5 Tips to Make Move-In Day Effortless
College move-in day always marks new beginnings. There is always a sense of freedom, of uncertainty, excitement and anxiety floating around in the hot dorm rooms on campus. Whether you are moving into college for the first time, or making your way back to school as an upperclassman, move-in day can be a stressful but exciting time.
But before you start to meet the people down the hall or get your classes scheduled, you have to unpack all your stuff. (Or at least get it all in your dorm room from the car!) I always loved organizing, unpacking and setting up my new room. Over the years, I learned how to do it in a more efficient way. From freshman year to senior year, move-in day was a different story—it’s it’s all about how you plan to make moving in effortless.
Here are my quick and easy tips to make your move-in day easier, down to the details.
1. Downsize your packing list.
Take everything you think you need for college. Then cut it in half. That’s what I was told when going to school for the first time. (This also applies for studying abroad, too!) But this advice is true. In case you haven’t realized, dorm rooms are small (in most cases). The less you put on your packing list, the less you have to deal with when you arrive to school. Try to simplify and not focus on material possessions, as you enter a new phase in life—all about learning and growing.
If you don’t know where to start with your packing list, here are some things not to bring to college! And my great blogging friend, Jessica, also put together a College Shopping List last year that has some great items on it!
2. Pack an overnight bag with extra clothes, toiletries, etc.
If you are going to college out-of-state or if you have a multiple-day trip to move into college, pack a weekend bag with you to make finding extra clothes and your computer charger so much easier! Don’t get stuck trying to find a sweatshirt packed in a bag in the trunk of your car—I’ve been there before. Put your computer, a couple changes of clothes, toiletries, a blanket and pillow, and all your must-have traveling essentials into a cute backpack or duffel bag to have handy on your road trip.
3. Hangers + rubber bands.
I’ve found that hangers can be so awkward to pack, especially if you don’t have them packaged anymore. I always take a handful of hangers and use rubber bands to secure them together. Then, I place them into a bin or a large trash bag to take with me. Don’t have rubber bands? I’ve also used hair ties, and they work great too!
[bctt tweet=”College Students! Before you get packing, read these tips to make move-in effortless! “]
4. Cover hanging clothes with large trash bags.
Keep your nice clothes safe by leaving them on their hangers and covering them with a trash bag or another cover. Put these in the car last and let them lay flat on top of your other things or hang them in the side window. Make sure they are easy to access, so when you get to school, they are the first things you can pull out and hang into your closet!
5. Keep cleaning supplies handy.
The very first thing you should do when getting to your college room is to wipe off all the furniture and counters. We pack a small amount of cleaning supplies with us to make sure we can clean everything before putting things into desks or in the bathroom area. I love Clorox wipes and these Pledge multi-surface wipes that are also perfect to have on hand throughout the year when you get the sudden urge to straighten your room!
Related Post: 19 Must-Haves for Your College Apartment
While I am not going back to school this year (which feels SO WEIRD!), I am helping to move my brother back into college, so I am excited for that quick trip next weekend. I love the atmosphere of new school years, and anything that can help during this season is so important! What are your college move-in tips? Do you have anything that makes your process so much easier?