To move into college, you probably prepared over the summer. (Anyone else use that 4-page Her Campus packing list?) Moving out needs time and planning as well, though. In this article I’ll try to give you the tools they need to be successful – not stressful. Most people have never had to “move out” of a room. And believe me, the very first time you have to move everything out of the room – you realize just how much stuff you have! Without further ado, here are some mother-approved “best practices” for moving out:
1. There’s no time like the present! Start packing early, while finals are still a distant thought and while the days are rainy.
2. Done with a class? Ditch the extra clutter! Start going through drawers and papers on your desk. Put away those especially sentimental things (i.e. your first A-grade paper in a class). Send all rental books that you don’t need back— you don’t want to be just remembering that when you’re busy hauling a futon into a moving truck on the last day. And for those things you just can’t wait to get rid of: ditch them! Plan a bonfire if you feel so inclined, just preferably not in the dorm would be great. (Or, just recycle!)
3. Eat up! So, you’re out of flex points. The good news is there’s probably stuff to eat in your room. Try to finish it or find a place to donate it; it’ll save you space in your suitcase!
4. Be a hoarder…of boxes! When you move out, you’re going to realize just how much stuff you fit into this room you thought was too small to live in. And what are you going to do with all of it? Put everything in boxes! So, be on guard for big boxes in the recycle bins. When people get big care packages in the mail and then dispose of the box in the hallway recycle bin, that is your lucky day! Seize that box like it’s the last breadstick from the share table, fold it up, and save it until it’s time to shine.
5. Study breaks = packing! With reading days ahead, there’s sure to be a lot of reading, of course, and studying, and study guide making, and problem set practicing. But every good study session includes a study break, and active ones are usually best. What you can do, then, is take a 20-minute power packing break to dart around your room and pack up some aspect of it. When there’s all that pent up energy, you’ll be amazed how fast you can pack!
6. Say Thank You. Ahh, the magic words! Write some thank you’s to friends, teachers, RAs, and other people that helped you survive (and thrive!) throughout the year. Deliver them before you even have to start studying for finals; that way you are sure that your gratitude is delivered.
7. Have a mini fashion show. Go through your clothes. Donate what you no longer need or what doesn’t fit. Again, you’re saving room in your suitcase if you give things away now!
8. Pack up the last semester artifacts. Anything that you haven’t touched since 2014 or that’s collecting dust as you read this: pack it up! It’s not going to suddenly become pertinent during the last two weeks of school (and if it does than I apologize for the poor advice!).
9. Take down the posters. Yes, I know, it’s like metaphorically taking your identity out the room, like stripping the cinderblock walls of their only outfitting. But such things must be done, sad as they are. It’s for the best: trust me.
10. Schedule your room inspection. Just like cars get pulled over when they haven’t gotten an inspection, you will be too if you haven’t gotten the room inspected! So, make plans with your roommate to schedule the room inspection and coordinate your move out.
11. Which is bigger: the moving van or the stuff going in it? Assess how much you need to move, as you accumulated things throughout the year, and make sure that whoever is picking you up will have the adequate room to get it all home!
12. Scavenger hunt! Remember to collect “loaned out” items – clothes, shoes, books, umbrellas, etc.
13. Get the lowdown. Confirm with your dorm any specifics regarding move out that you need to know: times when vehicles are allowed to be up to the building, whether or not carts will be available, and deadlines for inspection and move out.
14. TL:DR – Donate whenever possible. Recycle what is not donate-able. Purge what should not be saved or kept. And pack and label things that are important to be moved back home.
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