Sooo I got accepted to Boston University and I currently live somewhere on the Pacific North West side of things of the country. How does one move across the country? Should I rent a U-Haul/Budget and drive all my stuff there or should I sell my things and start fresh? How do?
Are you going to be in the dorms or an apartment? Will your things be safe in whatever home space you are in now? There's lots of factors. Sometimes it easier to buy things like bedding and stuff there and bring things like computer and personal things.
I will most likely be in an apartment. But I gotta find a room first. My things can't stay in the place I'm living now since it is a one bedroom apartment that I rent. Lol. Yeah the more I think about it the higher the probability of having to get rid of most of my belongings and start over new :(
I recently made very similar trip (CA to MA), but all the stuff I needed to bring fit in my car (the place I'm renting came furnished) and I was able to leave some stuff at my parents' home. I don't know the logistics for a U-Haul or what kind of vehicle you have, or what would be most economically wise. ): Still, congrats on getting accepted! :)
The last couple times I've moved cross-continent, it was with a couple boxes I shipped and everything that could fit in suitcases (BC-WI, WI-BC, BC-WI). It's a lot easier with that than with U-Haul. But! For logistics: probably look at places to rent first? And whether furnished or unfurnished is more likely in the neighborhood/price range you want. Then, when you have more of an idea, if taking furniture is the more practical thing, you can book U-Haul online, and they have guides for how much stuff will fit into what size. The smaller, the cheaper, obvs, which is a good argument for minimalism. There are other moving companies, but U-Haul is really easy because national. Probably book early if you're going to be moving in around the time most students do, so that you can get what you need. Books are probably the heaviest thing to move, and dishes work really well packed in blankets. It's also a good excuse to get rid of a bunch of stuff? Garage sale/consignment store/craigslist are all good options for getting rid of stuff.
Thanks, I think the more I think about it, I should probably sell most of my things and start off fresh. My biggest worry is trying to find a place to move into while I have no money to do it... I guess I could skype with potential roommates to find a place? When should I start looking for a place? Classes start early September. I was thinking of moving early August so I guess maybe start looking in July? June?
Looking early could also work out! Some people know early if they're going to lose a housemate, such as if someone is a graduating senior. Wouldn't hurt to put feelers out. Some advice for looking for a place: Your university may have an off campus housing site, like mine did. People can use them to post about availabilities in the area, and students looking for roommates can chat. Similarly, if you know anyone at the school or in the area already, you can ask them to keep they're ears open for anyone looking for a new roommate. Lastly, I ended up being successful with craigslist, but I would heavily recommend asking for contacts for any potential roommates/renting situations so you can get a feel for what the person is like.
Around here, leases tend to start in July/August, and students tend to start wanting to figure out where they're living about now. So I don't think it would hurt to start looking sooner rather than later. And books are expensive to ship, but if they're all bound, you can use media mail and I think that's cheaper? Might be worth looking into.
usually with my books I'll put them in a suitcase. It's why I don't have very many books anymore.... I'll figure something out for housing... I don't have any money for a deposit or first month's or last month's rent. I don't even technically have enough money for the tuition deposit.
