You've just had an epic year living away at college--great classes, great friends, and a taste of life on your own for the first time, away from your parents.

But the end of the school year is approaching, and summer storage for college students requires a plan. Students and faculty will be gone and campus will be empty. Do you know all the options available for moving and storage? You've got a dorm room full of stuff–clothes, books, furniture, bedding, décor, and much more! Too much to pack into a few duffle bags. So what will you do with it all during those summer months while you aren't living at college? You can't leave it in your dorm room, so you need a student storage solution that won't leave you scrambling during exams week.

Here are five options that you have to consider: 

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1. Take it Home With You

If you live close to campus and have plenty of room to spare, this could be your best option. There are a few things to consider before you haul all your belongings back home. First, you will need a way to transport it. Do you have a vehicle large enough to move everything at once? If not, are you prepared to make multiple trips to campus? If you live over an hour away, this may not be a practical or inexpensive choice. 

But if doing it yourself is your choice, you may need to rent a moving truck to fit larger objects. Give yourself plenty of time and reserve your vehicle early. College move-out season is busy for many rental companies like U-Haul or Penske. You will need an extra set of hands for carrying large objects like furniture or TVs, so make sure you've got friends or family on both ends to help you. 

If the logistics of getting your belongings home is not an issue, consider the space your items will take up. Do you have enough space at home to store belongings for three or four months? Most college students acquire more and more as the year goes on, so chances are good that you will be leaving college with more than when you started. Will your space at home be large enough for all the items you’ll be taking? If not, you'll need to consider another option.

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2. Rent a Self-Storage Unit

Many college students opt to store their belongings in self-storage units. While this can be a great option, it can also be a lot of work and take some resources that you may have yet to think about. If you don't have a vehicle on campus, you will need to consider how you will get storage boxes and transport your belongings to the unit. An Uber ride to Walmart for cardboard boxes and begging friends to borrow a truck (or renting one) may be your only options, so weigh out whether they will be worth the cost. If you have a friend willing to share a unit, you could pool your resources together, making this a more economical option (make sure it is a trustworthy friend you can count on to follow through on the plan until the end). 

Be sure to do a quick search to see if and where self-storage units are located in your area. Many of these units fill up quickly, especially in the summer months in college towns, so call ahead and reserve a spot early. Remember, depending on your college move-in date in August or September, you'll need to plan this all over again and may require a second rental truck and some planning ahead. 

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3. Ship it Home

If price is not a factor, then shipping your items home may be best. The cost of doing it this way will add up fast, so be prepared! You'll need to send them in sturdy boxes and then ship them again when it's time to move back in. Do you have the means to get them to a shipping facility like FedEx? Many shipping companies will schedule a time to pick up your belongings (depending on your location), which would likely save you a big headache. However, buying new things may be less expensive than shipping them home and back if you have more oversized items like furniture. Always add-on insurance to your packages in case they become damaged or lost in transit, and never ship anything that you couldn't bear to lose. 

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4. Store it with a Friend

If the first three options are not possible or practical, then perhaps your roommate or a friend lives locally and wouldn't mind storing your items. Keeping your things with a friend could save you a lot, but once again, there are many factors to consider. Most importantly, will your items be safe? Chances are your items will not be locked away. If your friend lives at college for the summer, consider the people who may have access to your belongings. You may not be willing to risk your belongings–or your friendship–over the convenience of local summer storage.  

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5. Call Storage Scholars to Move and Store Everything

Did you know there are affordable companies that specialize in making summer storage easy for college students? Storage Scholars is just that! They will provide you with all the packaging materials you could need to pack up your room. You show up on one of your campus' distribution days and take what you think you will need. They will come directly to your dorm room and do all the heavy lifting. They'll be able to store everything from boxes to drawers, mirrors, TVs, bikes, and anything else you need to be kept safe over the summer. If you need it stored, Storage Scholars will make sure it's taken care of (they even have complimentary insurance on each of your items, in case damage does occur). Your items get stored for four months (or longer if your plans change or you are studying abroad). When you're ready to move back to college, pick a move-in date, and your items will be delivered wherever you need them. 

What makes Storage Scholars the most convenient solution? Many college campuses have a unique partnership with Storage Scholars, granting them special key access. You won't even need to be present at drop-off or pick-up. They'll pick up your belongings after you leave campus and drop everything off before you move back. 

What makes Storage Scholars the most economical solution? You don't need to commit to renting a large storage unit or sharing one with a friend. You only pay for the number of items you want to be stored. It's the perfect solution whether you've got two items or twenty.

College can have many stressors, but student storage shouldn't be one of them. Find out if Storage Scholars is available on your campus, then do yourself a favor and reserve a spot ahead of time for your student storage. 

Visit www.storagescholars.com or send an email to info@studentstorage.com for more information. 

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