Moving Out, Moving On

It is now that time again when final exams are looming over our heads and the smell of sweet freedom is in the air as we prepare to say goodbye to yet another school year. The only thing that is really on our minds of course is the moment after our last exam when we finally get to pack up the moving van and begin our treks back home. For many people this could be a daunting task, however, if you have the proper organization and planning skills it will go rather quickly and seem effortless. Here are a few tips to make moving out of your residence hall a little bit easier:  

1) Plan Ahead

             If you decide whether or not you want to stick around Bloomington and find a semi-inexpensive sublet, there are plenty for the taking and can be found through any concise google search. Not staying in Bloomington but need your belongings stored? No problem! There are several college student friendly companies around town that offer moving and storage for the summer and do not charge and arm and a leg. Such businesses as Guys & Dollies, Soft Touch Moving and All American Storage specialize in all your moving needs and deal exclusively with IU students. Lastly, if you are definitely going back home for summer you should schedule a time with your parents when you believe residence hall traffic will be at a minimum. 

2) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle:

    Sift through your belongings and make piles of which things should go to Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc. and which should be tossed into recycle bins. If you saved your moving in boxes like a good eco-friendly student then you can simply reuse them to move out, thus saving some trees in the process. And if you’re an avid online shopper, hopefully you saved all those seemingly annoying air filled bags that filled out that grossly oversized box that your orders came in, as they are quite handy when trying to figure out hose you’re going to get picture frames and TVs home for the summer. Although, if the temptation was too great and you succumbed to stabbing them with scissors just to make noise, use some shirts and/or bath towels instead.

3) Organize

            Now that you have your summer planned and you have sifted through your belongings, you should be at the stage of organizing. Suitcases, boxes and other storage containers are all helpful when moving, but make sure they are sturdy or else you could have potential problems later on. Finding the best way to package a mixed assortment of items is never easy, but my advice is to try and keep similar/complimentary items together. For example, if you have a TV, you most likely have a remote, power cable, coax cable and various other cables that go along with it… Keep all of those things together, you’ll lose your mind a few weeks later when you don’t have a remote to change the channel because you decided to back it in a box labeled “Miscellaneous Stuff.”

I would imagine by now the wheels are turning and you’ll figure out some other creative ways to package all of your treasures for a safe journey home, but don’t forget to keep things that you use often and together in the same box!