College: Get Your Move On
Consider.
The moment has finally arrived! The move to college has been marked on your calendar for quite some time, but now it seems to have snuck up on you from behind. Your house has been a staging area for this event all summer. In fact, there has probably been a part of you that has been counting down the days to when you can get your move on. Parents have been looking forward to reclaiming some space in the house, and students have been looking forward to making their dorm or apartment a place of their own.
Let’s Get Moving
Whether you are doing the move to college for the first or fifth time, preparing for the move can be overwhelming. Checklists, shopping lists, To-Do lists—the lists are endless, so I will keep this brief and to the point.
1) Under-bed storage: To conserve space, pack your clothes and shoes in your under-bed storage containers. Meet the SKUBB (IKEA). These gems are soft-sided and fold flat when they are not in use.
2) Laundry drying rack: Meet MULIG (IKEA); her fold-flat feature makes her barely visible. You probably want to dry your towels and sheets in the dryer, but work out clothes and anything made out of fast-drying or delicate material can be (should be) air-dried. Air-drying prolongs the life and shape of garments like these.
3) Laundry hamper: The laundry hamper can do double-duty as a container for packing towels, sheets, or other items. (Caution: Don’t put wet items in the hamper unless you are a science major and would like to experiment with mold and mildew!)
4) Hanging file box: Independence is here, and so is all the paperwork that comes with it. We give our children a hanging file box at the beginning of their senior year of high school to get them in the habit of managing their own affairs, so to speak.
5) Plastic Storage Boxes: Use the shoe-box size to pack and store medication and other small toiletries items. Not viewable in the picture are larger containers for packing items that don’t fold well or break (crush) easily. The containers can be stacked inside one another and fit under most dorm room beds.
6) Hand Truck: Let the good times roll! You want one of these, AND you want it to have wheels that swivel and a bungee cord.
1) Vacuum Storage Bags: Pack bulky items, such as pillows and comforters, in Space Bags. The space you will save during the move is invaluable. Also, store clothing you won’t need right away in Space Bags and switch them out when the weather calls for warmer clothing. (See the tip below about air mattress pumps.)
2) DIMPA (IKEA): You need to check these out. They are durable, protect items from moisture, and hold more than you think. Bonus feature: They store easily until you are ready to pack up and come home at the end of the year.
You May Also Consider:
Twin air mattress and electric air pump: It’s always nice to have a place for a visiting friend to stay, AND the air pump can be used to inflate the mattress and deflate your Vacuum Storage Bags!
Chillbo Inflatable Couch: This As Seen On TV item is a couch, a bed, a float—really anything you can think up that involves resting and reclining. Even flat, it works like a picnic blanket or beach mat.
Kleenex: Pack some! You will need it!