College Move-in Day - Prepping to Move Your Child into their Dorm

August is here which means you are getting ready to send your high school grad off to college. Moving your child into their dorm is an emotional day, so it can be easy to overlook things that can help the day run more smoothly. While your child’s school will have a full packing list of school and dorm essentials, this list will help you prep for the day ahead.

Plan Together Early

This move is big for both you and your child. They are taking their first steps into adulthood and so it’s important to give them ownership over their move. Sit down earlier in the summer to come up with a game plan. Check their college’s “Dorm List” together and make a plan about who will be responsible for getting what together.

Find out Stores Pickup Policies

If your child is starting school far away, or you have a small car, you can save a lot of stress by scheduling pickups at stores closer to your child’s school. Bed Bath and Beyond has a policy where you can pay at your home store and pick up closer to school. Many stores also offer online ordering with in-store pickup.

Pack in Luggage They can Travel With

Hopefully, your child will be making a few trips home throughout the year. And maybe they’ll even be making a few other weekend trips with their new friends. Make sure they have a bag that's suitable for their different (potential) travel plans. They won’t have storage for tons of luggage, so don’t overdo it. But packing in one or two versatile bags will ensure they’re set for any upcoming trips.

Bring a dolly or wagon

Many schools have carts to help with move-in. But these can be hard to come by as everyone is moving in on move-in day. Bringing a dolly or collapsible wagon from home can ensure you won't be left to carry everything individually into their new dorm.

Clean When you Arrive

Before bringing any belongings up, do a quick clean. You may expect the space to be clean, but this dorm may have hosted another student over the summer, or it could have a coating of dust from sitting unused for three months. Either way, a quick dust down and disinfecting wipe will ensure the space is fresh for your child.

Bring a Tool Kit

You never know what furniture, desk organizers, or minifridge will need assembly. Bringing along a toolbox with a few screwdrivers, a hammer, measuring tape, pliers, and duct tape will ensure you can take care of whatever odd job pops up that day.

Bring Wall Hangers

Command hooks, sticky wall putty, and over-door hangers are the standard for college dorms. Buying these ahead of time is important because it is likely that the Walmart down the street will run out during move-in weekend. Some schools will recommend certain brands so double-check the move-in list before buying.

Raise the Bed

Dorm rooms are notoriously short on storage space. To help solve this, purchase bed risers and come up with a plan for using that extra space. Under bed drawers and shelves are a great way to give your students the storage they need. 

Pack Hanging Clothes on the Hanger

Rather than taking all of their clothes off the hangers, folding, and boxing them up, leave them on the hanger. Tape the tops of the hangers together in manageable groups (about 10), cover them with a large trash bag, and tie it closed. You can cut a small hole in the bottom for the hanger hooks to come out of.  You can then carry each bundle individually or hang them all from a broom handle. This way you can essentially move their whole closet without much effort. The trash bags are important because they will catch any slippery clothing that falls from its hanger during the move.

Wash Linens and Towels Before Move-in Day

It may seem like a good idea to leave all their new towels and linens neatly folded in the packaging they came in as it's less for you to store away later. However, we advise against this. The new towels may have a strange factory smell and the linens may be scratchy without a wash. Instead, wash everything at home and then repack it neatly in the packaging it came in.

Space Bags

Using space bags can be a great hack for packing bulkier clothing. This can be especially helpful for the clothes they will need come cooler weather, but not quite yet. However, caution your student against overpacking. They will not have as much space as they are used to and space bags require a vacuum to seal. If they don’t have one in their dorm they will not be able to repack it once opened. If your student is coming home for Fall or Thanksgiving Break, suggest they trade out their summer clothes for their winter ones when they come home for that.

Go Sturdy for Laundry

Help your student pick and sturdy laundry basket. After all, they may need to carry it a good distance to do laundry on campus. You can also use their laundry basket and pack inside it for the move.

Extension Cords and Power Strips

Many dorm buildings are older and don’t have a lot of outlets. Pack your many extension cords and power strips in an easily accessible location. These will likely be one of the first things you want to set up as you have furniture pulled out while helping to rearrange the room.

Pack a First Aid Kit

For your child’s entire life, they have come to you when they have felt sick. You won’t be at school with them, so pack a “first aid kit” filled with all the stuff you usually have on hand when they get sick. Advil, Nyquil, Benadryl, Tums, Band-Aids, and whatever other staples your family keeps around. This will help you ensure their first sick days away from you will be ok.

Sewing Kit

There is no need to give them your grandmother's entire sowing kit, but it is a good idea for them to have a bit of needle and thread. When I went off to college my mom packed 5 needles and a variety of threads in a square bracelet box. It was no more than 5x5 in, and I still have it to this day. It’s been all around the world with me and saved me in quite a few pinches.

Snacks and Water

Something you definitely don’t want to forget to pack is a snack bag. Getting food on campus or downtown may be hard because there will be so many people with the same idea. Bringing plenty of water and sandwiches & snacks for your moving party will keep everyone in good spirits throughout the day. Save the meal outing for dinner when everyone else is leaving or napping.

Expect a Shopping Trip

As you unpack you all will likely realize there are things you need to make the space function better, a fan, storage boxes, organizers, curtains, etc. Whatever it is, prep yourself by knowing which stores are nearby ahead of time. If it seems like your child needs some space, offer to make the “Walmart run” while they stay behind and unpack.

Let them Lead

This is a big day, and you have plenty of ideas about how to help them make their room perfect, but you have to check yourself. This isn’t your move-in day, it's theirs. Let them make the decisions. If they just want your help carrying things up, so be it. If they want help unpacking that's great but let them tell you which bag to take. It’s time to let your little bird fly and let go of your control.

Take Things Home

As the day goes on, your child may realize they overpacked. Offer to take things back home for them that they’ve decided they don’t need right now. Likewise, calm any stress they may have about forgotten items by reminding them you can always mail things to them.

If you need help with moving your kid to college, we can help! Phoenix Moving is a mover in Bentonville Arkansas – we serve Northwest Arkansas and surrounding areas.  We offer local and long-distance moves, staging, oversized item moves, and more.