Hey, y'all! My name is Isabella, and I’m a college student learning how to navigate adulthood right alongside you!! Today, I'll share my top tips for moving into a dorm.
- Bring cleaning supplies and give everything a good wipe down.
- Pack these separately! Make sure they are somewhere you can quickly grab once you get to your dorm to wipe down all your surfaces. Most universities clean the dorms…but not very well.
- The cleaning items I brought were a wet swiffer, lots of clorox wipes, and windex and paper towels.
- Put your rug pad and rug down first.
- Pretty straightforward, but this needs to be your first step after wiping down your surfaces.
- Bring a wagon or hand truck to help you with move-in.
- This is essential, especially if you have an elevator in your dorm. We didn't bring a wagon or hand truck for my freshman move, and I regret it so much. We will 100% be bringing a hand truck this year.
- Bring water bottles & have them easily accessible.
- Where I go to school, it is incredibly hot, so when we moved in, we were hot, sweaty, and exhausted. Of course, we couldn't find the Brita to get water from the faucet, and we only brought two water bottles. Just go ahead and pack a cooler with a bunch, or bring a whole pack just to keep in your room.
- Be intentional about how you pack your car.
- For example, ensure your rug, rug pad, wagon or hand truck, water, and cleaning supplies are easily accessible so you can grab them from your car first.
- Garbage bag hanging trick.
- Use the garbage bag hack for hanging clothes. Group about 10-20 hanging items together, depending on size, and zip-tie the metal parts of the hangers together at the top. Then, slip a garbage bag over it and cut a hole for the metal part of the hanger to come out. You can tie the bottom to protect your clothes.
- You can transport them all using a hanging car rod like the one below. I did this, and it worked perfectly. Once you get there, take the rod out of your car and get someone to help you grab the other side of it. Then, you can transport all of your clothes at once.
- Use these big moving bags.
- These are extremely helpful for moving everything from kitchen supplies to packing your foldable clothes in one bag.
- Label everything.
- Make sure you label the large blue moving bags mentioned above. This will help so much in your unpacking process.
- Additionally, I bought some simple, clear storage drawers for under my bed. To make your life easier on move-in day, you can organize drawers like this: one with cleaning products and one with toiletries, and then put a label on the front. I like chalk labels like these, which I just ordered because you can easily change the words if you rearrange them.
- Unbox things ahead of time.
- Unless you have items you are unsure if you want to keep and might return, go ahead and unbox whatever you can from all the bulky cardboard and packaging. Doing this and putting the items in the large blue moving bags will help you save space and stay organized.
- Make a list of things to buy at school.
- Items such as dish soap, shampoo, detergent, and snacks can quickly become heavy, get messy if broken or opened, and take up space unnecessarily while moving in. Items that can easily be grabbed at Walmart the day of; just wait on them unless they are essential or hard to find.
- Go greet people on the move-in!
- Everyone is in the same boat on moving in; this is a great time to meet people. Just do it on your move-in day!! If you wait to do it, then it might feel more awkward and become more challenging to meet people in your hall the longer you wait as people settle in. My mom ordered a cookie cake with my school colors, and the night after my parents moved me in my roommate and I went and knocked on people's doors, introduced ourselves, and invited them to our room for cookie cake! You could also make little goody bags to give people or a little treat with a sweet note saying, "Happy Move-In! -Love, Isabella Room 123.
With Love,
Isabella XO
