Brought to You by CA Storage
Moving out of college isn’t always stressful, but it can be. At CA Storage, we do our best to make it as easy as possible. Our self-storage centers feature clean, safe storage units you can drive right up to with your car!
You can rent a storage unit online without a credit card because there’s no deposit with CA Storage. Also, we only offer month-to-month leases, so you’ll never get stuck in a long-term contract. Chat with us online or visit the CA Storage center nearest you for self-storage questions. Until then, best of luck with all your plans!