Moving to college is extremely exciting, but the logistics of getting there – with all your stuff in tow – can be a real headache.
Whether this is your first time – or your fourth time – moving your belongings from your room at home to your dorm room or to your rental apartment, it is always a challenge to find a cheap, efficient, and easy way to transport your stuff to college – especially if you don’t want to bother mom and dad.
There are many college moving options, of course, but some of them may not be appropriate in your case, some may be too expensive, and others may be inconvenient. You need to carefully assess your situation and all possible scenarios, so you can figure out the best way to bring your stuff to college.
Here are some practical ideas on how to move your belongings to college to help you make an informed decision.
Use a personal vehicle
If you already have a car or if your parents are willing to help you move, the easiest way to get your stuff to college is to transport it in your vehicle – or in the family car. You can find some useful information and expert tips on how to move with a car here.
Even if you can’t fit everything you want to bring along in a car, you’re not without options:
- Make two trips – If your college is not too far away and driving there takes only a couple of hours, it shouldn’t be a problem to make two trips;
- Use two cars – If your family owns more than one vehicle and both mom and dad have driving licenses (or you do), you can use both cars to transport all your stuff to college at once;
- Borrow/rent a pickup truck – A pickup truck can accommodate a lot of stuff (including smaller furniture pieces and appliances), so you should be able to fit everything you intend to move to college in one. Even if your family doesn’t own a pickup truck, mom and dad certainly know somebody who does and will be willing to lend it to them. If not, you can always rent a pickup truck for your college move (either rent the truck one-way, so you can leave it at a location close to your college or ask your parents to drive you to college and return the vehicle afterward);
- Use a tow-behind trailer – Moving trailers offer a cheap and convenient way to transport household goods from one location to another. You can rent a one-way cargo trailer, hitch it to your car, pack your belongings in it, and use it to get your stuff to college. If you don’t have a hitch installed on your car, you can get one from the trailer rental company and have it installed by the professionals – for a fee, of course. If your parents will be driving you to college, there will be no need to rent a trailer one-way (one-way trailers are more difficult to find and slightly more expensive) – mom and dad will be able to return the trailer to where it was picked up from.
Bonus tip: Consider carpooling with another student
If you don’t have a lot of stuff to bring to campus, carpooling with another student from your area going to the same college may be the best solution. You will get to split the expenses and have fun with your fellow student along the way.
See also: Pros and cons of moving away for college
Ship your items
Shipping items to campus is one of the most popular ways to bring stuff to college. You can use the USPS, UPS, or FedEx to ship your belongings so they arrive just before or shortly after you move into college. It is very convenient and easily affordable. (See also: How to ship boxes by mail)
Keep in mind though that many dorms don’t accept deliveries until students actually show up. And if you’ll be living off campus, you will have to make sure your boxes arrive after you – unless you can ship them to friends or family who live in town.
If you’re moving a lot of stuff – including furniture and other larger household items – it may be best to use freight shipping services.
See also: What to pack for college
Use a portable moving container
If you’re moving to college out of state and have a lot of things you want to take with you, none of the above options will work well for you.
How to bring all your stuff to college then?
Your best bet may be to use a pod.
Portable moving containers offer an extremely convenient and very cost-effective moving solution – the pod is dropped off at your home for you to load up, then it is picked up by the pod moving company and delivered to your dorm or to your rental place off-campus. The containers come in different sizes so you can easily find one that perfectly suits your needs and scheduling is very flexible so you can pack and unpack at your own pace.
If you’re considering moving with a pod, however, be sure to check your dorm’s (or your rental apartment’s) move-in rules and parking regulations – moving containers take up a lot of space in parking lots, so some campuses and apartment complexes don’t allow them.
See also: How to move with a pod
Rent a moving truck
While moving with a pod is very safe and convenient (you don’t need to bother your parents or worry about driving, your items are transported by experienced professionals, etc.), it may not be your best option for taking your belongings to college – and it may not be a viable option at all depending on your college’s or apartment building’s policies.
In such a case, you may want to consider renting a moving truck.
Without a doubt, the best way to transport stuff to college is to use a moving truck – the specialized moving vehicle is ideal for the job.
Research truck rental companies in your area and compare prices, conditions, and one-way truck rental options (if needed). Choose a company to work with and reserve a truck in advance – a lot of students will be moving to college during the same time period, so rental trucks will be in high demand and there may not be any vans available for your moving date if you wait until the last moment.
Be careful to choose an appropriate size moving truck to rent, so you can move all your belongings in one trip. Needless to say, it will be up to you to load and unload the truck and drive it to your college town, so be sure to ask friends and family for help.
If you’re moving into a dorm, remember that it won’t be easy to find a convenient parking place for the large truck on the hectic college move-in day, so try to get there as early as possible in order to avoid the rush hour.
Additional useful information: What to know when renting a moving truck
Hire professional movers
If you’re moving a lot of stuff to college, don’t want to bother your parents, and don’t want to deal with heavy lifting and driving a large moving truck, you should consider hiring professional movers to transport your belongings to campus.
The pros will do all the work for you, will take good care of your items, and will deliver them in a safe and timely manner. You will have nothing to worry about and your relocation will be as smooth, easy, and stress-free as possible.
You will have to pay for the service, of course, but the costs won’t be much higher (or may not be higher at all) than the costs of renting a moving truck or a moving pod – many reputable movers offer special discounts for college students, so using professional moving services will be easily affordable.
All things considered, hiring professional college student movers may be your most beneficial moving option when moving to university out of state.
You can find trustworthy movers and get an accurate idea of your moving costs here.
Good to know: Long-distance movers have consolidation policies that allow you to share moving truck space with other customers. So, if you’re moving to college out of state and someone else from your hometown is moving to the same college, you can take advantage of that option to save on moving costs – you will only pay for the space your goods take up on the truck, so it will be really cost-effective.
Now that you know how to move your stuff to college in a convenient and affordable way all that remains is to organize a smooth and efficient college move-in day. Good luck and have a great college year!
