Maybe your son or daughter is getting ready to move out of state and/or cross-country to attend the college of their choice. A long-distance college move will be something new both for them and, perhaps, for their parents.
From packing to providing adequate transportation where they’re going to scouting out the area ahead of time, there are many practical steps you can take to help them prepare – here are 5 of them:
Contents
1. Send “Your Student” a Car!
Having a good, reliable set of wheels is essential when you’re living in a far away, unfamiliar place – even more than it already is.
If you can’t buy the car before they leave and have them drive it there, or if you want to make it a surprise for after they arrive or just don’t want them making a potentially dangerous, long-distance commute, why not consider professional auto shipping as a solution?
If you schedule well ahead and use open transport (used by many auto manufacturers for shipping their brand new cars), you can save a lot on auto shipping costs as well. Check out this helpful link to learn more! https://executiveautoshippers.com/services/open-transport/
2. Pack Only Essentials
Suggest to your college student that he/she should only take the bare essentials. It doesn’t make sense to lug large amounts of items with you that you seldom or never use. If you can buy it when you get there and it isn’t something urgent that you’ll use on the way or the first-day, leave it and buy it later.
If traveling by car, consider packing everything in tough plastic garbage bags marked with permanent markers or masking tape labels. It’s much easier than trying to fit everything into a suitcase. But if flying in, cut down even more on what you take since it all has to fit in two or three bags.
3. Ship Items Ahead Separately
For some, if not all, of what your student brings to his/her new home away from home, consider independent student shipping companies. No, they don’t ship students! They ship their luggage and belongings expeditiously and at often very reasonable rates.
Why not ship blankets, sheets, pillows, extra shoes, out of season attire they’ll need later in the year, and anything heavy or bulky they’re bringing ahead so they can travel light on the way there?
4. Check On “Banned” Items
Every college is going to have a long list of rules about what students can and can’t bring on-campus. It’s more complex even than the rules about what you can take on flights these days!
So check ahead on the college’s website or call up college staff or talk to current/former students to get “the scoop.” For example, many dorm rooms aren’t allowed to have coffee pots or tea kettles in them due to the fire hazard – you never know what it may be that you can’t take, so verify ahead of time.
5. Scout Out the College Town’s Amenities
Whether you want to make a special trip months before moving time or just investigate online using review sites and Google Maps, take the time to scout out what amenities are in the area where your son/daughter will be living.
Knowing he/she can get everything necessary and where to go to get it is going to be good information come move-in day when everything will be far too hectic for that kind of “reconnaissance work.”
Take the time to plan ahead and think out the details of your student’s long-distance college move and prepare solutions to problems before they arise. You son or daughter will appreciate it, and it will give you an extra dose of “peace of mind” as well!
