How to Move Out of Your Dorm

A lot of people talk about all of the essentials you’ll need for your dorm, or how to move in, but one of the most daunting task isn’t talked about a lot: moving out of your dorm. Throughout the year, it seems like things just pile up over time, and at the end you are left with a mess of items you don’t even remember buying. All of those old assignments you shoved under your bed or in drawers seem to magically grow ten sizes, and the thought of packing seems like the most overwhelming thing in the world.

I have definitely been there, and am currently there now. This year it’s a lot more manageable since I made it through move-out last year, but still it is a daunting task for anyone. I thought since I was able to persevere last year, I would share my tips on how to move out of your college dorm successfully, and hopefully a little bit easier!

Decide when exactly you are going to move out, and coordinate with whomever is helping you move out. I try and do this early on and let my parents know so they’ll have a whole day free to help me move out of my dorm, which is helpful because there’s no way I could do it by myself! Once you’ve decided when you’re going to move out, make a plan of how you are going to be packing up all of your stuff; do you need boxes to put little things in? Clothes boxes for your closet? How are you getting that mini-fridge out? It’s important to have some sort of an idea of how you’re getting everything out of your room, instead of just blindly hoping it’ll work.

Starting a couple of weeks before, I try and bring home things that I know I won’t need for the last month or so of school. This helps get little random things out of the way so you have more room in your car for other items. Since you’ll be looking through all of your stuff, this helps for you to see all that is in your dorm room, and what will have to come out soon.

There are some things in your dorm room that you probably won’t need over the summer, especially if you’ll be living in a dorm again next year, or a smaller space. Because of that, it’s nice to pack boxes with things that you know you won’t immediately need once home, and can just put in storage until fall. Doing this helps a lot when you’re unloading your car, and need to get to vital things like your favorite books (I know I’m not the only one).

There is no such thing as over-labeling a box, and can be super helpful when you are unloading boxes. Try and put like-items into the same box, for example bathroom things, kitchen utensils, bedding, etc. If everything is labeled really well, it’s that much easier to unpack, and also to see if you even need to unpack a box before you move back into a dorm or apartment for the fall. My family and I tend to over-label boxes anyway just to be funny, so have fun with it!

Moving is hard work, people. It may not seem like your dorm can fit a lot of things, but they definitely add up throughout the year. It’s important to make sure that you’re eating and drinking enough to stay energized, especially since the weather is heating up! Plan ahead and pre-make some snacks or a lunch, and make sure to feed everyone who is helping you! It will be greatly appreciated, and will also help everyone’s spirits stay lifted.

It can be easy to just want to throw everything into the car as quickly as possible, but try and take time and place things in there strategically. Be mindful of breakables, and make sure they aren’t in a location where something could fall and crush it. When in doubt, put the sturdiest and heaviest stuff on the bottom, and lighter, more delicate things on top. This may seem obvious, but it can be easy to forget when you’re trying to move as quickly as possible!

Alright, well those are my tips on how to move out of your dorm a little bit more easily than if you were just to go at it with no plan! That’s what I ended up doing last year and it was way more stressful than it needed to be! I wish you all the best of luck!