Packing up my dorm room is always a huge production because I have an absurd amount of stuff. As a junior, I have had to move out a couple times now and have adopted a fool-proof regimen when it comes to how to pack up your dorm room. Here are some of my useful tips.
1. Buy boxes from the Home Depot– They are very cheap (less then $2), are easy to assemble, and sturdy. Keep in mind though that the larger the box you buy, the more space you have, which means the heavier the box— so bigger isn’t necessarily better in the this case. When in doubt buy a few so that way you don’t hurt your back when you pick it up and lug it down the stairs.
2. Buy a Dolly or find one around campus– I bought a small dolly from Office Depot for $20 that was extremely useful while moving and is easy to store. Some dorms do have dollys to use when moving out, but they are often occupied by students so accessing one could take a while.
3. Prune before packing– Oftentimes when packing, you discover articles of clothing you might not have worn in a while or a book you never read. Rather then just packing these items that take up space, donate them to Give and Go, a community wide effort to reduce waste and donate tons of unwanted items. There are PODS located in some of the parking lots behind the dorms where you can put the items you don’t want. Sometimes less is more.
4. Rent a storage unit– Just around the corner on Moody Street is an ExtraSpaceStorage, which is an awesome new storage facility that rents lockers for around $65 a month. They are climate controlled and secure. They have cheaper rates if you reserve online and the first month is free! You could even share one with a friend and split the rent. http://www.extraspace.com/Storage/Facilities/US/Massachusetts/Waltham/900345/Facility.aspx