College Life
Moving In
If you’ve never moved a student to college, be prepared for a fascinating — and occasionally frustrating — experience.
Before heading for campus, talk with the parents of your child’s roommate to make sure everyone knows who is responsible for bringing what big items: refrigerator, microwave, TV, etc. Students should do this too, but it doesn’t hurt to double-check.
On moving in day, be on time or a little early. Don’t be too early, because many schools stagger arrival times to cut down on traffic.
Remember that moving in involves more than carrying things from the car to the dorm. Students often need to fill out paperwork, pick up keys and get a student ID the first day on campus. Your student might want to take care of anything that involves standing in line first.
Most schools require a room damage deposit, so make sure the roommates complete a room damage form that shows anything wrong with the room before they arrived.
The school should have sent you a moving in guide. Make sure you have it with you. If you have questions, ask a member of the college staff.
Let the roommates work out who gets what side of the room and where things go. They’re the ones who are going to be living there.
Above all, be patient. Rarely does moving in go as smoothly as everyone hopes it does.
