Every year in August new students and parents arrive at Ohio University for move-in weekend, starting this year on August 24. This is the time when newly enrolled Bobcats who are opting to live in residence halls make the transition to full-fledged college students. Numerous volunteers will be on hand to help, but there’s a lot to navigate and know so your move-in day goes as seamlessly as possible.
The first residence halls officially open at 8 a.m. on Thursday, August 24. Most of the arrival information will be covered in the Bobcat Student Orientation events, and in the online arrival guide . You and your parents should study it carefully to avoid parking snafus, congestion and general frustration. The OU staff has this procedure down to a T. You’ll also learn about the various welcome activities on campus.
But whether you’ve opted for an OU residence hall or some other type of Ohio University student rentals, the tips below can help make your move go smoothly.
1. Ship larger items to avoid renting a truck
Some shipping companies will let you pay for just part of the space in a moving truck. This is the best option if you live far away and are unlikely to want to drive a rental truck with your possessions.
2. Buy online or buy locally to furnish your room
Better yet, wait till you meet your roommate and coordinate with her or him as to what you will need. Try not to duplicate appliances so you have more room.
3. Coordinate with your roommates
Speaking of roommates, coordinate with yours so you’ll have different move-in days and avoid traffic jams.
4. Start from a clean slate
Bring some cleaning supplies to give your room an initial going over before you move your stuff in; also, bring along some basic tools like pliers, a hammer and screw driver to put things together.
5. Advice for freshman moving in
The experience can be understandably nerve wracking, and this is likely the first time you’re “leaving home.” Take things step-by-step and don’t try and do too much at once. Remember, everyone around you is in the same position as you.
Now, the same applies to moving in. Don’t bring too many things. It’s easy to add stuff later, but hard to set up your dorm with tons of clutter getting in the way. Spend some dough on orangizers that can neatly hold the supplies and tools you need – like toiletries, shoes and school supplies. Those dorm room closets and drawers are not as deep or wide as you may think.
6. Advice for sophomores moving in
This isn’t your first rodeo – but it is only your second.
Sophomore dorms represent the first step in your maturation as a college student. Bromley, New South and Bryant are some of the wonderful places to choose from where you’ll be free from freshman interference. Most of these spaces have their own bathrooms, too.
While ditching communal bathrooms sounds great, it means you’ll need to up your responsibility for the year. It’s one thing to have a dirty dorm room – that’s normal. But a dirty bathroom? That can be a legitimate health hazard.
“Hate to break it to you, but research has found that private bathrooms harbor the same potentially harmful pathogens as public lavatories, including Staphylococcus, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), human papilloma virus (HPV) and herpes, according to University of Chicago Medicine.
And if you haven’t cleaned your bathroom in a while, odds are it’s crawling with even more of these creepy critters,” reads an article on Livestrong.
To combat the potential of a dirty restroom, make a schedule with your suitemates so someone is cleaning the bathroom every weekend. Or conversely, divide and conquer. One person get the floor, another the toiler, one the shower and the final person can get the countertops and sinks. Together, the four of you can have the cleanest bathroom in Athens (though that’s not saying much).
6. Advice for upperclassmen
So you’ve made it out the mud dorms, congrats! You’re now free from the grips of RAs and the vices of dormmates and neighbors. You can breathe easy.
Not.
Living in a student rental – be it a house or apartment, studio or six-bedroom – is a big, big responsibility. While the expectations for cleanliness are still quite low, this is absolutely not an excuse to treat your rental like trash. You do live there, after all. Here are some handy-dandy cleaning tips to get you started.
We can’t promise moving day won’t be stressful, but with some planning and organization, you can make things a little easier on yourself, your parents and whoever else is lending a hand on moving day.
