This post will cover the most important tips for college move-in day!
Moving your child into college is a major achievement in any parent’s life. It can be scary to let them go but also an important step in your child’s life.
This guide on 13 important tips will hopefully make move-in day a breeze and relieve some stress.
13 Important Tips For College Move-In Day Parents Need To Know
1. Know what you’re child is packing.
The most important one is to print off a list of everything your child is going to need and check it off as it goes in the car or container.
You can easily make your own or get free access to ours below.
Free Dorm Room Checklist
Make the move easier with our new dorm room checklist that hundreds are already using!
2. Pack everything in the car the night before.
Do not pack everything in the car on the same day.
The day is already going to be stressful due to traffic and making sure your child finds their dorm room. Instead, pack everything in the car beforehand or even a couple of days ahead of schedule.
3. Eat and hydrate.
You would be surprised how many families forget to eat or drink enough water for move-in day.
The last thing you want is something to be angry and mean just because they’re hungry. Pack some food for the road and make sure everyone is drinking plenty of water.
4. Make sure everyone knows their roles.
This one can be controversial but we find it very important.
Your whole family (or the helping move-in) is going to be in a tiny dorm room with barely any room to move around. Giving everyone their “assigned role” helps avoid any miscommunication or arguments.
5. There are hundreds of other kids moving in.
This is more of a reminder than a tip but everyone needs to keep in mind the number of students also moving in.
The dorm buildings may be crowded BUT almost every large college has volunteers that are there to help students move in. Meaning, if you have any questions or need help, find someone that is wearing a designated vest or “move-in” t-shirt.
6. Expect traffic.
As we said, hundreds of kids are moving in on the same day as your child – traffic is going to be awful.
However, by knowing this going in, you know what to expect and it hopefully can lessen the stress.
7. Review your school’s rules and regulations.
You may break some rules without even knowing it.
Be safe and review the handout that the school is going to email your child. It should also tell you the dorm number and other important information.
8. Bring a dorm tool kit.
Many students lift their beds to be able to store more items under their bed. We have a post about storage hacks to keep your dorm insanely organized, you can read that here.
This tool kit is also perfect for your child to store in their closet or under their bed incase anything breaks over the semester.
9. Review the layout of the school and where you can park.
The campus is going to be full and parking is going to be very hard to find.
Your school should have sent out parking information in the housing email that they sent to your child.
Check that to figure out where to park then look up a map of the school so you know exactly where to go.
10. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Moving anywhere is stressful but most colleges have people there to help.
Seriously use their help when you need it.
11. Look into pre-arrival shipping.
Do you want to ship some items straight to the college so you don’t have to pack so much into your car?
Check if your school has pre-arrival shipping!
12. Clean everything before you move your stuff inside.
A lot of dorm rooms are dirty when you move in.
Pack some cleaning tools with you in the car and have those be the first you bring in. You don’t want to move everything in and then realize there is dirt under the bed.
13. Take pictures of the dorm room before move-in.
This is the last tip but it’s definitely not the least important.
By taking pictures before you move all of your stuff in, releases you of liability. So take pictures so you don’t have to pay for something someone else broke.