The Ultimate Moving to College Timeline
Moving into college housing takes an abundant amount of preparation.
Rather you are moving into a college dorm or off campus housing, you
will need to properly organize every step of your moving process. What
needs to be done and in what order should it be accomplished? The
following college student timeline will help you prepare for your
upcoming move.
Six Weeks Prior to Moving
- Check your dorm status. Contact your college or university to find out if you were approved for dorm housing, and if so, find out which dorm. Determine when move in day is and how to properly check into your dorm room.
- Verify dorm requirements. Dorms have certain
items that they do and do not allow within the rooms. Before you begin
planning your relocation, it is vital that you know what is not allowed.
This will prevent you from packing and transporting prohibited items.
- Find off campus housing. If you have decided
that you do not want to live on campus, then you will need to find
another housing arrangement. Most schools offer suggestions on where to
live off campus.
Four Weeks Prior to Moving
- Hire a moving company. If you are planning to
live off campus, you will likely have to move a number of large items
yourself, such as a washer, dryer, bed, etc. This means that you will
need assistance moving into your new place. A moving company will help you navigate throughout the entire process.
- Ask for the assistance of family and friends.
Moving into a dorm is different than moving into an apartment or home.
Since dorm rooms tend to be fully furnished, you will not be bringing
any extremely large items. This means that while you may not need the
help of a professional mover, you will still need help moving in. Asking
your friends and family for help will ease the moving process.
- Arrange a time to pick up your keys. When
heading to college, you will need to make preparations for picking up
your keys. If you are moving into a dorm room, then your school has
likely made move in arrangements for you. This will include a time for
you to pick up your keys. However, apartments are not the same. You will
need to contact the building management and set up a time to pick up
all necessary materials.
Three Weeks Prior to Moving
- Examine Dorm Space. Dorm rooms are known for
being rather small. Because of this, organization is crucial. You will
need to figure out how to maximize the space in your room.
- Purchase organizational supplies. Once you have
examined your new living space, it will be time to purchase various
organizational materials. Crates, bins, and other storage options are
great items to have to help you arrange your dorm room.
- Eliminate unnecessary items. Moving to college
is temporary. Therefore, it is no need to pack up your entire life.
Leaving a few things behind will leave you more space to organize your
dorm or apartment.
Two Weeks Prior to Moving
- Identify your perspective roommate. College
living normally means that you will live with another person. Prior to
your move in date, your college will likely inform you of your future
roommate along with their contact information. It is best to get this
information as soon as possible.
- Determine who will sleep where. After you have
identified who your roommate will be, discuss sleeping arrangements. If
you will be living in a dorm, then you will need to determine who will
receive which side of the room.If an apartment will be your new home,
then you should figure out which room each person will reside in.
- Decide who will bring what. Since you will be
sharing the space with your roommate, you need to figure out and decide
on who’s bringing what to your new space, such as a fridge, T.V,
microwave, etc. There is no need for multiples; therefore, plan
accordingly to not waste space.
- Begin packing. Now is time to start packing up
your belongings. Since you will likely travel home during each major
break from school, you can leave an abundance of your clothes behind.
Pack seasonal items to save a lot of space in your small space.
One Week Prior to Moving
- Check your student accounts. If your dorm room
is being paid through financial aid and/or scholarships, you will need
to check your student accounts to ensure that the dorm room has been
fully paid for. This will help to avoid any potential problems on moving
day.
- Purchase a parking pass. If you will be
bringing your car to campus, it is likely that you will need to buy a
parking pass. This pass will prevent you from getting traffic tickets
while parked on campus.
- Wash everything. Whether it be bedding,
clothing, or towels, now is the time to wash and prep all items you plan
on taking with you to the dorm or apartment.
Moving Day
- Do a final sweep: Before you head out on your
new found adventure, you’ll want to check, or better yet double check,
every aspect of your move in order to make sure nothing has been
forgotten. From home items to important documents, it’s important to
check behind yourself to ensure that these items haven’t been left
behind.
- Say goodbye to your loved ones. Since you are
all settled in, your family will be ready to head home. Thank them for
helping you with this process and see them off.
Moving into college housing is a great experience for any student. This
is also a process that will take a ton of organization. Therefore, you
need to make sure you are ready for what lays ahead of you. Following
this college student timeline will help you properly prepare for a major
life changing event.