Just like there are tips and tricks for what you should and should not bring to college, there are definitely tips and tricks for how you should move all that stuff you decided you needed to bring with you after all your careful, or maybe not so careful, deliberation. Some of these hacks aren't entirely obvious, and through trial and error I feel like I've found some of the most helpful ones, even those that might not be immediately obvious to someone who's never moved into a dorm, or moved anywhere, before.
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1. Bag your clothing in trash bags
This was probably one of the most helpful things I did when moving. Do not take any of that stuff off the hanger, it will just make for a lot of work, a lot of mess, and the potential for you to lose some of your favorite pieces of clothing. Leave all of it on its hanger, put it together, and then wrap a trash bag around it. That way, it's all together and when you get to your dorm, you can just tear the bag away, and voilà, all done.
2. Use boxes
You can often ask your local grocery store for some of their produce boxes, for free I might add, before they crush them and get rid of them. You can use these boxes to keep all of your stuff together and organized when you move. It also helps to keep things from getting broken in transit. If your local grocery store doesn't have boxes, or doesn't have boxes big enough for the things you're bringing, you can always go to a U-Haul store and buy boxes, either singularly or in bulk. The best part is, they'll buy back any of the boxes you don't use. And they're reusable, so long as you aren't too hard on them.
3. Pack an overnight bag
Anything that you typically need at night or in the morning - face wash, tooth brush, soap, shampoo, ect. Along with clothing, obviously. You need to pack these things in a suitcase, because you're most likely not going to want to have to deal with finding all of that stuff first while you're unpacking and finding a place for everything. So having it readily available is much, much easier. You're also probably going to want to pack your laptop, a book, or a magazine. Because it will likely be a while before you have your TV set up, and those first few nights may be way too quiet and boring.
4. Have cleaning supplies
Your dorm will never be the cleanest place you've ever been in, there's just no way that's gonna happen. But more likely than not, it's going to be dirtier than ever when you first move in. It's previous inhabitants almost definitely did not clean it adequately when they moved out, and even if they did, it's most likely been sitting empty for a while. So, the floors are probably grubby, it's probably dusty, and the mirrors probably leave little to be desired. Invest in a broom, a duster, Windex, all purpose cleaner, and so forth. Not only will these things be helpful during your immediate move in, but they will also be necessary throughout the rest of the year if you don't want to live in a pigsty.
5. Be careful what you buy
The amount of stuff that I had when I moved in versus when I moved out differed vastly. That's because when we got there, my mom and I immediately went shopping for stuff that we decided that I needed, but didn't have yet. However, we did not necessarily consider how hard packing some of that stuff up at the end of the year would be. For instance, a tall lamp, two mattress toppers, a swiffer, three storage drawers, and so on. These things don't necessarily lend themselves to being packed up very easily, and some of them I could have done without. So consider how hard or easy it's going to be to lug something that you think you just have to have for your dorm, back home at the end of the year.
6. Bag things that can spill
Because trust me, if it can spill, then it will spill. Invest in a few boxes of different sized ziplock baggies. Bag anything and everything that can spill. These baggies can also come in handy for jewelry and, later on, extra screws from things that you'll be putting together. So they're definitely helpful to have around.
7. Have plastic bins
For stuff that was a threat to spill, such as the aforementioned cleaning supplies, I kept it all in a plastic bin in my closet. Not only did that protect everything else from my bleach, but it kept it all together. Things like all purpose cleaner, bleach, Windex, dusting sheets, batteries, Clorox wipes, and laundry detergent went into this box. I also had one for my first aid kit, which included neosporin, tums, bandaids, and medicine for things like headaches, stomach aches, rashes, colds, and allergies.
8. Avoid rush hour
Lastly, try to find out when the busiest hour is during move in and move out season. All the traffic just makes the already stressful process way worse than it actually needs to be. The elevators will be full, you'll have to park a mile away, and it will be impossible to move through the bustle of other students trying to get all their junk into the building. Instead of dealing with all of that, try moving in/out either earlier/later than everyone else, depending on your schools rules about doing so.
