{"id":4623,"date":"2016-08-01T12:24:16","date_gmt":"2016-08-01T17:24:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/?p=4623"},"modified":"2025-09-03T15:59:37","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:59:37","slug":"the-ultimate-move-in-guide-for-a-college-freshman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/tips\/the-ultimate-move-in-guide-for-a-college-freshman\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Move-In Guide for a College Freshman"},"content":{"rendered":"

Move-in day as a college freshman can be stressful for both you and your parents, but it doesn\u2019t have to be! Check out our college move-in guide for making the best out of your moving day experience. You\u2019re at the very beginning of a very exciting time in your life\u2014plan accordingly!<\/p>\n

COLLEGE MOVE-IN GUIDE<\/h1>\n

1. LEARN HOW TO MAKE COFFEE<\/b><\/h2>\n

You\u2019ll need it for moving day and every day after.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0WEAR COMFY SHOES<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is not the time to get fancy. You will be on your feet a lot, walking long distances from move-in day to graduation day so keep the shoes practical. And pack extras.<\/em><\/p>\n

3. HIRE A PROFESSIONAL<\/b><\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t try to tackle such a big move by yourself and don\u2019t force your parents to do it for you. Hire a professional<\/a> and leave yourself time to worry about what really matters; like registering for classes, getting to know your new surroundings, and preparing for your first day of school.<\/p>\n

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4. FEEL OUT YOUR NEW RO<\/b>OMIE<\/b><\/h2>\n

Universities will usually let you know who your roommate will be before you move in. Find them on Facebook, if you live in the same town meet them for coffee, or ask to video chat. No one wants to live with a stranger, and it\u2019s likely they are just as curious about you, so introduce yourself and ask them a ton of questions<\/a>!<\/p>\n

5. PACK PHOTOS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS<\/b><\/h2>\n

Pack your favorite blanket or bean bag. When you get homesick or stressed out you\u2019ll be glad to have something that makes you feel close to home and comfortable. It really is the little things.<\/p>\n

\"iStock_000004429036Small\"<\/b><\/p>\n

6. PACK THE ESSENTIALS<\/b><\/h2>\n

Don\u2019t forget things like a shower caddie and robe, sheets, or a desk lamp. There are plenty of resources for dorm room essentials on Pinterest or Bed Bath & Beyond<\/a>, so check them out. There\u2019s even a site, Dorm It Up<\/a>, that will let you customize what your dorm room is lacking and have it delivered directly to your door! Ah, 2016, we heart you.<\/i><\/p>\n

7.\u00a0PACK A FIRST NIGHT BAG<\/a><\/b><\/h2>\n

Fill it with things you know you will need on day one. You may not think you have as much stuff as you do, but after a long day of lugging boxes up stairs (unless you were smart and hired someone<\/a>\u2014but we all make rookie mistakes) you\u2019ll only want to shower, eat, and crawl into bed.<\/p>\n

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8. DON\u2019T OVER-PACK YOUR BOXES<\/b><\/h2>\n

Over-packing is the number one reason boxes break and valuables end up strung along the concrete. If it\u2019s too heavy to lift, it\u2019s too heavy for the box! Split things up, pack light, and learn how to properly pack your breakables in our How to Pack Fragile Items<\/a> guide.<\/p>\n

9. BRING ALONG A TOOL BOX<\/b><\/h2>\n

You\u2019ll want to decorate and hang pictures. To do this, you\u2019ll need tools.<\/p>\n

10. MAKE YOUR BED<\/b><\/h2>\n

When you arrive, make your bed first thing. At the end of a long day you\u2019ll appreciate being able to crawl into a nicely made, comfortable bed. Plan ahead and future-you with thank you.<\/p>\n

11. MOVE THE FURNITURE<\/b><\/h3>\n

You\u2019re totally allowed to, so move it around. You will be living in that room for the next 9 to 10 months of your life, so make it you own!<\/p>\n

12. TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY YOUR NEW ADDRESS<\/b><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s not easy being away from home for that long. They\u2019ll want to send you warm thoughts and you\u2019ll love receiving them!<\/p>\n

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13. STAY ORGANIZED AND LISTEN TO YOUR PARENT\u2019S ADVICE<\/b><\/h3>\n

You may not know it all, but most likely they\u2019ve been through it all. Write down a\u00a0Moving Checklist<\/a>, fill your planner (and get one if you don\u2019t have one already!) with important dates and deadlines, and fill out an Moving Inventory<\/a>\u00a0of your belongings. Hundreds of students who are also on their own for the first time will be living in your apartment or dorm building. This is why you have things like renter\u2019s insurance<\/a> and if the day comes that you actually have to file a claim, you\u2019ll be glad you kept a record of your things.<\/p>\n

14. KEEP THE IMPORTANT STUFF SAFE AND SECURE<\/b><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re not leaving important documents with your parents (which we advise doing), make sure you\u2019re keeping them organized and in a safe place.<\/p>\n

15. DOUBLE CHECK YOUR FINANCIAL AID STATUS<\/b><\/h3>\n

Hiccups happen. Don\u2019t arrive to campus to find out your FASFA<\/a> loans, grants, or scholarships haven\u2019t gone through.<\/p>\n

16. VERIFY YOUR HOUSING SITUATION<\/b><\/h3>\n

Whether you will be living on campus in the dorms or off campus in an apartment, verify and double check your move-in date, time, and location. If you’re moving into a dorm, then everything will be outlined for you and you will have a move-in schedule. Check with your campus housing department to get any questions answered before moving day.<\/p>\n

If you’re moving into an apartment off campus ask them about their move-in schedule as well. Most incoming students don\u2019t know this, but it is common for apartment complexes in college towns to streamline the move-in process. From key pick up to entering your new apartment, it\u2019s all scheduled. Check with your apartment’s leasing off for specific dates and times<\/p>\n

17. GO TO NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION<\/b><\/h3>\n

Just do it. Meet other students, learn how to register for classes, discover unknown campus resources, and get the low-down on the best off-campus activities from campus veterans.<\/p>\n

18. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR UNIVERSITY\u2019S WELCOME WEEK ACTIVITIES<\/b><\/h3>\n

This is a time when most universities introduce incoming freshmen to their surroundings through events and social gatherings. Welcome Week<\/a>\u00a0can\u00a0be a lot of fun and it\u2019s a great opportunity to meet new people.<\/p>\n

\"clocl\"19. DON’T BE LATE<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t kick off your college career by being late. Even the most studious student will run into some early morning hiccups, so save your tardiness for the morning after your first long night\u2014that you spent studying.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Move-in day as a college freshman can be stressful for both you and your parents, but it doesn\u2019t have to be! Check out our college move-in guide for making the best out of your moving day experience. You\u2019re at the very beginning of a very exciting time in your life\u2014plan accordingly! COLLEGE MOVE-IN GUIDE 1…. Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":4624,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips"],"acf":{"blog_post_content":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4623","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/28"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4623"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4623\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4624"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ushipblogsubd.wpengine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}