So finals are done. You’re mentally already at the beach or back home or whatever. But then you look around your room and it hits you. You have to move all this crap.
I’ve been there. It sucks.
The worst part isn’t even carrying stuff down the stairs. It’s the where does it go question. Like I remember standing in my room thinking I don’t want to bring this home. My mom is going to take one look at this pile and give me that look. You know the one.
So here’s what I figured out after doing this too many times.
First Thing: Just Purge
Get a trash bag and just walk around your room. Anything that’s trash goes in. Old notebooks. Broken stuff. Random papers. Just get it out.
Feels good actually. Like you’re already lighter.
Now the stuff that’s not trash but you don’t actually want. Clothes you never wear. That lamp you bought because it was cheap but it flickers. The mug collection you somehow ended up with. Donate it. There’s probably a drop off near campus. Takes ten minutes.
I kept hauling stuff around for years thinking I’d use it someday. Never did. Just wasted space and energy.
Packing the Right Way
This is where everyone messes up.
Do not use cardboard boxes if your stuff is sitting anywhere for more than a day. Just don’t. I learned this the hard way. Cardboard gets soft. It collapses. It smells weird if it gets even a little damp.
Get those plastic bins with the lids that lock. They cost a bit more but you use them over and over. And get clear ones. You want to see what’s inside. Trust me.
I had a friend who packed everything in black trash bags. Just tied them up and tossed them in storage. Three months later she’s standing there opening bag after bag looking for her bedding. She looked so defeated. Clear bins. Label them. You’ll thank yourself.
Clean It or Regret It
Also. Clean your stuff. I’m serious.
Wash your sheets. Wipe down your mini fridge. Throw away any food. If you leave dirty clothes in a bag for three months they will smell so bad when you open them. Like actually bad. Not just a little musty. Like throw up in your mouth a little bad.
And the fridge thing. If you just close it up and leave it you will come back to mold. You have to leave the door cracked so air gets in. I didn’t do this once and I opened it in September and the smell. I can’t even describe it. Just clean it. Leave it open a little.
Don’t Leave Your Stuff at a Friend’s Place
This is where I see students make the biggest mistake.
They try to leave their stuff at a friend’s place. Or they cram it in their parents garage behind the Christmas stuff.
And sometimes that works out fine.
But I’ve seen it go wrong so many times. Friend moves out over summer and your stuff gets left behind. Parents decide they need space and move your boxes to the attic where it’s 400 degrees and your candles melt into a blob. Someone accidentally donates your box of clothes because they thought it was old stuff.
It’s not that people are trying to mess with your stuff. It’s just that your stuff is not their priority. It’s yours.
Why a Storage Unit Just Makes Sense
That’s why I ended up using a storage unit. And honestly once I did I never went back. It’s just easier knowing exactly where my stuff is. Nobody’s moving it. Nobody’s touching it. It’s just sitting there waiting for me.
We started offering units near campus because I kept talking to students who were doing that same scramble I used to do. Carrying boxes to three different friends apartments because nobody had room for everything. It’s exhausting.
Our units are close. Clean. Locked. Only you have the key. That’s it.
You come back in August. Grab your bins. Go set up your room. Done. No drama.
Loading It Up Right
One more thing. When you put stuff in the unit think about what you might actually need over the summer.
Like if you’re staying in town for a job or something. Put your summer clothes near the front. Your backpack. Whatever. Stuff you won’t need until fall goes in the back.
Stack heavy bins on bottom. Light on top. If you have furniture take the legs off if you can. Saves so much space.
Take a picture of the unit when you’re done. I know it sounds dumb. But later when you’re sitting there trying to remember if you put your laptop charger in the blue bin or the green bin you’ll have the picture. It helps.
Go Enjoy Your Summer
Look I’m not trying to give you a lecture. I just remember how stressed I used to get about this. And for what? Summer is supposed to be the break. The time when you’re not thinking about deadlines and roommates and all that.
Your stuff should be somewhere safe so you can just not think about it.
Go enjoy your summer. Worry about the fall when it’s actually fall.
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