With the craziness of finals, college students often forget to pack up their dorms. To help them out, I am sharing tips to pack up effectively and quickly so there is no frustration when you arrive home, and you can easily put things away and start your vacation! I hope these tips help you get your stuff together, get your tasks done, and be ready to move out when you need to, without too much stress.
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Key Takeaways
- Packing up the dorm can be stressful, so prepare early by cleaning, purging, and organizing shared items.
- Follow essential packing tips, such as vacuuming carpets, using trash bags (affiliate) for clothes, and packing electronics carefully.
- Create a timeline checklist (affiliate) to manage tasks leading up to move-out day for a smoother experience.
- Clean the dorm thoroughly before the R.A. checkout meeting to avoid fees for damages or messiness.
- Donate, recycle, or swap items you no longer need instead of bringing them home.
Moving out of a dorm room is pretty stressful, and I hope this post helps you and your college student clear out their dorm room. The schools usually do not give you a lot of time to do this, especially if the students have exams at the end of the school year.
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of packing fast, we first need to discuss how to prepare for a quick move-out. The student should do these tasks before you get there.
What to do before you pack up the dorm?
- Vacuum (affiliate) up carpets and roll them up. So, to not destroy the carpet, get it out of the way beforehand. Remove it from the floor, roll it up, and stand it up so it is ready to go.
- Purge items that you don't want to keep. Do not take it home to get rid of it. There isn't enough room in the car.
- Empty and clean out the trash cans (affiliate). Getting rid of any trash that may have piled up in the trash can (affiliate) is essential, as you can then use it to store items for moving.
- Remove any trash lying around. Don't pack debris. Be sure to have a bag hooked to a wall to collect any other trash that may accumulate while packing.
- Pack your portable (affiliate) safe (affiliate) with stuff. Adding some cloth towels will help prevent the valuables from moving around or breaking.
- Pull out the items you will need to clean the dorm after emptying.
- Clean out the vacuum (affiliate) cleaner. Moving a full vacuum (affiliate) cleaner can spread dust around your vehicle and home.
- Wash clothes. Washing your clothes before you leave will make unpacking at home much easier, so do it before you go.
- Decide who will be getting the shared items. Over the year, you may have bought something with your roommate. Someone needs to take these items back for the summer, so decide who is taking which item.
- Pack up your electronics carefully. Use things like bubble wrap (affiliate) for T.V.s and any electronics that will be traveling back in a car. Remove ink from the printer (affiliate) and dust it off. Make sure you clean the coffee maker inside and out for long-term storage. This can easily get moldy.
Let's start the new School Year Organized and ready to go!
Stop by and Explore the Storage Solutions
- Closet
- Storage and Organization
- Desk
- Snack and kitchen essentials
- Laundry and Bath
After completing these tasks, it is time to pack the dorm. Below is a list of packing tips to help you and your students pack up their dorms quickly.
7 Easy Tips on How to Pack Up the Dorm
- Fill up bins like trash cans. Check under the bed (affiliate) for containers you may have forgotten, and start filling them up. Try to keep like items together. It will make it easier to unpack when you get home.
- Place Press 'n Seal over open bins. Using a roll of this plastic wrap will help you keep the small items together while moving.
- Use traveling air removable bags for blankets and pillows. These bags can be rolled up to remove the air. It will then be a thin 2-3 inch bag you can easily place in the vehicle.
- To take down posters without tearing them, use scissors (affiliate) to cut the sticky part of the tape off the back of the posters. Place them rolled up in a place to protect them from being damaged.
- Use trash bags for clothes. If you don't have your luggage (affiliate) or zipper bags with you because you are rushing out of the dorm, you can use large trash bags (affiliate) for clothes. It will be flexible enough to move around and store in the car.
- Reusable, collapsible zipper bags. Large zipper bags are great for moving into dorms. Nothing falls out of them, and they can easily stack in cars and carts to move them.
- Bring a personal portable dolly to move stuff quickly. Colleges usually let you put your things in a bin, but you can only use one. Carrying your dolly will allow you to quickly get more stuff out of the dorm.
- Remember, if you brought two cars on move-in day, you must bring two for the move-out day.
- If you have a storage unit because you are not going home over the summer, be sure to get it ready to store items and start bringing items over early. You don't need to do it all at once; a little at a time works well.
Areas to clean when getting ready for an R.A. Dorm Room Checkout Meeting
You will have to attend a dorm check-out meeting with your R.A., so clean these areas before the meeting. Do this task after everything is out of the dorm.
- Clean the bathroom, tub, shower, toilet, sink, under sink, and floor.
- Wipe down the surfaces on the windowsill, dresser, etc...
- Clean the desktop and drawer inside.
- Check and clean out the drawer inside.
- Vacuum (affiliate) and mop the floors in the bedroom and main living area.
If you find any damage, be sure to remove it before you clean.
Schools often charge fees for rooms not left in good condition, so this is a strong motivator.
Create a Timeline Checklist for Move-Out
To help pack up your dorm room quickly. Create a timeline on what to do when. Start at your move-out time or when someone will be picking you up. Then work your way to a few weeks before moving out. This way, you will not forget anything. Below is an example:
Dorm Move-Out Timeline: What to Do and When
2 Weeks Before Move-Out
- Start using up perishable food, cleaning supplies, and toiletries, so you're not hauling half-empty bottles home. There may be a place to donate unopened food and toiletries. Ask your Resident Advisor (R.A.).
- Sort through clothes, school supplies, and decorations. Set aside anything you want to donate, sell, or toss. Separating items will help when you have to unpack, so do it now to save time when you move back home.
- Check with your school's housing office for move-out procedures, checkout times, and any required inspections. You probably got an email about this, check there first.
- Coordinate with your roommate on who's taking shared items. Communication is key (affiliate). Be sure to find out when they are moving out, too.
- Create a "don't forget" list - The items on this list should be things that are valuable and can not be forgotten for use next year. Some things that would be on this list are: phone chargers behind furniture (affiliate), shower caddies (affiliate), items lent to friends on other floors, mail/packages at the front desk, etc. Have a list stored on your device in the appointment section with an alarm close to move out. So it will remind you to make sure you check these items are with you before you leave.
1 Week Before Move-Out
- Do laundry and start packing off-season clothes and items you won't need during finals. Designate at last a day to do this task; you may need more time than you think.
- Gather packing supplies: trash bags (affiliate), Press 'n Seal, air-removal bags, and collapsible zipper bags. Usually these items run low at the end of the school year so you may need to buy more.
- Take down wall decorations, posters, and string lights. Remove adhesive residue now so you're not scrambling later. Be sure to use white toothpaste to patch up small holes, or spackle (affiliate) if you have larger holes.
- Vacuum (affiliate) and roll up any area rugs (affiliate). Use a rope to hold the area rug (affiliate) together. These items also get pretty beatup so you may end up getting rid of them. Don't bring it home, so your parents have to deal with it.
- Return borrowed items to friends, and collect anything you've lent out. We have had several things end up with a roommate, so make sure you remember which items are yours and what you need to get back.
- Talk with your R.A. and schedule your move-out meeting. When you are in a dorm, there is usually a time when you have to meet with your R.A. so they can check the room and have you sign a waiver saying you took everything and the room is empty. Be sure to schedule at least a week before, not the day before. There are other people on the floor that the R.A. needs to meet with. Be considerate.
2-3 Days Before Move-Out
- Pack non-essentials like extra bedding, books, and decorations into bins and bags.
- Clean out and empty your trash can (affiliate) so you can use it as a packing bin.
- Clean your mini-fridge and unplug it to defrost.
- Check for forgotten items under the bed (affiliate), behind furniture (affiliate), and on high shelves (affiliate).
- Pick up any outstanding mail or packages from the front desk.
Move-Out Day
- Strip the bed and pack bedding last (it can cushion fragile items in the car).
- Do a final sweep: check every drawer, closet shelf, and bathroom caddy (affiliate).
- Wipe down all surfaces, desk, dresser tops, and windowsills. Keep it clean before you meet with your R.A.
- Take a quick photo of the room before you leave in case of any damage disputes. This is optional, but a good idea for you and your parents.
- Return your key (affiliate) and complete your checkout with your RA or housing office.
- Load the car strategically: heavy bins first, bags and soft items to fill gaps. If you have two cars, be sure to plan out which car gets which items, bins, etc...
- Return your mailbox key (affiliate) to the post office.
What to do with items you need to purge?
There are a variety of things you can do with these unwanted items. Below are some suggestions.
- Please donate to a thrift store, as Goodwill will receive these gently used items. Check out my updated charitable locations page about where to donate items.
- Recycle items such as clear plastic containers (affiliate) and aluminum cans. If you don't know if you can recycle it, don't. Check with your R.A. to find out what can and can not be recycled. They may have a list of items.
- Check with your college to see if there is a move-out donation drive or swap event.
- Ask friends if they want the item you no longer need. This one helps when you are a senior and moving back home.
Visit our other College Success Posts for when your students are in college. Check out the FAQs below to help you move out quickly.
FAQs for moving out quickly
Start preparing about two weeks before your move-out date. Use the first week to sort, purge, and coordinate with your roommate on shared items. The second week is for packing non-essentials, gathering supplies, and scheduling your R.A. checkout meeting. Save move-out day for final tasks like stripping the bed, wiping surfaces, and loading the car.
You'll need to clean the bathroom (tub, shower, toilet, sink, under sink, and floor), wipe down surfaces like the windowsill and dresser, clean inside the desk and drawers, and vacuum and mop the bedroom and main living area floors. Schools often charge fees for rooms not left in good condition, so take the time to do a thorough cleaning after everything is out of the room.
You have several options. Donate gently used items to a thrift store like Goodwill, recycle items such as clear plastic containers and aluminum cans, check with your college for move-out donation drives or swap events, or ask friends if they want items you no longer need. Avoid bringing unwanted items home just to get rid of them later, since there usually isn't enough room in the car.
Create a "don't forget" list on your phone and set an alarm close to your move-out date. Include items that are easy to overlook, like phone chargers behind furniture, shower caddies, items lent to friends on other floors, and mail or packages at the front desk. Before you leave, do a final sweep of every drawer, closet shelf, bathroom caddy, and under the bed.
If you have a storage unit, start bringing items over early rather than doing it all at once. Get the unit ready ahead of time and move things over a little at a time so it doesn't add to the stress of finals and move-out day.
If you have luggage or collapsible zipper bags, use those since they stack easily in the car. If you're in a rush and don't have those on hand, large trash bags work well for clothes because they are flexible and easy to fit around other items in the vehicle. Be sure to wash your clothes before packing, so unpacking at home is much easier.
I hope these "pack up the dorm" tips help you make the move-out process more manageable and less stressful. Feel free to leave a tip or two below to help other readers. I hope you all stay safe (affiliate) and healthy in this time of uncertainty.
Need more tips? Check out these posts I found online.
Moving Out of the College Dorm, for the Summer or Forever
14 Efficient Ways To Pack Up Your College Dorm Room
Below are additional College Success posts to help you and/or your family!
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