Student Moves: Tips for First-Time Movers

Moving away from home for the first time is a major life milestone. This is especially true for students, as moving to a new dorm or apartment to further their learning is often their first taste of full responsibility and freedom.

These individuals will be met with many new challenges in their grown-up student life, and many of these challenges can be encountered before they even set foot on campus. One of these challenges is, of course, moving to a brand new space.

Moving as a student has a few fundamental differences compared to moving as an adult to a new studio, house, or apartment.

For starters, students will likely have a limited budget and limited space. They’ll also likely have to deal with unique considerations such as shared spaces, budgeting, and the emotional toll of navigating life without your family in the next room over.

Regardless of these difficulties, moving out of your home and into a student dorm or apartment is a critical turning point for growth. If you need some tips to help you move out of your home and into your new living arrangement for the first time, then you’re in the right place.

This guide will give you some helpful tips to ensure that your move is as smooth as possible. Let’s jump right into it.

Now’s not the time to brag about your cramming abilities—packing is one thing you don’t want to leave until the night before.

Packing your belongings into boxes is something that should be done as early as a month before the move. Start with non-essentials and leave your frequently-used items towards the latter half of that timeline.

The reason to pack weeks ahead is simple: Rushing the packing process can increase the chances of item damage due to unsupported and dishevelled item placements. Improper packing also makes the unpacking process more time-consuming and stressful on your part.

Moreover, last-minute packing could also lead you to forget essentials, which could lead to you spending more on your new place. To ensure you don’t run into these problems, be slow and methodical when initiating the packing process.

Consider giving yourself a month to sort out your belongings, figure out what items go to what boxes, pack in an orderly fashion, and label the boxes respectively. You can also create a packing checklist in advance to help you track everything more easily.

By being a mindful packer, you could avoid last-minute stress and ensure that all your items are accounted for in your new space. You can also consider hiring interstate removalists to help you deal with the logistical hassle of moving hundreds—if not thousands—of kilometres away from home.

When moving for the first time, it’s important to consider how much space you can work with in your new accommodation.

Generally speaking, a vast majority of student accommodations tend to be on the smaller end of things. It could even be shared with one or more people. This means that you may encounter some difficulties bringing bulky items to your new space, forcing you to leave behind items that you may have otherwise wanted to bring.

As such, it’s important to take your room’s space into consideration before packing and moving to your new place.

Review the dimensions of the room and entryway and ensure that all the things you’re bringing—from your pieces of luggage to your appliances—can fit within the space. This way, you won’t end up bringing items that actually don’t serve a purpose in your place.

Furthermore, as much as possible, leave bulky items behind. Space is valuable, and bringing too many things can make your room feel cluttered and overwhelming. It can also make unpacking more difficult and disorderly.

By minimising the items you’re bringing to your student dorm, you can create a space that’s conducive for learning and living for the entire duration of your stay.

When you’re planning to move to a new place, you should clarify the utility situation beforehand, ideally with the property manager or landlord.

Does the dorm or studio unit have electricity bills covered, or will that be shouldered by you? Is the electricity and water switched on in the first place? Is there WiFi and gas, or do you have to set that up yourself?

Getting answers to these questions ensures a couple of things. It helps you settle in with a plan of action already set up. It also ensures you don’t encounter any surprises during the move, allowing you to more smoothly transition into student life.

That said, if the accommodation doesn’t arrange these utilities, then coordinate with local utility providers to set them up in your new place. For instance, internet providers can send out technicians a few days after you book an appointment. Electricity and water can be propped up in a few days’ time as well.

In any case, arranging utilities early guarantees you can move in and live comfortably without delays.

As soon as you’ve settled into your new space, figure out the location of the nearest supermarket and hardware store.

You’ll be going to these locations more often than you think, so knowing it sooner rather than later can be helpful to orient yourself with what you can find there.

On top of that, besides the things you’re bringing from home, you’ll likely have no supplies or food in your new place.

Setting aside some time in the first days to go grocery shopping and supply shopping is essential to ensure you transition to your new living arrangement more smoothly. Some essentials to buy include canned goods, food ingredients for cooking, paper towels, cleaning supplies, and basic tools.

By allocating a budget for these things, you’ll have little problem transitioning into student life even if you’re far from home.

Another useful tip students can consider is to prepare an overnight bag packed with all the essentials and necessities needed to adjust for the first few days. Moving can be a very physically and mentally taxing activity, and it’s common for people moving to feel exhausted after such a busy ordeal.

Instead of digging through multiple separate boxes to get your cleaning supplies, towels, and overnight clothes, put them all inside a day bag.

This bag should include all the belongings you need to last you for a couple of days as you unpack your stuff. The stuff inside should include clothes, a phone charger, a wallet, keys, basic toiletries, and medications, among other things. It should also include important documentation that you may need as a new student and resident.

With an essentials day bag, you can remove any added frustration or stress on move-in day, and the days to follow.

Finally, it’s essential to understand the terms in your lease to ensure that you’re not overlooking some aspects of your living arrangement. For instance, you should be aware of down payments and payment schedules to ensure that you’re making payments on time and that you’re not subjecting yourself to late penalty fees.

You should also clarify the utility bills situation before settling on any agreement.

If you’re living with housemates, divide your responsibilities equally (i.g, Rent payment) and ensure everyone’s on the same page on these agreements. You should also familiarise yourself with any move-in and end-of-lease requirements before signing any contract.

By clarifying these things with the property owner and setting boundaries with your roommates, you won’t meet any surprises in your lease and can continue living smoothly for the rest of your stay in your student accommodation.

We hope these tips will help you move to your new space more smoothly. All the best in crushing your new student life!