Moving back across the country to college can be an immense task. Unlike freshman year, you do not have a week of orientation after move in. I, for example, move in on a Saturday and start classes on Monday. I am moving into an apartment with my friends which is just fantastic and I am so excited. That being said, it also means trying to help furnish an entire apartment in two days instead of just working on a room. However, not being a freshman gives some advantages and there are certainly things you can do to make it easier on yourself and on your families.
1. Leave as much as you can in storage.
I left eight FULL Ikea bags with various people on the east coast before I flew back to California. If you're like me and going to school on the East Coast while you are from California you can leave all of your winter clothes and parkas there. I also left my mini fridge and some things for my room that I knew for sure I would not need during the summer.
2. Live out of your suitcase for a week.
The week before your flight is, I recommend packing pretty much everything you can and to put everything else in one suitcase and use that for the next week. This way the day of/ night before your flight, you can focus on packing one or two bags and not all of your stuff that you are bringing to school.
3. Leave earlier for the airport than you think.
It is honestly so much better to have some time to kill when you're in your terminal then it is to be stressed and running through the airport with 7 bags because you think you're going to be late. Just get there early, grab some coffee and food from your terminal, and relax.
4. Fold your clothes the night before move in.
Last year we had all my clothes folded and in the organizational bin and it made it so much easier because when we got to our room we could just plop the bins into the dresser and they were already ready.
5. Get to move in as soon as you can.
My move in starts at 9am and we are planning on being at move in around then. The more time you have on move in day, the better. This hopefully take the stress off the times you have to run back to store to get something you forgot.
6. Know what big items you need to purchase.
Since I am living in an apartment with friends, we have been corresponding all summer as to who will bring the rug, the toaster, the T.V. etc. You will feel so much calmer going in with a plan and can discuss the bigger items beforehand to prevent confusion and resentment.
7. Download lots and lots of music.
Of course we can't forget that going to college across the country entails a LONG flight. Trust me, you are going to want some music/podcasts to get through a 6 hour flight. I can never tell if I am going to be able to sleep on a flight or not and I would much rather have music I don't end up listening to, then to sit in 6 hours of silence.
Going to the cinema alone is good for your mental health, says science
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