<p>I know the general options. I'm looking for what you yourself (or someone you know) do and how it works. If you live too far away to reasonably drive to college, how do you transport your belongings at the beginning and end of the year? Do you ship your stuff- how, and at what cost? Do you wait until you arrive on campus freshman year and buy everything locally (bedding, silverware, everything except clothes) and rent a summer locker to store your things near your college? Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>I had to move from Philadelphia to Los Angeles for graduate school, and I packed pretty much everything I could inside of my little Focus and drove across the country. The only things I didn't pack were my textbooks. You can send those media mail via USPS for very cheap; just be sure to insure them for what the books are worth. The one box I only insured for $300 or so because it was mostly my notebooks from undergrad arrived in the worst condition and last.</p>
<p>I came to college from overseas with two big suitcases full of clothes and a few personal items and bought the rest of my stuff locally. My college has some on-campus storage space during the summer for students who do not live in the Northeast; otherwise I would pay for storage by a private company.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that you probably don't want to bring all your stuff with you. You still need bedding etc when you come home for breaks.</p>
<p>You can do a college shop at Bed Bath and Beyond. That is what my S did. BBB gives you a scanner and a list of college items. You scan the items in your local BBB and then they have them waiting for you in the BBB nearest your college. It was very convenient. My S carried a large rolling duffel and a backpack on the plane.</p>
<p>At the end of the school year, the college offered a storage company that would come and pick up the stuff and then deliver it back the next semester. We got a brochure in the mail offering this service to students.</p>
<p>@ Carpe Aeternum</p>
<p>Make sure you ship most of your belongings to the dorm if you don't plan to travel by car/truck. UPS and FedEx are good options. If it is possible to buy other items at the city of your local college, consider that too.</p>
<p>Moved from Cali to IL. Flying over to school the first time i had 3 suitcases of stuff i needed, ie all my clothes, bedding, speakers, coathangers, some books, some food, lights. Then a trip to target+circuit city got me food, storage containers, printer. I just store it all at a public storage place over summer (and leave winter clothes in storage as well). The thing you need to do is to just make sure you have a pal who is willing to drive your stuff over. Also, find a friend to share space! sometimes its worth splitting the cost, since small spaces tend to go first (i feel).</p>