We only have three weeks left of school (including finals!), which means it’s sadly time to start thinking about moving out of your dorm or apartment. You’ve probably accumulated a lot of stuff over this past school year, and moving out always takes longer than you allot time for. While packing everything up can seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be with a little organization and a few tips we’ve come up with.
1. Make lists
Lists are a savior when it comes to anything relating to packing or moving. You want to make sure you don’t forget something that’s yours, like a kitchen appliance or that tapestry you hung in the living room back in August. Make lists of things in different categories that you have to pack up, and cross them off when you’re done. You can also make lists of what items you have available to pack in and what you will pack where, like suitcases or boxes for example.
2. Don’t save it all for one day
While it seems like just another thing to procrastinate for during finals week, I’m telling you, do not save all your packing for one day. It’s going to take longer than you think to fit everything in so that the suitcases will zip shut, and you don’t want to find yourself being kicked out of your dorm room before you’re done. Do a little bit each day during the couple of weeks before moving out. You can at least pack up a suitcase of winter clothes that you won’t need anymore to get a head start!
3. Get rid of old school supplies and textbooks
You don’t want to be lugging textbooks and notebooks back with you for no reason! Once finals are over, recycle notes or donate them to friends who will take the class in the future.Throw out old used school supplies and mail back textbooks or sell them to other students. You won’t use any of this stuff all summer, so why carry home more than you need to?
4. Donate clothes or food
If you find yourself with way too much stuff that you haven’t worn or used in months, consider donating it so that you have more room to pack! If you start digging through your closet and find shirts you haven’t worn in months, take them to Goodwill or better yet, have a clothing sale in your apartment! Many students do this when they are moving out and advertise it on swap/sell Facebook pages and to their friends. It’s a great way to get rid of old clothing while making a bit of cash. Additionally, if you have food still in your cabinets, take it to the food pantry on campus.
With these tips hopefully you can be a bit more prepared to move out this May. Enjoy these last few weeks of school colleigates!
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