Moving long distances, no matter what the reason, can add another layer of stress to the entire process. If you are considering moving across the country, we suggest taking a look at the 8 tips we have for you.
1. Make a List
Make lists; they will help you stay organized. While you can always replace a tube of toothpaste that may have been left behind without spending much money, having to replace your electric toothbrush could be quite pricey. You will want to make lists of all the important items that you will need, and then smaller, miscellaneous items that could quickly add up in cost. Start with personal care, but also think about other things that you will need to live. It is wise to go through each room of your home with a fine-tooth comb to determine what items need to make the move with you.
2. Determine How You Will Move
There are many ways to travel across the country, whether it be by car or bus or plane. However, this will determine not only what you need to take with you, but what you are capable of taking with you. If you have visited your living space, you will have a better chance at knowing what you will need to get by. Moving with a moving truck can be best for those that are moving entire households, but a college kid doesn’t need an entire household’s worth of items. This means moving via a plane is possible with the right planning and preparation. How you will move will tell you what level of stuff you can take.
3. Determine if You Will Need Professional Movers or if the Job can be Done by Family and Friends
College students typically don’t have a lot of money. However, you may also be moving to a place where you don’t know anyone to help with the heavy lifting. This is why many college students do tend to call up to hire professional laborers. You can fill the boxes and load the truck by yourself, but that can be exhausting. Sometimes getting the heavy furniture is impossible to move on your own. Be sure that if this is how you plan to move, you have researched professional movers in the area in which you’re relocating.
4. Determine Where You Will be Living
You can move into a dorm or into an apartment or a variety of other housing options, depending on the rules of the college or university that you’re attending. Some can be stricter about living situations for students, particularly first and second year students. Get that secure before you start your journey. This will determine not only what you will need to bring, but what kind of space you’ll be working with to accommodate your items.
5. Locate Roommates
Finding the right roommate can be one of the most important decisions you make about your living situation. Making sure you find a person who lives a similar lifestyle, is active during similar hours, and has similar habits as you can make a shared living space much more comfortable and amicable. The last thing a tidy person wants to put up with is the roommate who allows dishes to pile up for a week or never busts out the vacuum. Someone who is more interested in spending their weekends studying may not mesh well with the person who likes to host parties on Saturday night. It’s also important to determine what each person is bringing into the living space so that money or moving power can be spent elsewhere when needed.
6. Get a Job
Even prior to moving day, it’s a great idea to get a headstart on looking for a job and trying to secure some interviews or leads on open positions. Retail and food service have been staples in the lives of college students for decades and can often get your foot in the door with a company sooner rather than later. Interviewing from a distance presents challenges, but utilizing resources like email for sending resumes and Zoom for meeting face to face can help speed up the process of finding something once you’re settled in. Finding a job or getting ahead of the job search can help you figure out a budget for housing and other needs once you’ve relocated.
7. Decide When and How Often to Visit Home
Moving far away can seem daunting, especially to someone who has never been away from their family or friends for a long period of time. However, planning ahead can give you something to look forward to and make the time away pass more peacefully.
8. Leave Enough Time
Be sure that you leave enough time before the semester begins to set up your living space, familiarize yourself with your new town and campus, and determine where all your classes are. You don’t want to rush around at the last minute trying to form a routine. Make your new home feel like home so that you have everything you need to study and get a good start to your new educational endeavors.
