Many college and university students in Texas are being asked to move out of their college dorms and head home for the remainder of the semester. If you’re a college student in Central TX looking to move back home, but still need a storage space for your return to campus in the Fall, then here are some tips on how to pack, what to store, and where you can find the storage space closest to you.
Step 1: Make Decisions
What’s Going in Your Suitcase?
It can be nerve-wracking to realize you only have a few days to move out, but such a seemingly insurmountable pile of stuff to get through.
First things first, determine what you know you’re going to want with you when you’re at home: Textbooks, electronics, clothing, and other essentials can be packed away first, to help reduce what you need to sort through in later steps.
Don’t be afraid to pass up on souvenirs or sentimental items. You can always pack them in your suitcase for later after you’ve sorted out the rest of your room if you discover you really couldn’t leave campus without them.
What’s Going in Storage?
Next, determine what you know you won’t need until next semester, or what you can’t bring up with you when you travel back home: spare bedding, furniture items, decorations and others.
If you’re unsure about something, take a moment to think about whether you already have a similar item at home, or whether you would get as much use out of it as you may think. Consulting a close friend or roommate can also assist in your decision-making.
What’s Getting Shipped or Thrown Away?
It’s an unfortunate fact that not all storage spaces can accommodate everything you may have in your dorm. In that case, you usually have a few options: pack the items up and ship them home via a postal service, donate or sell the items, or simply throw them away.
More obvious items to be thrown away can include perishable foods, unnecessary papers, or hygiene products which you either already have at home or don’t mind repurchasing, such as shampoo, moisturizers, or sponges.
Wastefulness is not ideal, but in a pinch, you may need to prioritize timeliness or budget. Ask yourself: do you need to fret over a $2 trash bin or other such easily replaced items if it means a slower move-out process or less space in your storage for other things?
Step 2: Get Packing
Books & Documents
Stack books flat in boxes to cause minimal damage to their spines. Paper documents should be stored in folders or folios and labeled according to their course or topic, for easy reference and sorting.
Clothing & Bedding
Clothing can be folded into boxes, compressed in sealable plastic containers, or hung from hangers, depending upon your space allotment and budget. Check out our guide on how to pack with wardrobe boxes, as well as the best practices for shoe storage for extra tips!
Foam mattress toppers are best rolled tightly to avoid any folding, which can damage the memory foam, and then wrapped in saran wrap (or even a clean garbage bag!).
Blankets, sheets, pillowcases, and other bedding can be stored in a similar fashion as clothing, being folded up into boxes or vacuum sealable plastic containers.
Kitchenware
Keep kitchen utensils, pots, and pans nestled together as much as possible, and store silverware or smaller utensils in a box to avoid losing them. To avoid scratching your metal or glass kitchenware when you nestle them, try stacking T-shirts or paper towels between them to serve as a buffer layer.
Amy’s Attic Texas Locations Near You
Southwestern University
3524 FM2484, Salado
Texas State University
3524 FM2484, Salado
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
7950 TX-317, Belton
3524 FM2484, Salado
5708 E Rancier Ave, Killeen
Central Texas College
5708 E Rancier Ave, Killeen
Texas A&M University – Central Texas
5708 E Rancier Ave, Killeen
800 Prospector Trail, Harker Heights
930 W Hwy 190, Copperas Cove
Vista College
5708 E Rancier Ave, Killeen
800 Prospector Trail, Harker Heights
930 W Hwy 190, Copperas Cove
Temple College
7950 TX-317, Belton
3524 FM2484, Salado
1875 Morgan’s Point Rd, Morgan’s Point Resort
About Amy’s Attic Self Storage
Since 2004 Amy’s Attic Self Storage has been innovating to improve the customer experience at self storage facilities across Central Texas. As of March 2020, we currently operate 7 storage facilities:
- Belton
- Copperas Cove
- Harker Heights
- Killeen
- Morgan’s Point Resort
- Salado
- Temple
Whether you are simply looking for storage or need to quickly move out of your dorm, we look forward to serving you with top quality customer service to make your storage and moving experience as pleasant as possible.
