Moving Out of your Residential College

By Rachel Rooney, Toppel Peer Advisor

This is the time when you will wonder why you brought so many unnecessary items with you to college. Moving out is nowhere near as much fun as moving in. It’s the end of the school year, and you have limited time to pack with finals at the forefront. Hopefully, this post will make the process a little bit easier for you.

My first tip is to know your dates. The last day of finals is Wednesday May 7, 2014, and housing closes at noon on the 9^th for all non-commencement participants. It closes on the 10^th for all commencement participants. Make sure you book your flights accordingly. 

Then, prepare. Get packing tape from either UPS or Target and get boxes, lots of boxes. There are a variety of places you can look for them. One of the main ways to do is this to call retailers, grocery stores like Publix, and office buildings in the area, because these places get packages every day. It is best to call first and ask. You can also search on Craigslist on their Free and Wanted pages, or ask friends for them. Keeping boxes from large care packages is also a good idea. It can sometimes be easier to buy boxes at the local UPS store than it is to get them for free however. 

If you are planning on shipping items home, research shipping companies, such as UPS, FED-EX, and U.S. Postal Service. There is a post office on campus, so that may be the best place; however some places may get it to your home faster (since the Postal Service does not operate on weekends).

Packing everything can be a bit stressful, and finding an affordable storage facility and getting all your things there is another part of the process. It can be especially if your parents don’t come down to Miami to help you. In this case, find friends who have cars and ask for their help. If all else fails, text them over and over and over until someone gives in and agrees to help you. The University of Miami has prepared a list of storage facilities close to school and they are listed here: http://www.miami.edu/sa/index.php/residential_life/housing_a-z/storage_off-campus/

I personally recommend Uncle Bob’s Self Storage and Door to Door Portable Storage. It is up to you to decide which facility is safest and most affordable. Keep in mind that places closest to campus will be more expensive than those farther away. 

The link for Uncle Bob’s is here: http://www.unclebobs.com/

The link for Door to Door is here: http://www.doortodoor.com/service-areas/locations/florida/portable-storage-miami.aspx

 

Keep calm! The school year isn’t over yet; we still have four more week and finals. It is however important to think about the moving out process and to talk it over with your parents and the people you will be sharing a storage facility with. Just remember summer is almost here!