Moving day has a notoriously bad reputation. But for new students at the University of Central Florida, or returning students moving into a new apartment near UCF, it can be an exciting day of independence in a new city. Heed our advice and moving day can be easy, breezy and, dare we say, fun?
1. Arrive in town a day before
This is especially helpful if you live far from your UCF apartment or are flying in. Even if you live in a furnished apartment, if you double down on travel day and move-in day, you may find you run out of both energy and time trying to tidy everything up and shop for last-minute items.
2. Have all your tools ready
Before move-in day arrives, gather a tool box of necessary items such as scissors, duct tape, doorstop, basic tools and cleaning supplies. You don't want to be caught without these when your drawers have dust or your new bedding package is impossible to open with your hands.
3. Early bird gets the worm
We recommend getting there as early in the morning as you are allowed in order to avoid crowded hallways or late-afternoon exhaustion. Before you arrive you should coordinate with your roommates on what time everyone will be there and which bedroom everyone wants to make sure you don't start out the year on bad terms, especially if you are in a larger, 4-bedroom apartment.
4. Dress for the occasion
Move-in day might mean meeting new roommates or hallmates for the first time, but it's best to save your nicer clothes for after the actual moving. Expect that most of the day will be spent carting boxes and going up and down stairs, which means workout attire is much more appropriate.
5. Prop open your door
This one is a double-edged sword. Keeping the door propped helps you get in and out efficiently as you'll likely make numerous trips through the door. In addition, it lets your new neighbors say hello as they pass by. Especially if you are moving into an apartment with roommate matching and you don't yet know your roommates, keep your door open on move-in day so you can get to know your new roomies.
6. Intentionally put away
Move-in day is the time you choose where everything goes. So make sure you don't lose everything! If your parents are helping, your mom might want to help make the bed and fold the clothes one last time, and you should let her, but make sure you know where everything is going before you lose your favorite shirts at the bottom of a mystery drawer.
7. Make shopping lists as you go
You'll catch yourself saying you need something from the store 15 times during move-in day. If you don't make a list, you'll end up forgetting every single thing! Instead, keep an ongoing list so every time you notice something missing, you can jot it down and speed through the store when you get there.
8. Label boxes
Christina D'Ambrosio from Society 19 recommends labeling all your bins to ensure you know exactly what's inside each container when you bring them in your UCF apartment. Just make sure to label "on the side of the bin for visibility when they are stacked."