As a parent, the day you move your child into college is stressful and emotional. It’s also a day to be proud as they take another step forward in their lives. As a college student, it’s an exciting moment to be moving away from home for the first time. Collegeboxes has helped numerous students and parents conquer move-in day. We are here to give you a few tips on what to expect for college students moving in and how to prepare.
Know the School’s Move-In Day Schedule
Colleges have improved a lot about move-in day. To avoid absolute chaos, schools have started to set certain time periods for specific groups of students to control the number of people moving in at one time. Typically, on move-in day, resident assistants, employees of the housing department, and other student volunteers will help you unpack your vehicle or assist you with your belongings for an easy process. They’ve established order of operations and will help make your child’s move-in day as easy as possible.
It’s very important to be on time for your designated time. The schedule is usually divided by floors and roommates to help not only control the number of people in one area but to get everyone nearby for the students’ first floor meeting with their RAs. If you go off schedule it can disrupt everyone’s schedule and the last thing you want is to put your student on the wrong foot for college.
Useful Things You Might Want for Move-In Day
While it is a good idea to simply follow the plan set in place by the school, at the end of the day, they’re young students helping other young students. This is where the parent knowledge comes in. This is your time to shine, mom and dad. You’ve probably already suggested these things, but here are a few items to make move-in day easier:
- Toolkit
- First Aid Kit
- Fan
- Dolly
- Cleaning Supplies
- Snacks
Once the dorm room is accessible to you and your child, they’ll probably want to begin decorating the dorm room and start making changes to make it their room. Having a toolkit with a hammer, screwdriver, a measuring tape, and pliers can make life easier. And let’s be honest, the 18-year-old probably can’t use all those tools themselves. When it’s all set up you can also leave the kit with your student for the future.
A first aid kit, a fan, cleaning supplies, and snacks are very helpful on move-in day. Any time you are moving, you are bound to get a few nicks and scrapes. Like the toolkit, the first aid kit can stay with your child after moving in. Move-in day falls in August most of the time, and it’s going to be hot. A fan will help keep the room cooler while you move. The room is reused and might not be as clean and pristine as you like as a parent. Bringing the cleaning supplies that you planned on giving your student will allow you to make it a clean environment. Trust us, moving will make you hungry and you’ll need snacks to keep you going.
As for a dolly, there’s a good chance you won’t need it. However, bringing a folding dolly or any type of dolly will let you be prepared to move larger items. Colleges will run low on carts at times and still can keep your move going if you have it.
Enjoy College Move-In Day as a Parent
Move-in day won’t go completely as you expect. It never does when it’s a very emotional day. Every parent jokes about being happy about their kid moving out, but the moment you drop them off at college, you can’t wait for them to come back. This is a big day for them, and for you, take it all in because it’s a big moment in both of your lives.
Hopefully, you gave your freshman 10 tips on how to pack for college and leave them with a lifetime of knowledge. Let them enjoy their college experience. Remind them to call you soon and give your child a big hug because you survived move-in day together. They’ll be back quickly, and we’ll be here to help with your move-out day too.
Collegeboxes can also make your move-in day painless. The No.1 student storage and shipping provider, powered by U-Haul, serves over 350 schools for the best college moving experience. We offer Storage and Shipping, Ship to School, and Direct Shipping.
Through Storage and Shipping, we do the heavy lifting for you. Ship what you want, store what you want – any combination. We store your belongings at a clean, dry, and secure U-Haul storage facility that you can access at any time. With Ship to School and Direct Shipping, pack your belongings and our dorm room movers will make sure they get to your school or the exact location you desire. If your son or daughter is moving into college soon, make an account at collegeboxes.com and sign up today!