Were you accepted by your chosen university? Congratulations! Now it is time to prepare for your trip abroad. We are here to help you get through the exciting, overwhelming and chaotic week before you move into your student accommodation. 

Student Moving Day Tips and Tricks

Whether you are a freshman, a sophomore, a junior, or a senior student, these moving day tips and tricks will help overcome the obstacles and enjoy the day. 

1. Create a Checklist

To keep track of all your moving day tasks, create a checklist on a planner app.  Planner apps allow you to prioritise your tasks to avoid losing essentials in the shuffle. List all the documents you need to take with you and the things you need to buy for the new semester. Also, write down all your tasks and the important dates you need to remember before your moving day then cross each item or task off as you get them done. Many planner apps help you manage your tasks and check off the items you have completed like TickTick and Evernote.

2. Look at the Other’s Lists

It is also useful to look at other people’s lists. There are various lists online where you can check to ensure you have packed everything you need for your student accommodation. Check out our student shopping list blog for some inspiration. 

3. Pack Wisely

Always remember overpacking is not necessary or helpful. If you take too much stuff with you, you will end up in a cramped, messy room. Try to minimise the number of boxes or bags by only packing the essentials. It’s important to pack a range of comfortable clothes, taking into consideration any formal events you may attend as well. .Make sure that you take into account the season of the place you are moving to, and what kind of clothes that requires.

Also, don’t forget to take the most-used toiletries like towels, an air freshener, and a blow dryer if you use it. Some student accommodation providers do not provide bedding essentials, so consider taking pillowcases and a couple of bedsheets to start. 

Finally, make sure your handbag has hand sanitisers, face masks, phone chargers, and your prescribed medications if you take any. 

4. Label All Your Bags/Boxes

It will save you time if you organised everything logically, so pack things you use together, together and be sure to label them so as not to spend hours looking through each box or bag. It might seem like something small, but you’ll be glad you did it when you can find all your things easily! 

5. Roll Your Clothing Items

To free some space in your bags, roll your clothes and don’t fold them. Instead of struggling to zip up your bag, rolling your clothes helps you fit everything inside easily, especially when placed in rows. Additionally, this will make it easier for you to grab the piece of clothes you want even before unpacking. 

6. Take an Empty Bag With You

Always take an empty bag with you, especially if you are going to London. Black Friday sales in London are something you should not miss. They are tempting, and you should not prevent yourself from shopping in London.

However, be careful! Don’t spend all your money on shopping. Remember that you still need to survive the whole year. 

7. Store Your Small Valuable Items Smartly

Make sure to store your small or valuable items in a safe place. Jewellery , and money could be stowed in the compartments of a pill container or an egg box. Also make sure you put them in a place that is not visible but is easy for you to access. This will save them from being thrown out of your bag at Passport Control. You will also avoid finding them tangled or spilt at the bottom of your bag.

8. Ask For a “Fragile” Tag

If you’ve got something that could be easily broken, attach a “Fragile” tag to your bag. The airport staff will then pay special attention to your bag in the storage area and on the conveyor belt. 

9. Copy Your Documents

Nothing could be worse than losing your important documents while being away from home. To save the day, take pictures of your passport, University IDs, and all other important documents. Then, upload them to Google Drive or Dropbox or email them to yourself just in case you lost your mobile phone, too. Additionally, photocopy these documents and store them away from the original documents. 

10. Talk to Your Family

Saying “Goodbye” to your family before moving is not easy. It can be stressful and upsetting  to leave your parents and siblings and move to another country. So, make sure that you leave enough time to do this properly and that you don’t have to say goodbye in a rushed way. You might also want to make a day of it and spend some time together doing something special before you depart. Remember that it’s easy to stay in touch with family and friends with video calls these days! 

11. Take Photos With Your Family and Friends

Take lots of pictures with your family. After a stressful day at college, you will want to look back at memorable moments with your family as they will recharge your energy. You should also take many pictures with your friends; it will be fun to remember those moments together.

12. Familiarise Yourself With the University Rules

Before your moving day, your college will send you a list of rules and regulations. Read them carefully and stick to their rules. Knowing these instructions before your moving day will make it easier for you to settle into your new home quickly. 

13. Speak With Your Roommate in Advance If Possible

If you are sharing a room with someone, it is useful to talk with your roommate about how you will share the chores, how each of you will use the room and who will bring what. These conversations will help prevent potential conflicts in the future. Read through our blog to find out more about how to embrace cultural differences while travelling. 

14. Download a Translation App

If you are travelling to a country that you have not mastered their native language yet, download a free dictionary or translation app. You will find many of them available for Android or iOS. They will help you know the definitions or meanings of certain words while you order your meals or read street signs. You can also play the audio of the word you want to say to make sure you pronounce it correctly.  

15. Download Useful Apps

Similarly, there are plenty of useful apps for students. Using these apps, you can learn a new language or skill, organise your tasks, exercise or even remind yourself to drink water. Take a look at this blog about some must-have mobile apps for students.

16. Use GPS or Google Maps

Don’t forget to update your Google Maps app! Ending up in the wrong neighbourhood wastes a lot of time, so always use GPS or a map. Google maps is your travel buddy! It will help you walk around and explore your new city. To reduce data charges, write OK Maps in the search bar on Google Maps. The map on your screen at that moment will be downloaded and saved to your smartphone or tablet. You can access this map even when you are not connected to Wi-Fi or mobile data.  

17. Wear Comfortable Clothes and Shoes

While travelling, you are bound to walk a lot. So wear comfortable shoes and cotton socks to ensure your feet are comfortable. Also, dress comfortably, wear flexible, soft clothing as you may be sat down for a while! Remember to also take layers and warm clothing as you might arrive in a different climate at your destination. 

18. Check the Weather

It’s something that could be easily missed, but will make a huge impact on your daily life. Remember to check the weather in your destination as well as what season you will arrive in. If needs be, buy yourself a raincoat or umbrella if a lot of rain is forecast. You might need to buy some more warm clothing if you’re moving from a warmer to a colder climate and if you’re lucky enough to move to a sunny destination, don’t forget to take sunscreen to protect your skin from harmful UV rays. 

19. Wear a Face Mask

Don’t also forget to put on a good face mask before going out of your home to protect yourself from COVID-19. Besides, take alcohol-based hand sanitiser in your bag to clean your hands regularly.

20. Take a Bottle of Water

To stay hydrated during your journey, take a refillable bottle of water with you. Drinking water is vital and helps to reduce stress, so make sure you drink enough water throughout the moving day. 

21. Check How to Get to Your Student Accommodation 

To reduce stress on the day, make sure you check the options of how to get to your student accommodation once you arrive at your destination. Does the city you are studying in have its own airport? Will you need to take public transport like a train or maybe a bus? If so, make sure you’ve checked the timetable and route before you leave. Maybe you will need to take a taxi, in which case, make sure you already know the address and find out how much it will cost approximately.

22. Ask Your Student Accommodation Staff For Help

Once you arrive at your destination and you will want to know some sort of information, don’t hesitate to ask the on-site management team or your landlord. They are well prepared for your stay and equipped to answer your questions and help your transition to a new country be as smooth as possible. 

Finally, embrace the adventure! Doing so reduces your stress and the stress of the others you are interacting with. Sleeping well helps you to relax. So sleep early to wake up early and eat a good breakfast. There is no need to rush. In the end, you will get to your destination. So enjoy your journey!

If you are still looking for suitable student accommodation, it is not too late. Book your room for the 21/22 academic year with Casita. Our multilingual accommodation experts will help you find exactly what you are looking for.

Happy Moving Day!!