Moving out of your college dorm can be a bit overwhelming considering most of your belongings have been squeezed into one tiny side of a room for the past eight months or so. Moving out does not seem like nearly as much fun as moving in because it seems like an end to another chapter in your life. With these tricks, however, you’ll make move-out day hassle free and you’ll have more time to reminisce than stress.
1. Make a schedule
To avoid panicking and throwing everything in black garbage bags the night before move-out day, it’s a good idea to make a plan. Move-out day is also finals season, and we know how stressed you are from that. The last thing you want to do after studying all night is to pack up your entire room and unpack it when you finally get home. To avoid this, you should make a schedule to pack things day-by-day instead of all at once.
Kristen Perrone, a senior at Siena College, says, “If possible, try to coordinate around your roommate/housemates' moving out schedule. It's a little hectic when two or more people are moving out at the same time, especially if it's a tiny dorm room you're sharing, so even if it's just starting to pack a couple days before leaving when your roommate isn't home so you have space to move stuff around without bothering anyone, it's worth it!”
We totally agree with Kristen! Sharing the packing schedule with your roommate(s) will avoid any overwhelmingly stressful situations. You wouldn’t want to mix up any belongings!
2. Purchase necessary packing materials
Boxes, tape, scissors and Sharpies are all necessary things few people tend to consider when moving out. These are crucial and help make things a little bit more organized when moving out. If you’re moving furniture or other heavy items, make sure you book your moving truck and/or storage facility in advance and add that to the schedule.
Bea Prats, a freshman at Lehigh University, says, “After countless weeks of studying for my finals the last thing I want to do is drive to the store and pick up boxes, so I make sure I do this well in advance. I can’t stand disorderly packing either so I really need to have a system.”
Disorderly packing sounds like a nightmare, especially when you will eventually need to unpack things. We advise you to customize your shopping list to possibly include things like packing foam or bubble wrap for delicate items.
Related: 6 Ways to Make College Move-In Less of a Hassle
3. Stay organized
Make a packing list and clearly label moving boxes! We cannot stress this enough. Descriptive labels will help you when you finally decide to unpack because we know how much of a struggle that can be too. Whether you’re living on or off campusnext year, you’ll want to know where all of your things are. Sorting through piles of clothes is much easier when you have a label like “short-sleeved shirts.”
The packing list will make sure you don’t forget anything and that all your belongings are accounted for.
4. Pack your daily essentials together
Make a box of daily essentials so you aren’t rummaging through many boxes just to find makeup remover. With boxes all over the place, you'll be grateful that you set aside the things you use every morning and night.
5. Get help from friends/family
Even the strongest of us needs a little help from some to time. Lindsey Allen, a senior at the University of New Haven, says, "I try to have my dad come visit me the weekend before to take home the big stuff, like shelves and the rack over my bed. I'm only inconvenienced for a couple of days without them and it makes move-out day so much easier."
By reaching out to your loved ones, packing will not only be easier, but you'll have more fun doing it alongside your pals.
With these three tips, we’re sure move-out day will be less hassle and more efficient. Hope this helps, and good luck, collegiettes!