When and How to Pack for College
Moving to college is an exciting time. It can also be stressful, especially if you don’t know how or when to begin organizing and packing everything you will need on campus. Here are some guidelines to follow when planning your college packing and move in.
Plan well in advance -- the sooner the better
Start to assess what you need and pack approximately three to four weeks before your college move-in day. Organizing, buying and packing can often take longer than expected, especially if it is your first time doing it. Packing for college is a bit different in that you need many different items, including clothing, home/living décor and appliances, and study materials.
Get a list of everything included in your dorm room
Get started by finding out what your room is already equipped with; for example, microwave, minifridge, etc. This information can be found on your campus website. Knowing what’s included can save you precious money and packing space.
Contact your future roommate early on
Whether you have a randomly selected roommate or a planned friend as your roommate, it will make things more efficient to be in contact from the get-go. This allows for plenty of time to purchase and pack what you need.
Make a comprehensive list of shared items you need with your roommate
There are common items for your dorm room that you and your roommate will share. It is easiest to divide and conquer shared items. Create a general list together of what’s needed. It’s especially important to talk about larger items -- both to make sure they will fit in your dorm room (the dimensions of your dorm room should be available to you via your campus website/housing information), and to help each person pack more efficiently. Don’t forget to consider the car and transportation each of you is using to move your items. Types of items you may discuss include: • Kitchen • Décor • Cleaning • Storage
Split the cost
For things that need to be purchased, decide who will buy what. Splitting the cost of items down the middle can help to keep things equal. In this case, keep your receipts, and add up what each person spent once you have moved in. The person who spent less can send money to make up for the difference.
Packing and Organizing
Make your own personal list of items that will you need, including your designated common items you are responsible for. Some main items you should think about are:
- Clothing
- Toiletries
- Bedding
- School Supplies
- Laundry
Identify what things you will pack, and what will you buy on campus. If you’d like to take out the guesswork of transporting what you’ve packed, it is possible to ship your items ahead of time to arrive at your dorm room on your college move in day. Collegeboxes can pick up your packed boxes at your home with their Ship-To-School service, so that you can easily travel to your college. Your boxes will then be delivered to your room on your scheduled move-in day.
Storage
As previously mentioned, don’t forget to consider size and dimensions of your dorm room while packing; there may not be enough room to store many items. Space could be limited to under the bed and the closet. Buying bins to keep things organized will help utilize the areas you do have, especially in a smaller space. One perk of using Collegeboxes is that your objects can be kept in a storage unit if needed; this is particularly helpful with seasonal items, like bulky winter coats or sports gear. It can also simply provide overflow storage that can be accessed at any time.
Now that you’ve planned all aspects of your college move, you can focus on getting to know your new town and the transition to campus life.