With first-year move-in less than TWO WEEKS away, we figured it was time for a #firstyearfriday post to give you some tips. We gathered up a few students around here to get some of their best tips, and rounded up a few other resources as well.
1. Watch the 2019 Move-In Day Video
The Office of Residence Life prepares a 5 or 6-minute video with all move-in day details. It includes lots of really helpful information including where to park, mandatory meetings, traffic information, prohibited items, and more.
2. Order ahead and pick up later.
If you have a long way to travel, it may be easier to order large items ahead of time online at Walmart or another store and schedule to pick them up on the day you move in. This can be especially helpful in ensuring local stores don’t run out of what you need.
3. Pack with organization in mind.
Move-in day is likely to be hectic and crowded. While packing your stuff, think in reverse-order of how you’ll unpack it. Store like things together such as all your bedding in one bag and all your shoes in another. A pro-tip for packing hung clothes is to put all your clothes in a garbage bag with their hangers. This makes it easy to seamlessly take off the bag when you arrive to your room.
4. Talk to your roommate.
Before you haul everything to campus, get in touch with your roommate ahead of time so you don’t both bring the same things. Have a conversation about who will bring the microwave, Swiffer, rug, etc.
5. Trade in suitcases for duffel bags.
Storage space is limited in the residence hall so consider packing your clothes and supplies in duffel bags instead of suitcases. This will make it easier for you to store under your bed than a large piece of luggage.
6. Bring a small tool kit.
A few tools for setting up your room may come in handy! You never know when you might need a screwdriver, and you’ll be thankful you came prepared!
7. Label breakables.
Upper class students from student organizations and athletic teams and Miami staff will help you unload when you arrive on move-in day. Label your breakables as “fragile” so volunteers will know to be careful.
8. Check out residence hall pictures.
There are a few spots where you might be able to get a glimpse of what your residence hall room could look like. The Office of Parent and Family Programs has a great Pinterest page with a board for every residence hall. They accept picture submissions from students and post them every year. You can also check out Residence Life’s Instagram. And there are a few residence hall tours on the Campus Services website.
But even if you can’t find your exact room, don’t fret! Have confidence that you will make it work, and know that a little flexibility will go a long way.
9. Watch the “What to Bring” video.
Residence Life has a whole “Such a Life” video series to help students make the best of their on-campus experience, and one of the first you should watch is their “What to Bring” video. Bonus: these videos are pretty funny, too!
That’s all we have for now! We can’t wait to see you in a few weeks!
