As the school year comes to an end, students are beginning to prepare to move out.
When paired with exams and the emotions of leaving peers, moving out can sometimes seem stressful.
Resident Assistants Anna Lee Harbison, junior in English, and Marie Beverly, sophomore in human resource management, both offered tips for easier moving out to the students in their residence halls.
Harbison, who was an RA in Little Hall in the upper Quad last year, said with being an RA comes the responsibility to help students move in and out.
“As an RA, I was there from move in to move out,” Harbison said.
To help make the moving out process easier for the students in her dorm, Harbison stressed five main tips.
The first tip she suggested is to be proactive and downsize before moving out.
She suggested taking a load of winter clothes or extra blankets home ahead of time to reduce how much one has to pack.
Her second tip is to make a plan ahead of time, coordinating all factors.
Harbison said it could help reduce stress to make a packing schedule that works around studying, sleep and saying goodbye to friends.
The third tip Harbison suggests to make moving out less traumatic is to buy supplies ahead of time.
She said by buying boxes, trash bags and cleaning supplies before it is time to move out, students can be ready to get things in order and will not have to rush at the last minute to find supplies.
Her fourth tip is to pack to unpack.
“People think it’s easy to throw everything in a box and go, but you still have to unpack it all,” Harbison said.
By packing in an organized manner, unpacking becomes less time consuming and frustrating.
Harbison’s final tip for easier moving out is to find closure with roommates.
No matter what situation the student is in, Harbison encourages students to make amends and make future plans with roommates before leaving.
Beverly had a few different ideas to reduce stress of the moving out process.
Beverly said it should be a priority of all students to make sure they do not scratch the walls or floors when moving out.
This is crucial, Beverly said, because scratches or damage can result in fines.
Another tip Beverly recommended is for students in dorms to use express checkout.
According to Beverly, express checkout is more convenient for students because no appointments are needed for room inspections.
Locking windows is another important thing to remember, Beverly said.
The last tip Beverly advises for students moving out is make sure students communicate with their roommates on whose belongings are whose.
“If you’ve been using your roommates hair dryer all year, you don’t want to accidently take it, thinking it’s yours,” Beverly said.
Moving out can be a big ordeal, but both Harbison and Beverly agree taking time to plan ahead can make a big difference.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
