Moving into the dorms brings a lot of emotions, but stress doesn’t have to be one of them. Get tips on how you can prepare for move-in day to make it as stress-free as possible.Moving into the dorms may be the first time you’ve ever prepared to move out on your own before. You may be nervous about forgetting something important or managing your emotions. Don’t worry. Check out his tips for making moving day as simple as possible so you can focus on your transition to college.
Tip #1: Check the housing website of your college
Before you start packing, make sure you visit your college’s website and especially the lists of what to bring and what not to bring.
Tip #2: Contact your roommate and suitemates
If you’ve put off contacting your roommate and suitemates, now is the time. Reach out and start organizing a list of who is bringing what to the room (like, who is bringing the mini refrigerator?) and start learning a little about each other.
There are a lot of questions students ask themselves when they are preparing to move into the residence halls. Will my roommate and I get along? Will we have enough room for the two of us to split? These questions intensify even more if you have a roommate and suitemates that you don’t know beforehand.Your roommate may or may not become your best friend for life, but you’ll be important parts of each other’s first year in college. Now is the time to start forming those connections.
Tip #3: Bring your own carts and moving dollies
One of my earliest lessons in college was to familiarize myself with the phrase, “Work smarter, not harder.”
You don’t want to get stuck lugging that heavy mini-fridge up seven flights of stairs (trust me, I know). There may be long lines for the University-provided carts and dollies, so bring your own to avoid waits and maximize the amount of stuff you can unload each trip.
Tip #4: You’re not expected to organize your entire room in one hour
Drop off your items, organize later, and enjoy the campus. Move-in day and welcome weekend are full of events you’ll want to attend to make sure you’re prepared for the semester and have a chance to meet people. You’ll have plenty of time later to settle in and figure out exactly how you want to organize and decorate your room.
Tip #5: Show up on time
Moving day is already a stressful day, and nothing throws a wrench in your carefully thought out battle plan than feeling rushed the entire time. Make sure to get there during your designated time. If you can’t get there during your time, there are specific alternate times available each day.
Tip #7: Have fun!
This is the start of a great adventure. It is easy to become overwhelmed with the emotions of move-in day. There’s a lot going on and there’s always a lingering sense of anxiety. However, it is important to just take a minute to take everything in. In fact, this applies to your entire college career. In college, time moves differently, or at least it seems too. Make sure you take some time to appreciate the entirety of being a student.
Credit: University of Nevada, Reno