Bharat SainiLast Updated on April 9, 2021 by Bharat Saini
Surrounded by a truck-load of empty boxes with no idea on how to get started with moving out for college? The moving company can aid you greatly by transporting your belongings securely to and from your college dorm, but till then you have to manage what seems to be the Herculean task of packing. The cardinal rule of moving in is that you first have to move out of your home, your apartment, or wherever it is you have sojourned before your exciting trip to college! This, coupled with collecting everything you will need for the hectic academic year, the stress of being away from parents for the first time, and the new-found independence are definitely stressful enough without worrying about moving out.
Here’s where we come in with 5 tried and tested tips to make moving out as easy as can be:
Lists, Lists, and Lists
If you are under the impression that you will be able to strategize without noting down what you need to do- nuh-huh! Right before you start doing anything, making a list to help guide you along the process is the best call you can make. This will minimize lost socks, prematurely locked trunks, and a torrent of tears (trust us, you don’t need added stress). Making an inventory of items, sorting them into compartments, and tackling things in a timely manner are all processes aided by lists. Get cracking!
The Marie Kondo Way- Discard, Donate, Downsize
If your belongings don’t bring you joy and have run out of utility- maybe it is time for them to go! It is important to remember that college spaces are shared, and your dorm is likely to be the size of a quarter of your bedroom. Not only do you not need the hassle of carrying unwanted stuff with you, the amount of time you will be spending at college without the material indicates that if you don’t need it- donate it. Downsizing your belongings while moving out for college is a good methodology to maximize space in the share premises you will soon be a part of, and give away things to those that actually need them more than you do. Your bedroom, which previously looked like Hurricane Katrina had hit it, might end up being cleaner than it had been in years!
Labels are Life-savers
Similarly, it is an extreme sport to try to remember what is stored where when you are faced with a mountain of identical-looking boxes and bags. Even if you remember that your clothes are stored in your blue carrier, and your shoes in a cardboard box, labeling can help you locate things fast and easy as soon as you need them. This will save you a ton of trouble rummaging through scores of luggage under the nose of a stern-looking college mail staff, and allow you some downtime while unpacking since you will have all you need instantly for the first night you will be staying.
Separate the Essentials
Ever locked the key to your luggage or your mobile phone inside your luggage? Yes, that is hugely frustrating, and a simple way to avoid that from happening is separating your essentials from the rest of your luggage in a different carrier-bag. Some of the items that may be absolutely essential to keep handy during, before, and after moving out can be things like toothbrushes, passports, credit cards and driver’s licenses, medication, keys, snacks, and glasses. You will be so tired after the long day of traveling that having the essentials nearby without having to dislodge your other luggage will be a blessing in disguise.
Cleaning, Cleaning, and Cleaning
It’s a rule of thumb for most people to clean their dorm right after they have moved in, but most people forget to clean it after they have unpacked as well. It’s understandable that most people are tired, but dorms have been lying vacant for weeks and months before new students move in. This is primarily why they are hotspots for dust, dirt, debris, and a manner of bacteria and allergen. Relying on the support staff to have cleaned the dorms in the era of Covid-19 is not the smartest thing to do, so make sure to come armed with mountains of disinfectant and go over every surface. It is also worth your time to vacuum, dust, and let some air in to get the moldy smell of the room out. Since your luggage too, has been laying in the storage of the moving company you hired and might have external germs that dislodge out into your dorm as you unpack, make sure to clean after you are done unpacking as well.
