It’s now time for college! What an exciting milestone. It’s a great opportunity to meet new people, see new places, and experience new things for the first time. As the famous quote from Spiderman says, with great power comes great responsibility. You might feel all-powerful as you step into adult life but be conscious that college days come with bigger and tougher responsibilities. Aside from preparing ourselves physically and academically, we still have a lot of preparations to do before starting our new life. If your new campus is located in a new state, a college move out from a place where you spent most of your life is life-changing. Some people might find this chapter stressful.

 

Moving out for college is a big transition. Apart from relocating to a new place, you also need to bid goodbyes to your family, friends, and beloved pets. You might think that planning officially ended upon receiving that acceptance letter, you’re wrong. While it appears to be fun and exciting at first, I bet you’ll realize that preparation for out-of-state college moves is challenging. Avoid stressing yourself and read these helpful tips for a hassle-free move.

 

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8 Tips For Moving To College Out Of State

 

1. Get some free advice from family members, relatives, or friends

Ask questions and get some free, useful advice before making that move to your new place (be it an apartment or dormitory)

Before deciding, create a concrete plan based on answers you gathered upon asking questions about the new place that you’re moving into, talk to the residence life office and learn about their policies and procedures. Here are some example questions you can ask:

  • What are the prohibited items you should not bring along?
  • How big is the dorm room or the apartment?
  • Are you allowed to hang some of our belongings on the walls?
  • Are you allowed to cook and do the laundry inside
  • Is there a curfew for college students like you?
  • Is there someone to help you once I move in?
  • Can you have access to the elevators, carts, and dollies for bringing in my belongings?
  • Where can you park the moving equipment (trucks and cars)?
  • When can you move in?

By asking them, you’ll have an idea of what items you should only bring with you and what are the rules that you need to obey. If you have a roommate, it would be best to tackle it together to be familiar with everything.

 

2. Plan ahead of time

If you are moving long-distance, it is important to have careful planning. Examine what’s going to be your house arrangement before determining what to pack. You’re lucky if you are staying at campus housing or at an apartment that has complete basic needs inside, but if you’re not, better plan to determine what you need to bring. It would be best if you’ll communicate with your roommates (if you have) in advance to talk about the designs, decorations, furniture, and any other supplies.

 

3. Organize what you are packing

Determine the things that you should be packing for your move and figure out what you need to store. Keep in mind that if you’re moving into a dormitory, don’t pack anything that you want. There are some items prohibited inside (be sure to know what are those first). To keep you organized, make a list in advance about what you should be bringing in with you (i.e. clothes, books, shoes, pillows, blankets, etc.) and make an inventory for what you’re storing to have easy access once you arrive. It would be best if you’ll use small boxes than larger ones as they are easier to stack. Additionally, in case you’ll be using stairs, it’s easier for you to carry everything up. Clearly label every box you have for simple and easy transport.

 

4. Avoid Moving in rush hour

Try moving into your new space during midweek instead of doing it on the weekend where everybody decided to move in. This is to make hauling boxes and furniture easier.

 

5. Condense everything

The goal is to make as few trips as possible, so better pack smaller items together into larger ones. You can get hold of those handbags, beach bags, or backpacks to store small stuff inside then put it in larger boxes and containers.

 

6. Resist shopping right away

Probably the first thing you want to do is to hit up the store and shop for your necessities. But it’s best to wait. Make the shopping trip once you arrive at your place and do it together with your roommates so you can split the total cost and have a better grasp of which items are needed.

 

7. Bond with your family and with your close friends

Though we may be occupied with our college move-in, one thing that we should not forget is to allow enough time to meet our close friends and bond with our family. Moving out of state means we’ll be busy exploring new activities and meeting new people, so we might end up being busy. It would be important to spare some time to enjoy the moments you have with your loved ones. Go eat together, watch movies, play games, or go to a beach and plan the next meet-up like going home together during holidays and university breaks.

 

8. Familiarize yourself in your new place

You may not have enough time for sightseeing around but it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself around the area so if you decide to wander around the town to buy necessities, hang out with your new friends, you’ll least likely to get lost and you know where you’re headed to.

 

What Are The Best Ways For Moving To College Out Of State?

If you are determining how you will move, check all of the options that you can find and decide which one suits you best. There’ll be some that are cheap, convenient, and fast. Choose the best option for you depending on the circumstances you are in and on your specific requirements.

 

Moving On Your Own

This is probably the most inconvenient way of moving out of state for college. If you have your car, you need to fit all of your belongings inside your vehicle. If you’re transporting furniture or any large items, it’s going to be a difficult task. You might need to rent a tow-behind trailer to carry it all.

If you opt to take the plane instead of a car ride, be mindful of the check-in baggage weight requirement. Airports have several items which are restricted for travel too. You’ll end up having to pack lightly instead of having to move several items across locations.

 

Don’t be afraid to ask your family or friends to help out

Moving out and traveling with a family member or friend is such a treat, plus you get to save money for the movers. Try asking family members and friends to take the trip with you. In that way, it will be bearable for you to transport and unpack your belongings once you arrive at your dorm or apartment.

 

Rent a Moving truck

You might be considering renting a moving truck if you are transporting any large items like appliances or furniture. But there will be a fee for each day that you are using the truck and also the mileage limit as well. You’ll be providing the heavy lifting and the driving, but if you manage to find a rental truck at a good price, it will all be worth it.

 

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Using of moving container

A better option other than renting a truck for cross-country moving is renting a moving container or a pod. It allows you to load all your items in one large container that the company will pick up and drop off at your new place. This is an ideal one if you are needing storage, for the pod can easily double as a storage container. But some of the campuses and apartments do not allow this type of move, so better check it out or ask about it first.

 

Hire a Professional

To save your energy better get some professional movers to help out. This way, you won’t have to drive the moving truck. You are also assured that your things are kept safe and undamaged when it gets to your dorm.

 

The best moving company for moving to college out of state

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Offers an affordable and student-friendly move especially if it’s long-distance. They can always help you to ship your belongings to your college dorms, rental house, or apartment and you can also hire them for moving out after you finish college.

 

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Moving Day Tips

 

5 Tips for making moving to college out of state run smoothly as possible:

 

1. Know the check-in procedure

Before you get to your room or your apartment, you better ask for the keys for your dorm room or apartment and also collect your ID card from the student services office

 

2. Wear comfortable clothing

This is not the best time for wearing uncomfortable clothing, remember that you’re there to finish moving and to arrange everything and not to impress everybody around you.

 

3. Bring a doorstop and a fan

This will keep the room open and allow the air to circulate as you carry your belongings inside.

 

4. Look after your belongings at all times

Since you are moving back and forth to your car to get your thing, either lock the doors or leave someone inside especially if you have valuable items. This is to avoid losing your stuff while you’re moving everything inside.

 

5. Drink up & keep yourself hydrated

Moving and unpacking your stuff could run for hours. You are up for a long day, so better prepare your body physically. Eat up and drink lots of fluids to replenish your energy and keep your body moving.

 

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Read More | 14 IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE MOVING INTO YOUR NEW HOME