Tips and Suggestions for Move-in

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Alabama
1

<p>We’ll be packing up and heading down on 8/7 for early move in on 8/8. Looking for tips and suggestions. How nutty will traffic be? Any places/roads to avoid? Good places to shop/eat?</p>

<p>In addition to move in we’ll need to make a Target run and stop by the SupeStore for books and pick up packages at the Ferg mail center. We’re also thinking of making a trip to Birmingham/Hoover for additional shopping on 8/9 if we have time before Sorority Convocation begins.</p>

<p>Trying to figure out how we’ll have enough time to shop and unpack (esp all those clothes and shoes that DD is convinced are necessary) and get everything set up by Friday evening.</p>

<p>Or should we leave unpacking for DD to do? Doesn’t seem like she’ll have much time during the week with all the sorority rush stuff…</p>

2

<p>We moved D into her dorm yesterday. Move in time was 9:30am. We were done at 11:50am. Unpacked and all. We did not have any help unloading. It took 4 trips to the car and back up with one very small cart, our own 2 wheel cart and what we could carry in our hands. </p>

<ol>
<li> Be prepared for anything unexpected.</li>
<li> Mentioned this in my tips thread for the summer move in, have the base for that floor fan already attached. Fan ready to plug in and help keep things cool.<br></li>
<li> LABEL, LABEL, LABEL. Label every box with name, dorm, room number and a hint of the contents. </li>
<li> Take some basic tools.</li>
<li> Take a small ice chest with some iced down water. Take some snacks in case you do get hungry and can not or do not want to stop. By small I mean one you can carry with shoulder straps. Not a big igloo on wheels.</li>
<li> If you can have clothes on hangers already and placed neatly in the boxes it makes unpacking those E-A-S-Y.<br></li>
<li> Be prepared for any unexpected waits for things like room key, etc. Just be ready to roll with whatever happens.</li>
<li> Boxes. All of those empty boxes. Take them with you. What you do with them once you leave campus, well, I do know where some dumpsters are.<br></li>
<li> Most importantly, have fun and let them lead. Ask what you can do. D told me, “you make my bed for me, please.” So, I got to make up the entire bed :)<br></li>
<li> If you think they may want or need something, take it. You can always bring it home and return it.</li>
<li> Go ahead and take a case or 2 of bottled water to leave for them. D and her 2 roommates went thru 6 cases of water in 4 weeks during Summer II. There is a case in the fridge waiting for D when she returns on 8/8. They will not have time to go restock on water during rush. Same for snacks like granola bars and such.<br></li>
<li> Again, have fun, relax and enjoy this moment. </li>
</ol>

<p>Have fun!</p>

3

<p>I always kept a tote that was easy to get to immediately upon arrival that had a few basics in it…TP roll, scissors, tape, screwdriver, cleaning wipes, pen, pencil, paper, etc.</p>

4

<p>I’m betting this will be in the move-in packet, but I’m impatient. Can anybody tell me the logistics of the actual process? Do we pull around and “movers” unload the cars for us, then park and meet back up with stuff while D picks up her key? Does she pick up key in her dorm or somewhere else? Where do we park?</p>

<p>Also, is it best to put hanging clothes in boxes, ready to hang up, or would it work to have them bundled in garment bags that we carry up?</p>

5

<p>We pulled up 2 cars in front of Riverside, and had to wait a few minutes for carts. There were students helping load the carts and carry stuff up to D’s room (which is why the advice to label everything in big letters is good, including room number – and I do mean everything so lamps and such that didn’t fit into boxes got masking tape labels that we could peel back off). Daughter stayed in the room, and I moved her car to the lot behind Riverside while husband took the minivan to a parking garage over by the STEM area. Then we all reconvened in her room and started unpacking. I was very grateful for a rubber mallet we brought (for lofting the bed) and for a small step ladder (I’m 5 feet tall). We broke down boxes and left them by the recycling bins – but in hindsight I guess cardboard isn’t recycled everywhere so maybe we should have brought them back home.</p>

6

<p>From what I recall from Preview weekend, you do pull up at your assigned time and volunteers unload your car and your D. She heads to check-in and then on to her room while you go to the parking area and take the shuttle back.
As for clothes, they requested that everything be packed into boxes. There are boxes available at U-Haul that have a hanging bar inside. My experience with those have been that once tipped over, the clothes end up in a pile at the bottom of the box. We’re going to carry in her two nice dresses and pack everything else.
I still have questions about they “getting there” part. We’ve always come in using University Drive, but I’m not sure where the “line” starts. DD is moving into Tut, so I know the area is going to be tight. Wonder if they’ll use the parking lot near the stadium as a staging/waiting area until your time slot is called.</p>

7

<p>ok- so move in card says to take 359 to Lakeside- we usually take MacFarland- is this ok to get to Jack warner or do they want everyone coming in from the other side?</p>

8

<p>It was much easier to have the hanging clothes on hangers and then in boxes.</p>

9

<p>I am confused. Who all is moving in this weekend? I thought next weekend (8/10) was the Alabama Action, etc, move in, and then the following weekend (8/17) was the mass move in of all students for regular classes.</p>

<p>We’re doing a move on Tuesday from summer room to fall room, and just worried about traffic/cart availability, etc.</p>

10

<p>The girls headed in for recruitment have move-in this week. TX, were the carts like the ones in hotels where there’s a hanging rack on top? Did you just carry her clothes in on hangers? Garment bags?</p>

11

<p>The carts are not like hotel carts. They are large, multi-tiered, with a fold down mid shelf. </p>

<p>One thing we do for move in/move out is use our largest rolling suitcases. </p>

<p>For you ladies, you can hang your dresses and lay them flat in the suitcase, roll the suitcase up to the room, thus not needing to wait for a cart. Open your closet, open your suitcase, pick up your group of hangers with dresses on them, and voila, put them in the closet!</p>

<p>I’ll wipe down kitchen and bathroom areas and then throw all that stuff in once that area is clean.</p>

<p>We learned this wonderful move in trick with the rolling suitcases when we had the ice/snow freshman year. </p>

<p>In fact, I’m taking my two largest suitcases, both empty, on the train tomorrow, and will roll them to son’s summer room, dump his clothes in them, roll them over to his new room. I’ll wipe out his chest of drawers and the hanger rack, dump clothes in the drawers and hang the stuff on hangers up, and then tackle the rest.</p>

<p>Mike W has also given the great advice of using garbage bags. I’m bringing a fresh pack of kitchen garbage bags for the move, too. After I dump the clothes, towels, bedding out of those, I put them in the trash can, ready to use!</p>

<p>I am hoping this works out. First time doing this without hubby, but in the last three years, I’ve also had to move my mom from one facility to another as often as I’d had to move son in and out of the dorm, so I’m an old pro at it now.</p>

12

<p>DD moves into RCS on the 9th. Alabama Action begins on Sunday.</p>

13

<p>Montegut, I am also doing this without hubby and am nervous about it. He starts a new job tomorrow so can’t get away. I will have my younger daughter with us too (rising high school junior) and it’s her first visit to UA. Doing the official tour for her on Saturday.</p>

14

<p>We moved into Tut last year. We had an early time slot luckily. It was hectic due to adding day of recruitment last year time slots and days were moved around. We came from CA. Planned on shopping there, (everywhere has a Target) didn’t want to hall on plane. We were bumped up a day for move in so we shopped after check in.</p>

<p>First you pull into Tut parking lot. They have students waiting to sign you in and give you key and paperwork. All while you are in your car moving through the line. Once you get to front of Tut there were helpers to unload into carts. They take the student and cart to room, while we moved car to parking lot by football practice facility. Morning move in very smooth, not long wait. By afternoon VERY long wait. Probably at least over an hour or more to make through the line of cars. </p>

<p>Since D had key from morning check in, we started carrying things by hand to room. Also expect long lines for elevators. For as many girls moving into Tut as there was seemed very organized. </p>

<p>We stayed and organized her room while she and her roommate went to convocation for recruitment.</p>

15

<p>Ziplock also makes huge clear and very sturdy bags with handles. They have space on them to write on and I liked them because I could easily see what was inside of them. They don’t unzip and they don’t rip unless you catch them on something really sharp. The XXL (3 per box) can even hold things like comforters and pillows. I have just returned from Target with more of them.</p>

16

<p>The carts for Tut are pretty similiar to the ones at places like Lowe’s and Home Depot in the garden section. There is no place to hang anything. The top shelf that comes back is about waist high. Do not have boxes that are wider than the cart, it will not fit into the elevator or down the hall. The carts do not turn easily. You literally have to pick it up to turn it on and off of the elevator and to get thru the doorways of the halls upstairs. Some of the carts are broken on the bottom shelf from I am guessing too heavy of items placed on them over time. So, just saying that boxes could slide off so make sure all tops are secure be it plastic totes or cardboard boxes. Two girls moving out of Tut on Friday each lost a load from the bottom shelf when they were trying to get off of the elevator and stuff went everywhere. </p>

<p>The carts for Lakeside were taller and did have hooks as well as being constructed of heavy metal wire to possibly put a hanger on.</p>

17

<p>WhitLo - You mentioned you were glad for the rubber mallet to loft the beds. My D is in Burke - and I know the beds can be elevated, but we aren’t renting the loft kit. Do you still think we will need a rubber mallet?</p>

18

<p>I would take one. The headboard and footboard are wooden posts with slots to slide and secure the frame. If one seems to be stuck or jammed it can help loosen it. It can also help in getting it secure into the desired slot as well. There were a few other uses where it would or could help make things a bit easier and quicker.</p>

19

<p>OH! Mirrors in Tutwiler. When we moved in on Friday every door was open to every room. All closet doors were open as well. We noticed that about half the rooms we passed had mirrors already on the inside door of a closet. I am assuming it was attached with the 3M sticky stuff and left behind by previous residents due to not wanting to risk breaking the mirror trying to pry it off. We waited to purchase this item in Tuscaloosa as I did not want to transport it all the way half way across the country and risk it breaking in the car. It also can not be placed on the carts so it will need to be hand carried up. I seriously would wait to purchase this item in Tuscaloosa. If their room ends up not having one and they do not have the time to go and purchase I’m pretty sure they could borrow a neighbors mirror to check themselves out before heading off for rush events. Then go get one after rush is over when they have time. The Target in Tuscaloosa seemed to have way more mirrors than our local Target.</p>

20

<p>We never received a mailing with move-in info, parking permit, etc. I emailed housing this weekend when I read online about a permit to park in the dorm lot. This was news to me. Hoping they can email this quickly. Anyone have any info re: Tut parking, whether we’re supposed to have a card on our windshield, etc?</p>