College Packing List and Moving Guide from Student Moving Expert
We have created the definitive (well, just about) go-to guide all students should consider checking out before move-in day.
Below you will find everything from packing guidelines, to college checklist advice, to what procedures you should be aware of on your campus.
Ready to Pack?! Know the Facts.
Most every school has their on-campus housing policies online and in their student handbook.
It’s important to check this out because some schools have different policies on appliances you can bring, how you can decorate your room, and many other rules and regulations specific to your first year on campus.
It also lets you know what appliances and furniture are already provided in your room so you can better prepare for packing.
It lets you know who your resident assistants (RA’s) are so you can reach out to them with housing or roommate questions.
Know Your Neighbor
Make sure to use Facebook to search out your soon to be campus friends and roommates and find out who is living in your residence hall. Also, see if you know anyone from growing up that lives around campus and might be fun to catch up with when you arrive. Meeting and hanging out with new people on the first day is the best way to get adjusted right away and begin the school year right.
It also couldn’t hurt to call your roommate(s), introduce yourself, and get to know each other a bit so it won’t be as awkward on the first day.
When speaking with your roommate(s) plan out who is going to bring the TV, DVD player, Xbox, Wii, mini-fridge, microwave, food and drinks, etc.
Make sure to decide who’s taking which bed so there aren’t any surprises when you get to campus. Nothing worse then starting the school year off with an angry roommate.
One Last Pre-Packing Advice Tip
Getting ready to pack brings you that much closer to living on your own, but hold up first. Here are some things you should figure out with your parents before you seal the boxes and bags:
Health insurance. Most schools require that you have medical insurance. Before you arrive on campus, make sure you’re covered under your parents’ policy (verify out-of-state coverage if you’re moving out of state to go to school), or else see if you can purchase insurance through your school.
It is very important to be covered, as you will most likely get sick in the first few months of school as the fall season changes. Make copies of your insurance cards, have your home physician’s info in your phone or laptop, and find a physician in the city where you’re moving to.
Renters insurance. If you live on or off campus someone can still break into your room or a water or gas pipe can burst. Your school is most likely not liable. Look into a renter insurance policy, which can be as little as $10 a month for several thousand dollars worth of coverage.
Cell phone. If school has taken you out of state, make sure your calling plan doesn’t get you with long-distance or roaming charges. If it does, either switch to a plan with unlimited roaming and long-distance, or find a different provider. If you stay in touch by text and e-mail a lot from your phone, consider getting a plan with unlimited texting and Internet, if your current plan doesn’t already have this.
Money. Oh yeah, you are going to need this to survive. If your bank is a national chain, find a branch and at least three ATMs close to campus so you can get the cash you need right away, without having to pay crazy ATM fees (they add up). If your home bank is only local, consider getting a different bank close to campus that you can keep at least a checking account at while you’re in school.
Valuables. Label all your electronics and other valuables with your name and hometown (avoid including personal info like your driver’s license number, home address, or Social Security number that identity thieves could use). You can use a permanent marker, an engraver, or find tamper-resistant asset tags online. Store a record of all your tagged items, along with a picture, in a safe place, for insurance purposes, in case anything gets stolen.
What to Leave in the Nest
Candles and incense. Many schools don’t allow these amazing olfactory eliminators since they’re considered fire hazards. Consider bringing other forms of scent enhancers that do not require fire.
Halogen lamps. Halogens can sometimes be as dangerous as open candle flames. They emit high-level heat that, when left unattended around curtains or flammable objects, can ignite and do major damage.
Illegal stuff. Take a wild guess what we might mean here:
Drugs, alcohol, gun, knives, ninja throwing stars, and any other weapon meant to bring about injury, death, or destruction. Sounds pretty dark, but we want you and your fellow campus residents to be safe and away from potential legal trouble.
What to Bring: The Checklist
– Bedding and Bathroom
– Alarm clock
– Bedside lamp
– Blankets
– Comforter
– Laundry drying rack
– Mattress pad (campus beds are not known for comfort)
– Pillows
– Sheets and pillow cases (make sure to check bed dimensions)
– Stain remover
– Towels
– Fan (window or stand alone)
– Hangers (wire hangers fit more clothes)
– Iron and ironing board
– Laundry bag/basket
– Laundry detergent and fabric softener
Desk Supplies
– 3×5 index cards (great for studying)
– Bulletin board, push pins (perfect to post random stuff)
– Dry erase board on door (great for messages)
– Desk calendarÂÂÂ (great to stay organized)
– Desk lamp
– Dictionary and thesaurus
– DVD-Rs and CD-Rs
– Flash drive or USB drive
– Hanging files and folders
– Highlighters
– Labels
– Notebooks and folders
– Paper clips and rubber bands
– Pens and pencils
– Pencil sharpener
– Planner/assignment book
– Post-it notes
– Printer paper and toner
– Ruler and scissors
– Stackable desk trays
– Stapler and staples
– Stamps and envelopes
– Trash can
Electronics
– CDs, DVDs
– Computer/laptop
– DVD/BlueRay player
– Ethernet cable or modem phone cord
– iPod or mp3 player
– iPod dock
– Outlet adapters
– Phone (Some schools provide one)
– Printer
– Surge protector and extension cords
– TV
Storage Items & Tools
– Adhesive, adhesive hooks, double-sided tape
– Hammer and nails
– Plastic storage bins
– Poster tape
– Screwdrivers (Phillips head, flat head)
– Tool kit
Toiletries
– Acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen
– Band-aids, Neosporin
– Brush and comb
– Cologne/perfume
– Cotton balls
– Cough drops
– Dental floss
– Flip-flops (for the shower stalls)
– Hair dryer
– Hairstyling products
– Lotion/moisturizer
– Nail clippers, tweezers
– Pepto-Bismol
– Q-tips
– Razors, shaving cream, aftershave
– Shampoo, conditioner
– Shower tote
– Soap
– Toothbrush and toothpaste
– Vitamins
Packing Time! Situation #1
If you’ve never moved onto campus before, get ready for a comical and chaotic scene. Typically there are anywhere from 800 to 6,000 freshman and their families moving to school all on one day and all at once!
Some bring trucks, vans, caravans, and trailers. Some pack the little car to the brim, others pack the SUV to the limit and the roof.
Next they have to find a parking spot and slowly unpack the moving vehicle and walk across to the campus residence hall. There you sign paperwork out, get your keys, and possibly get a hand from a football player, welcome back crew member, or residential life staff member.
2 to 3 awkward hours later, you’ve climbed your last crowded hallway, staircase, elevator. You’ve moved your last muscle on that box or bag. And you still have not totally unpacked.
Another 2 hours go by. Finally, you’ve hung the last hanger, folded the last shirt, and organized the last desk item. Now what? Off to have fun!? Not yet.
The next phase is the trip to the campus bookstore and/or the off campus target or Wal-Mart, bed, bath, and beyond. And good thing for you and your family you are not the only ones with this idea. You spend another 1 to 2 hours getting all your books, last minute items you forgot about, and you then go back to campus, struggle to find a parking spot, and make one last trip from the vehicle to your room.
Now it is time to either have one last meal with the family or part ways and begin your new journey at college.
Here is a last minute reminder: make sure you’re fully packed the night before you leave. Double-check again in the morning to make sure you have everything. Add any last minute items that you forgot. Once you leave the nest, you want to make sure you take enough resources to survive on your own.
Packing Time! Situation # 2
We would like the student or parent reading our definitive go-to college packing list and moving guide to consider another way to start the school year off.
Instead of packing the car to the brim or renting a van, U-Haul or trailer, why not send a student’s belongings to their residence room ahead of time.
Ship2School is just one of several student moving services that will move students into any school on and before move-in day.
A student moving service will often send a fully supplied, free box kit to a student’s home. In the box kit there are usually items such as bubble wrap, tape with dispensers, a magic marker, and 5 to 10 extra strength double wall boxes.
A student packs up their belongings and schedules a pick up with the student moving service and the next time they see their belongings they are waiting for them on campus ahead of time or delivered right to their dorm room on move in day with the upgraded in room delivery feature.
If a school has an agreement with the student moving service, a student’s belongings will be waiting in their room ahead of time at no extra charge!
When weighing the emotional and financial costs of moving to college yourself or hiring someone else to do it, remember that it is not as easy as one might think.
For example, if a family has to rent a van, trailer, or U-Haul for a cross-country trip, that alone could be the same cost as using a move-in service. Even if they ride in their own car, the gas and hotels alone could equal the service. The same goes for the same family that decides to take a plane and check the student’s 5-6 bags or luggage (100 to 400 dollars).
Another example is a parent(s) that takes a day off work to move their child in, and decides to then stay the night in a hotel after the exhaustive all day move. That alone would equal the cost of sending their child’s belongings ahead of time.
One last example is a family that actually finds a cost effective way to move their child into college on move-in day. Hats off to them! They humped, schlepped, lugged each box, bag, and item from the car and into the room and did it with no help and no rental cars. And right after the move-in the parents are hitting the road and going back home. The mental, physical, and emotional energy that just happened on that last day of the family being together and the first day of the student’s new life can’t be good as a remembrance of a monumental day.
The point we are making is that moving to college is something we all have to do if we want to go to college. However, it can be done a variety of ways. We hope this go-to college moving guide helps you make a decision on what to pack, what to leave behind, and how to get prepared for school ahead of time, and how to make the best use of move-in day, whether you move yourself or have a student shipping service such as Ship2School move you to college.
Bonus: Top 10 Suggestions for “Move-In” Day:
1. Measure your room layout ahead of time. We always find a good deal of disappointed students who can’t fit their couch into their room.
2. Hang a dry erase board on the exterior of your door so that friends can leave you messages when you are not around.
3. Call your roommate prior to Move-In Day so that you can introduce yourselves and decide who is bringing the TV, DVD player, stereo, Xbox, PlayStation, Wii, food and drinks, fridge, etc.
4. Bring posters. Add your “32 Pieces” of flair to your walls.
5. Bring flip-flops or shower shoes for trips to the bathroom. You never know.
6. Don’t use nails or screws when hanging up items. You’ll pay dearly for these marks on move-out day.
7. Ask your parents to send care-packages and gift baskets to you. There’s nothing like a treat from home in the middle of the semester to boost your mid-term jitters.
8. Bring food, drinks, and snacks. You might not leave the campus ranch and make it to the grocery store right away. Stock up in advance.
9. Bring a hand-truck with wheels especially if you live on the 2nd or 3rd floor. This will greatly ease your move-in process. Of course if you use a student shipping service, you can avoid this step all together.
10. Enjoy the first day, and get to know your hall-mates. You’ll spend a lot of time in your dorm and residence hall. Be social and start the year right!
Remember; EVERYONE is THROWN in this for the first time. Don’t be shy. Say hi to everyone on the first day. It’s gonna be a fun ride!
About the Author
As a former college student, Brian remembers all the things he wish someone had told him before he shipped off to school for the first time. He now writes entertaining and helpful articles for college students and their parents, hoping to help them avoid things he had to learn the hard way.
His work appears in the Ship2School blog at http:/ship2school.com/blog.
|
Marvel Heroclix The Incredible Hulk Fast Forces Deluxe Starter Game Includes 6 Figures
$8.99
The very first 6pack to feature the HeroClix Online Code Insert, which will be EXCLUSIVELY available in retail stores! Each code unlocks Hulk content on HeroClix online, creating an easy way to connect with friends online and play HeroClix games on a virtual playing field! The 6 pack also features 6 COMPLETELY REDIALED figures from the base set, 2 themed dice, 1 doublesided map, and 1 rules inse…
|
