“Mom, I have 24 hours to move out my dorm. They are closing school and moving classes online. What do I do?”
Did you get this call this week? My sister did and panic set in because my niece is in school 16 hours away. Quick decisions had to be made.
Does she drive home with all of her things? Does she fly home and only bring the necessities? How long will she be home before she needs to head back? Weeks, months? There is so much unknown!
I know many of you are facing the same issues so thought I would share our solutions.
My sister decided to store my niece’s non-essential items in her college town. (In my barn!). We got lucky because my niece is at LSU and all of our family lives here giving her lots of options. I know many of you do not have a barn option so you may need to get a small storage unit, or a borrowed a garage, attic or basement.
The storage unit might seem extreme, but you can rent these by the month. They typically cost around $100 a month for a climate-controlled unit.
For storing and transporting items, I recommend 56-66 quart bins. If your child is packing and moving on their own, they might want to choose smaller bins that they can easily carry, but they will need more since less will be stored in them. Plastic is a better option than cardboard because cardboard attracts bugs. If you use portable plastic drawers in the dorm, wrap them in plastic wrap (available near packing supplies in stores.) or use painters’ tape to make sure they stay closed during transport.
Here is our advice on how to pack those bins:
Pack items that will not be used at home separately from the essentials they will need. Essentials mean clothes, makeup, hair items, shoes and any perishables. (If your child is flying home, have them give perishables to a friend.) Text books, notebooks and the outrageously expensive calculator need to be easily accessed when classes begin again.
Separate what you put into the bins by use:
Linens (Bedding, curtains, towels.)
Kitchen items(coffee pots, dishes, utensils, pots, pans, plastic ware.)
Accessories and decor
Clothes and personal items that they will bring home.
If your child isn’t returning to the dorm, they might consider selling or giving the dorm items to someone that will need it. (Dorm fridge, twin xl bedding, etc.). We have been passing dorm items down from one cousin to the next. My son is next on the list and we are so appreciative to already have these items!
Please let us know if you have any questions or if we can help you in any way during this difficult time. Your student will be stressed and possibly anxious. We hope this helps give you some guidance and a little peace in the chaos.
We can be reached at info@chaosorganizing.com
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