College move-out season has come to an end, and many lessons were learned throughout this process. As exciting as the approaching Summer break is, students still need to devote significant time and energy to packing up and moving out before they go. Many procrastinate on this large undertaking or brush it off like it won’t be anything too intense — when in reality, it is a challenging task. I just finished my first year at Duke University, and my move-out week taught me tremendous lessons that I will take with me to the following years. In this blog, I will lay out the primary things that I wish I had known before moving out. If this is your first time moving out of college or you’ve done it before, I hope these lessons help you prepare when the time rolls around.

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Plan. Plan. Plan.

Packing is going to take a lot of time. A lot more time than you anticipate. Even if you managed to move into your dorm in a relatively short period of time, you have no idea how much has accumulated in the past months and what packing it up will be like. 

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Plus, the time period in which you’re moving out requires extra planning. For example, if you are going to move out during finals week, do you want to leave right away after your final? Or do you want to give yourself a few days to pack up after your exam ends? If you live with a roommate, it is important to discuss move-out dates so you can be on the same page. You might not want to pack up at the same time because the room could get super messy, and your belongings may get mixed up. 

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A final thing to plan for is excessive belongings. Throughout the year, students tend to accumulate a significant amount of belongings in their dorm rooms. I suggest giving yourself some extra time to sort through your belongings and decide what to keep, what to donate, and what to discard.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

There is no better time to enlist some assistance than when moving. A job that requires this much time, labor, and energy is not a job that should be done alone. Many students may ask for the help of family members or friends when packing up, but the means that I have found to be most effective is using a summer storage company like Storage Scholars.

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By using a company that is dedicated to storage for college students, you will decrease the load of your move extensively. For example, Storage Scholars provides packing supplies for all customers and then picks up items for storage right at the student’s dorm or other housing. You don’t have to step a foot out of your room. Over the Summer, Storage Scholars keeps all of the items safe and then delivers them to your future dorm or housing on a day that you select. If you want to ship some items home with you for the Summer, Storage Scholars will do that too. Working with a student storage company is the number one way that you can simplify your move-out.

Think ahead to move-in.

As you pack up, it is essential to think: how can you set yourself up for a seamless move-in? Everything that you pack up for the Summer must be unpacked for the Fall, and you want to simplify that process as much as possible. One way to think ahead is to label your boxes and items thoroughly. If you have six identical boxes on the outside, how will you know which one to open first when it’s time to unpack? Simply jot down a summary of the types of items in the box so you can differentiate before cutting open all of the boxes. At the same time, it is helpful to pack similar items together in the same box. That way, you won’t be wondering where that ONE shirt is because all of the shirts will be packed together.

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Another way that you can think ahead is by considering where you will be moving in. What is your future dorm like? Is it a walkup? Is move-in typically hectic at your school? If you want to avoid the troubles of moving back in, this is another sign that you should consider using a student storage company. Storage Scholars will deliver your items directly to your future dorm room or housing on a day that you select in advance, so you don’t have to lift a finger. A great way to think ahead and make things easier for your future self is by signing up for this service.

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Those are the main suggestions that I have for a seamless move-out! Had I known this before moving out last month, my process would have looked very different… in a good way. Planning, asking for help, and thinking ahead to move-in will ease many struggles during your move.