Storage Options for College Students

Living in a dorm during your time in college can be a lot of fun! You get to meet all kinds of people. You get to go to campus parties, live away from home, and have some independence for the first time.

It sounds great, does it not? Most of the year, it is! However, the part that is not as fun is packing up all of your things before each summer. Yet, since most colleges require you to change dorms every year, doing so is necessary.

In addition to everything you originally brought to your dorm, you may have acquired a range of new items, like school textbooks or a microwave. Therefore, packing up your entire dorm and moving everything every few months may not seem very practical.

While you probably have no choice but to move, the good news is that there are plenty of summer storage options for college students like yourself. So, try not to worry. If you follow any of the tips we have put together below, you will not have to get rid of any of your things, and it will be relatively easy for you to get your belongings back to your campus at the end of the summer!

Keep Your Items at Home

Depending on how far your parents’ house is from your college, your best option may be to bring all your things back home when you return for the summer. Especially if your parents’ house is just a short drive away from the campus and if there is space for your items.

If you can’t fit everything from your dorm into your car, you may need to make a few separate trips back and forth or rent a moving truck. Your parents might not be as pleased about you bringing all of your stuff back to their place after having just moved all of it out less than a year ago. However, if you keep everything neat, organized, and all in one place, that will likely make them at least a little happier.

It will be much easier for you to find all your things and bring them back to your campus before the next semester starts. It could also help if you labelled all your boxes and possibly even numbered them. That way, you can keep an inventory of all your belongings, and you will know immediately if anything is missing when you move everything back.

Request Storage from Family or Friends

If your parents’ house is too far from your college, it might be less feasible to store your belongings there for the summer. In that case, you may want to start chatting with any other friends or family of yours who live nearby and see if they are willing to help you out.

While it may take a little convincing if they have limited space, if you offer to help them around the home, they will be more likely to accept your request. When dealing with a nearby family member, you could offer to cut their grass or water their garden on a regular basis during the summer. Finding creative ways to sweeten the deal could make a big difference.

If someone does agree to let you store your things, make sure you do everything you can to make it as easy on them as possible. That means condensing your things as much as possible to reduce clutter and keep everything neat and organized. You can use smaller boxes to store heavy items like an instant pot, a microwave, or even your collection of books. On the other hand, store your cushions, blankets, or lampshades in larger boxes. Keep everything labelled; that way, it will be much easier for you to unpack it again in the fall.

Lease a Storage Unit

If nobody is willing to let you store your things at their home, or if you simply want to avoid inconveniencing them by making such a request, then your next best option is to rent a self-storage unit. Self-storage facilities are generally quite easy to find and affordable. Look for one near your campus so you will not need to worry about hauling your things too far.

There are several advantages to storing your belongings in a self-storage unit.

First and foremost, you can rest assured that everything will remain safe and secure as most self-storage facilities offer 24/7 security for their units. Plus, you can select a storage unit the exact size you need for the number of things you want to store. Of course, you also limit the amount of wear and tear on your belongings when you store them at a self-storage facility. Unlike keeping them in someone’s garage or basement, where they may be exposed to changing conditions, self-storage units are always dry, and many are even temperature controlled. When you return at the end of the summer, everything will be in the exact condition you left it in.

You can likely find a self-storage facility that offers short-term leasing agreements, so you will not have to commit to a full-year rental. However, if you decide to keep some things in storage during the school semester, longer-term storage agreements are also an option.

Storing Your Things Should Never Be Stressful

Now that you can see there are many options for storing your belongings in between semesters, you don’t have to stress as the summer season approaches. While packing up your dorm, you may even realize that there are some things you can live without or others you would rather replace in the fall. Getting rid of such items will make everything else much smoother.

Whether you decide to store things at your parents’ house, a friend’s place, or a self-storage unit, if everything is packed in a compact and tidy way and labelled, it will make your life much easier. Then, when the next semester comes around, you can easily unpack everything and return to enjoying dorm life again!