Why You Should Use A College or Dorm Mover
Your first college move-in day is one of the most exciting moments of your life. Going to college for the first time is a transition into adulthood, but it can be stressful. Suppose you've never lived on your own. In that case, you're probably nervous about so many things, and that's before you deal with the concept of moving in with a stranger you've never met, not to mention that you will be living together in a small space.
Partnering with Ship Smart can relieve a lot of the stress that comes with moving to college. When you have college movers helping with packing, shipping, and delivery, you can focus on launching yourself, getting settled emotionally, and establishing good relationships with that new roommate.
Whether you're a student or parent looking to make your nest leaver's transition as smooth and productive as possible, keep reading to learn how to move to college with style and grace.
How Do I Pack For College?
What you need to pack for college varies depending on whether you're moving into a dorm or an apartment and what furniture is already in place. Start by making a list of things you expect to need, including:
- Bed and bath needs: Bedding, sheets, pillows, under-the-bed storage, towels, mattress pad
- Toiletries and health care items: Teeth care, hair care, skin care, eye care, beauty products, prescription medications, over-the-counter meds, first aid kit, scale
- Clothing: Casual clothes for school, any athletic or work clothes needed, shoes, swimwear, nightwear, hangers, closet organizers
- Furniture and decor: Curtains, rugs, lamps, whiteboard, desk chair, personal artwork/posters
- School supplies: Books, backpack/bookbag, notebooks, writing implements, basic office supplies
- Electronics: Laptop computer, tablet, TV, gaming system, cables
- Miscellaneous: Small refrigerator, cups/bowls/plates, silverware, umbrella, sports equipment, musical instruments, bicycle/skateboard
If you're moving into an apartment, you may have to supply more substantial furniture, including a bed, desk, and sofa. Fortunately, if you hire a college mover, you don't need to worry about the hassle of packing and transporting furniture or shipping large items, such as your TV or bike.
As you pack, separate your belongings into three different sets of boxes. Your daily boxes should contain the basics you'll need immediately for the first week. You may also need seasonal boxes containing items such as winter clothes or sports equipment that you don't need immediately. Finally, everything else, including all large items, can go in the boxes that your college movers will handle.
What Are Day-to-Day Items?
You'll need these items as you travel to your new dorm or college apartment. Pack them in a suitcase you can keep with you, especially if you're flying to school. Plan on enough clothing for a week or two at college ? and pay attention to the anticipated weather at your university, as many regions are pretty warm when school starts in August or September.
Remember the other essential items you'll likely need, including your IDs (driver's license, school ID, passport, etc.), medications you use regularly, and documentation your college requires. If you're moving into an apartment and are shipping your furniture, you may also want to take an air mattress so you can sleep comfortably upon arrival at your new college home.
How To Prepare For A College or Dorm Move?
You may find yourself with a very long list of items for your dorm room movers to handle everything from a gaming chair to a mini refrigerator and a microwave oven. But before you ship furniture to a dorm or apartment, consider what you'll need. If you're moving into a dorm, your space may be minimal. And if you have a roommate (or multiple roomies), they may already bring some of the more oversized items on your list. Let's be honest; you don't need three microwaves!
If you can't get accurate measurements of your dorm room or apartment before you arrive, wait to ship those larger items until you can do some measuring yourself. Separate your larger items into "must-haves" and "possibles" until you see how much space you have and what you realistically require. You may even need to measure specific items to see, for instance, whether that microwave will fit on the tiny counter you have available.
Once you've finalized your items for the dorm movers to handle, box everything and seal them securely with packing tape. Set aside your seasonal boxes for later transport. For instance, you might only need winter clothes once you come home for fall recess or Thanksgiving break. Label everything clearly so you (and your movers) know what's in each box.
What To Do With Items Not Being Moved To College?
While packing to move, you're likely to discover many items you don't want to take to college but don't need anymore. Now is an excellent time to move sentimental items (think old toys) into your family's attic, garage, or storage unit, as well as large items that might not be useful in your family home any longer (your childhood furniture, perhaps). You may also want to donate, sell or throw out some items.
How Do I Prepare Items For The Movers?
Once you've selected all the necessary items and packed and labeled your boxes, it's time to stage everything for your movers to collect. Keep your furniture and boxes in a designated place so that nothing gets left behind by mistake and nothing is picked up that should stay behind.
Create an inventory list that shows how many boxes are being moved, what each box contains, and what specific pieces of furniture the movers are handling. Give a copy of that inventory to the movers who arrive for pickup so they can double-check and make sure they're taking everything you want them to move and nothing else.
What Is Your College Moving Process?
Ship Smart makes small moves as easy as possible, taking the hassles off your plate and making your transition to college smooth and pleasant. Here's how the Ship Smart process works:
- Estimate: Our experienced staff always provides an estimate, which you can initiate using the Ship Smart online moving calculator, by chat, or over the phone. That estimate will include cost and inventory.
- Schedule your pickup: Once your paperwork is complete, we call within 24 to 48 hours to schedule your weekday pickup (some locations also offer Saturday pickup).
- Packing: Our Ship Smart movers transport all your items to our warehouse for crating or custom packing, protecting them against damage during the journey.
- Shipping: Because Ship Smart works with the top trucking companies in the country, we can get deep discounts on shipping rates, and we pass those along to you. Ask as well about our competitive air and international rates.
- Delivery: We can deliver your items to your dorm's curb or dock if you want to cut costs, or we can move the items inside for the most convenience.
Why Use A Dorm Mover Like Ship Smart?
Ship Smart has specialized in small moves, including college moves, for over 20 years. As a top-rated college mover, Ship Smart has earned hundreds of 5-star ratings with Trustpilot and Google, not to mention an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.
Moving to college doesn't have to be stressful. Ship Smart provides all the help you need to get to your dorm room or college apartment comfortably and efficiently so you can spend your time being excited about the year ahead! Contact us today for help with your upcoming college move or to get a price for your move to college
