The Ultimate End-of-Semester College Checklist

By Chris Romero In Storage |

The spring semester is coming to a close and a fun filled summer is right around the corner, but before you start planning your first beach trip, you need to be prepared to move out of your dorm room or apartment. With final exams and research papers taking priority right now, it’s easy to forget about everything that goes into a smooth dorm room transition. Take a look at our handy checklist below of things you can do one month out, one week out and on the big day to make it an easy process.

Back up your computer hard drive in order to keep a semester’s worth of projects safe.

A Month Out:

  • Make sure you (or your student) have confirmed their travel plans once classes have wrapped up. This includes booking any flights or planning driving routes well in advance of the big day.
  • Remind your student to keep an eye out for emails from professors or administrators to make sure they don’t miss any important notices or steps that need to be taken to wrap up the year.
  • Set aside and pack any important documents or assignments you want to have available for future use. Consider backing up your laptop or hard drive to keep a semester’s worth of work protected.
  • Consider booking a storage unit ahead of time for your summer storage needs. The closer you get to the end of the semester, the fewer choices you’ll have (and prices WILL go up).
Start packing winter clothes and jackets you won’t need at least a week early.

A Week Out:

  • Start going through clothes and dorm room items early. Set aside things you no longer need or want and find a nearby non-profit or donation event you can take them to.
  • Pack heavy coats and winter clothing you won’t be wearing away early. Set aside minimal toiletries you will need over the next week and clean out your bathroom.
  • Clean out your fridge and pantry and donate/discard any food items you don’t plan to eat in the next week.
  • Set aside any textbooks you no longer need and look into your options for selling them either at your campus bookstore or an online retailer like Amazon.
  • Need help on moving day? Coordinate ahead of time with friends/roommates to work together
Make sure you have a few sharpies with you on moving day to label all your boxes.

Moving Day:

  • Have some water and snacks on hand to keep everyone hydrated and happy throughout the day.
  • Wear comfortable clothes and shoes and be prepared to get a little dirty and dusty.
  • Have plenty of trash bags on hand not only for trash, but for transporting things like comforters, sheets, and pillows.
  • Make sure to have a sharpie on hand to label boxes and make unloading and organizing easier.
  • Pack some patience! It’s going to be a long day and everything will most likely NOT go according to plan, but just remember that you’ll get through it and the summer is finally here!

A little prep work now can go a long way to making your move-out a painless and easy experience. Then you can worry less about where you’re going to store your stuff and more time planning the best summer ever.

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