Packing & Moving Tips for Freshers
Nothing says ‘emotional whirlwind’ quite like university move-in day for first-year students and their parents alike. While it may seem like a daunting, flustered process of heavy lifting and room organisation, there are a few things you can do in preparation for the big move to university to ensure everyone involved feels a little less agitated and overwhelmed throughout the whole process. After all, your move to university is supposed to be one of the most exciting times of your life; you don’t have to allow it to be clouded by stress.
Uni Baggage, specialists in student shipping, share their top tips on what you need to bring to university, how to pack it all up and how to easily move it into your new home on campus.
Read your university’s move-in policies and prohibited items.
First and foremost, before you even begin to pack up your entire life for your big move to university, you should read up on all of the relevant information regarding moving-in on your university’s official website. Most will outline prohibited items that cannot be taken into halls, and this would vary from uni to uni. Items such as mini-fridges, coffee makers and even extension cords may be restricted. It’s always best to get a rough idea of what you are actually permitted to bring with you to avoid any disappointment later down the line.
Make a UNI checklist.
The biggest concern when packing for university is trying to figure out which items are necessities and which can be left behind. And, of course, there’s always that daunting worry that you’ll somehow forget an essential item that you’ll absolutely need when you get there.
So, once you’ve ruled out everything you absolutely cannot take with you, create a detailed uni checklist which includes everything from important documents and electrical items, to clothing, room decor and sentimental items. That way, nothing will be forgotten about.
Figure out how you’ll transport everything.
Once you have everything packed and ready, then comes the questions of how to actually transport it all to your new home at university. If you live close by, within driving distance, you might be able to pack it up in your car. However, if you’re travelling by public transport (bus, train, plane) taking an excessive amount of luggage with you as you travel can not only be hugely inconvenient – it can also be surprisingly expensive. This is particularly true when flying, where excess baggage can be an extortionate amount per kilo.
For that reason, it might make more sense to use a low-cost shipping service or even hire a removal company to transport all of your stuff to university without any stress.
Pack carefully
Once you’ve decided what to bring with you to university and how to bring it, you’ll need to consider your packaging carefully. If you’re travelling to university by car, you can pack your stuff into boxes, duffel bags, holdalls or even large plastic bags. You can easily fold them up and place them under your bed until you need them again. As you will need them again when the time comes to move your stuff back home. Big, bulky suitcases are only going to take up huge amounts of space in your car, not to mention in your room in halls.
However, if you’re transporting all of your belongings with a student shipping service, courier service or removals company; your items will need to be sent in strong suitcases or sturdy cardboard boxes to withstand any potential rough-and-tumble in transit.
Clearly label all boxes.
This really goes without saying; you should stick labels on all of your storage boxes or bags that clearly categorise them, i.e. “books”, “electronics”, “decor” etc. That way, you’ll know where to find everything and can easily organise your new room in halls when the time comes.
These are great tips and the same tips can be used when you are ready to fly home for holidays and need Matthew James to store your stuff. Our student storage facilities are secure, clean and dry so you can enjoy your well-earned break without worrying.