It’s that time of year when I am helping my youngest son move back to Birmingham Southern College for his senior year. This will be his final move to a dorm. The smartest thing I ever did was to have about 3 to 4 – 66 quart containers for his stuff. Every year when he returned home we would repack all his stuff back (after being cleaned!) into these boxes. They were labeled with his name and what kind of college supplies were inside. For example – sheets and towels, textbooks, or office supplies. Then we stored them in the garage. When August would roll around and it was time move back to campus it was easy because it was all packed and ready to go. No running around the house looking for what he needed. And this summer when he moved to Houston, Texas, for his internship, we just sent him with the same boxes and changed out a few items. The items not going to Texas stayed at home in the box in the garage.
Some other tips we have learned over the years:
- Take less than you think you might need.
- Don’t take a bunch of things from your past. This is a time for new beginnings and incredible growth as a young adult. You don’t want to be bogged down in who you were in high school.
- If you have ADHD really take less stuff. Think of it as less stuff to lose or look for.
- Clean your room before you move in. It probably is still dusty and grimy from the summer camps or being shut down for the summer. You can get your mom to do this for you as she will want to help in some way. It will also keep her distracted so you can plan where things go.
- Always take lots of command hooks. They can be added for backpacks, robe hooks or just to keep your car keys on. Make sure to have a variety of sizes and shapes. They also make great tape for hanging posters on the walls.
- Bring a low maintenance green plant. Plants are great for keeping our indoor air quality great. Also a little green is good for stress reduction.
- Add a standing desk to your room. My son loves the change of standing and sitting. It allows him to stretch and maintain better posture. It helps him stay focused too.
- Don’t forget a trash can, white kitchen trash bags, and my son swears by his plug-in air fresheners (not so great if you have allergies or sensitivity to perfumes).
- Maximize the space under your bed. Some kids add risers and some schools have beds that are bunk style. Whatever you have make sure you can add some boxes underneath for storage.