Back to School Moving Tips

Seeing your friends again after a summer break and getting one step closer to graduating is definitely something to look forward to when going back to school. But before those meet-ups and new classes, there are a couple of more things to take care of, such as packing and moving back to your dorm. To help you go through the back-to-school move with ease, we’ve asked a professional NYC interstate moving company to share a few back-to-school moving tips.

Back to School Moving Tips

Sort out

You may easily get overwhelmed by everything that’s going on – you’ll have a lot on your plate between packing, organizing, planning the return to school, etc. But don’t panic just yet because you’ll be able to accomplish everything on time if you create a checklist and follow its timeline. To kick off your preparations, go through your wardrobe and declutter as much as possible. Leaving some of the clothes behind will give you more space and less to pack, plus, you won’t bring unnecessary things to college and clutter your dorm. Purge those last semester items you never used – chances are you won’t use them in a new semester as well. You should only bring things you really need and use because it will also make unpacking easier so you won’t have to make a mess in your room and overcrowd the space with boxes and random items.

Pack like a pro

After you’re through with sorting out, go ahead and gather packing supplies. You’ll need packing boxes, shoeboxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, scissors, and a sharpie marker. Packing is a bit time-consuming but pretty straightforward. There are only a couple of things you should pay attention to when packing for a new semester. The first thing is not to overload the boxes – pack the heavier items on the bottom and those lighter ones on top, and make sure that box is not too heavy for you to lift.

You don’t want to risk any injuries when you’re going back to school. Next, use packing tape to seal each moving box you pack so it wouldn’t break in transit and damage your things. Lastly, use professional tips for labeling moving boxes like a pro and label your boxes because you’ll be able to pack and unpack faster and make the relocation much smoother.

Use your bags

If you want to save space and avoid using cardboard boxes or plastic containers for all of your things, use this handy method – pack soft items in soft items. What that means is that you can use your duffle bags, totes, or suitcases to pack things like bedding, linens, clothes, or other soft goods.

Use hangers and garbage bags

Does this sound a bit odd? Well, perhaps it is, but it’s certainly clever if you want to make things a bit faster and cheaper. What you’ll want to do is leave your clothes on hangers, group about five hangers together, and cover them with a garbage bag. The bag will protect your clothes from damage during transit and you won’t have to use moving boxes for your items. Plus, you can just hang your things straight away once you arrive at your dorm room.

Pack an “emergency” bag

One of the top back-to-school moving tips is to have your essentials bag. This “emergency bag” should contain everything you need to “survive” a couple of days in case anything goes unplanned, you arrive late and too tired to unpack straight away, your shipment gets delayed, etc. Your documents and money should be on you at all times, but don’t forget other essential items as well. For example, your basic toiletries, clean bedding, change of clothes, a phone charger, a few snacks, and perhaps even a speaker should be available to you and moved separately from the rest of your things. This bag should have several items that will make your life easier until you unpack and organize. If you’re not sure where this is necessary, just think about going through a pile of boxes on your first day in the dorm searching for a clean t-shirt or a toothbrush.

Prioritize

Once you start unpacking, take care of the big items first and proceed to those smaller ones. For example, you’ll want to figure out the perfect spot for your working desk and find your bed sheets before finding a spot for a picture or a plant. Once you have the big things out of a picture, it will be much easier to accessorize and figure out the details.

Have friends and family come over

You’ve come this far, so congratulate yourself and take a moment to relax and gather your thoughts. You’ve packed, organized, labeled, and arrived at your dorm, which is a pretty great start, but remember that you shouldn’t do everything by yourself. Engage your friends or family members and let them help a bit – they can assist with unpacking, moving furniture around, cleaning, etc. If you’re moving to a dorm, it will likely be cleaned already, but you’ll probably have to clean on your own if you’re renting a place. Whatever the situation may be, moving in is a good time to have some friends and family come over, help you unpack and arrange, and make a nice get-together before you start a new school year. You can use this time to have drinks or pizza afterward to share a few moments together and celebrate a new beginning.

Hire college movers

Hopefully, these simple tips will help you get ready for moving and you’ll be ready for a new school year in no time. In case you want to make your move to college dead simple and convenient, consider hiring a professional NYC moving and storage service. A licensed and reliable moving company will have the experience and equipment to move your belongings safely and efficiently to your dorm or rental. Check out Rabbit Movers – we’re at your service and we’ll provide a moving quote completely free of charge.