Organizing a smooth move to college
Seniors spend their last semester of high schools preparing themselves to take the final test. Preferably, seniors will enroll at the university or college of their choice. This means it is time to move away from your childhood home. It sounds pretty exciting, right? However, you need to prepare an entire move. Now it is time to decide what to bring with you, find a roommate, apply for a dormitory, say goodbye to your friends and family, find long distance movers Baltimore, and so much more. For this reason, here are all the tips for organizing a smooth move to college.
How to prepare a smooth move to college
You should start by making a college checklist. Depending on your new destination, see how to prepare. This means it is time to do some research. Check out the city where your college is located. As you should know by now, California or New York have completely different climates. Therefore, it is pointless to bring winter clothes to Los Angeles. Based on the information you find, select clothes and items that should be useful. Since you probably will not move furniture or large appliances, it is quite easy to pack your items. Usually, students bring their clothes, beddings, towels, pillows, some plants, books, electronic devices, and etc. However, if you plan to move into an empty apartment, then you need to find a good moving company Baltimore. It can be difficult to organize a DIY move, especially if you are moving across the country or even the globe.
How to organize finances?
Moving is not cheap. Even if you opt for a small DIY move, it will not be without any costs. For this reason, it is time to save money. Again, good planning is the key to success. You should start your moving preparations early. It would be wise to buy items over the course of several months. The reason is simple. You will not have to spend a large sum of money at once, but smaller amounts monthly. Additionally, once you make your moving checklist, you can search for affordable deals and discounts. For example, you might want to buy a new toaster or microwave. You can get these small appliances when stores are having sales. Lastly, if you have a job, save as much as you can for your moving budget. You can also tell your friends and family to buy the items you need as graduation presents.
Transportation for a smooth move to college
The next thing to plan is your transportation. You need to transport your items after all. However, the mode of transportation depends on the distance between your home and your new college. If your college is close by, then you can transport your items by car or a truck. You can even make several trips in order to transport all your items. However, if your college is in another state or even in a foreign country, pack lightly. If you are going to live in a dorm, it would be more affordable to buy some items instead of moving them. The bottom line – you should not overpack. After you spend some time in your new place, you will see what you need to buy. Therefore, bring money instead of tons of things. It is better to buy new items than to spend money on transportation fees.
How to pack your items?
Even though it is better to pack lightly, but you still need to bring some items with you. For this reason, you need to get proper packing supplies.
- Moving boxes – sturdy cardboard boxes are perfect for packing. You can either buy them or get them for free. Many local supermarkets, liquor stores, and offices give their cardboard boxes for free.
- Plastic containers – another great solution. Plastic containers are sturdy, durable, and offer protection. In addition to this, they are great when you want to store your items in a unit. Cardboard might attract rodents and pests.
- Wrapping materials – you can use bubble wrapping so make sure to save it when you receive some packages. In addition to this, you can also use your clothes, blankets, and sheets.
- Tape – do not forget to seal the boxes.
- Labels – make sure to label your boxes for better organization.
Adapting after a smooth move to college
In order to have a smooth move to college, you should prepare in advance.
- Do research about your college – almost every university has an official website where you can find a picture of dorm rooms. Then, you can see how big your room will be so you can prepare accordingly.
- Roommate bonding time – if you plan to live in a dorm, you will have a roommate. This can be both exciting and frightening. For this reason, you should contact your roommate in advance if you can. See who should bring TV, microwave, coffee maker, mini-fridge, etc. Additionally, you can also make plans for decorating your room.
- Arrival time – you should arrive as early as possible. Avoid the official arrival day as most students will come and make a mess.
- Move-In assistance – ask help from volunteers to find your room, carry your items since they welcome students to the campus.
Saying goodbye to your friends and family
Going to college or university is extremely exciting. You get to finally live alone away from your parent, experience life and have fun while learning something valuable. However, you should not forget to say goodbye to your parents and friends back home. Your parents will be sad to see you move away. Therefore, spend some quality time with your parents. In addition to this, do not forget your friends. Organize a get together before your moving day. You can find ways to communicate and keep in touch. It would be a fun experience if you can organize a trip to visit your friends at their university and vice versa.