Heading off to university can be a stressful experience so it’s only natural to feel a bit nervous when you start to consider exams, coursework deadlines, living with strangers and thinking about the future!
One element of student life that can become particularly stressful is the moving involved. The experience of finding your own place or relocating to halls of residence can be anxiety-inducing, let alone the thought of moving your belongings on your own.
In this latest blog, we’ve come up with ten essential steps you should consider when you’re heading off to university.
Step 1. Moving Admin
Once you’ve secured your new location, remember your postal, utilities and delivery addresses may need to change. Depending on if your old or new place has bills included in the price of your rent, you’ll need to either schedule for your utilities to shift to the new address or cancel them.
You don’t want to be moving into new accommodation without hot water or electricity. Or worse, no WIFI!
Step 2. Make a List
Composing a checklist can help organise your thoughts, so creating a list of what to take to university is a smart move. If you’re unsure of where to start, try writing down everything you use on a daily basis over the course of a week. This is a useful method of identifying mundane items you probably wouldn’t have otherwise remembered about.
At the very least you’ll probably need to take your own towels, cookware/cutlery, first aid supplies, a laundry basket and cleaning products.
Step 3. Start to Pack
Start the packing process as soon as you can. Remember no matter how good a packer you think you are, packing for a move always takes longer than you think. Start at least a few weeks before moving day – rather than attempting a marathon packing session just before you move.
Put belongings you’ll need on day one like bedding, towels, toiletries, and a change of clothes, in a suitcase for easy access. In terms of packing materials, you’ll need ink markers, packing tape, good quality boxes, bubble wrap and newspapers. Roll as many clothes as you can. That way they’ll take up less space and you won’t need to iron them when you arrive.
Step 4. Transport your Belongings
Find out if there are trolleys and lifts available at your destination to make moving in that bit easier. It’s also wise to bring a couple of helpers like parents and/or friends.
Step 5. Make an Inventory
Once you have settled into your new living situation and organised your room, it’s a good idea do a thorough check of the property. Make a note of any existing damages or if anything’s missing from the property’s inventory.
Letting the owner/factor/university authorities know as soon as possible can prevent any confusion and means you can get a replacement organised.
Step 6. Create a Rota
Initially, it might feel daunting splitting the responsibilities between you and your new housemates however, in the long term, it means that you can tackle sections of the property individually, and clean more efficiently.
The places that tend to need the most care and attention are the bathroom and kitchen as they’re the most communally used.
Step 7. Consider your Valuables
When you first move to university try to focus on all the positive aspects of the change, such as making new friends, exploring new places and gaining new experiences. However, you should also be mindful about the safety of your personal belongings, especially if you’re living in shared accommodation.
Try to avoid leaving your room unlocked and don’t leave expensive items in clear view.
Step 8. Get Involved
Freshers’ week is a welcome period for new students starting out at UK universities. It’s really a ‘getting to know you’ time for you to meet your new course mates and flat mates.
Make the most of freshers’ week, as this period is full of events designed to help you settle into university life. It’s a chance to make friends, blow off steam, and learn more about your course, campus and clubs.
Step 9. Out and About
Once you’ve properly moved in, use any spare time before the start of term to locate the nearest train station, local shops and GP’s surgery, as well as your campus library, students’ union and lecture buildings.
This is a great time to get to know your housemates better by arranging to make these trips with them.
Step 10. Stay Organised
Being organised will save you a lot of stress, time and money if you manage to successfully balance your studies, extracurricular activities and social life. Using a diary will help you to keep track of everything from coursework deadlines to utility payment due dates.
Student Storage at GTW Storage
At GTW Storage, we’ve been helping students move in, out and around Glasgow, for decades!
We understand you might need somewhere to store your belongings but don’t want to spend much time moving it or be relieved of large amounts of money up front either. You can also accumulate a lot of stuff while studying at university so chances are you can’t (more likely don’t want to) drag it back home every holiday in the calendar.
So let us store it for you!
At GTW we offer several storage options for students. As well as the choice of small storage units and locker storage facilities, we can also provide pallet storage for your belongings.
Pallet storage begins at £37.50 + VAT per month but with a valid student card you can benefit from a 20% discount! Need boxes & packaging tape? We have a range of storage essentials that you can either borrow or buy to help you along the way too! Find out more about our storage options here