Dorms Vs. Renting for College Students

Every college student eventually considers whether staying on school dorms or renting an apartment/house is a better option. This is a complex question that requires careful consideration from the student to make the best decision for their particular set of circumstance. Here are the major issues that come up when a student is considering their living options.

Cost

To compare the costs you'll need to financial research to figure out exactly what the cost different between dorms vs. renting is in reality. Get ready to get out a pen and paper to calculate the different cost of dorm vs. renting. Most students may be surprised that their assumptions about what it actually costs to live on or off campus may be slightly off base.

A big part of the cost will be determined by the housing market around your campus, because obviously it is cheaper to rent in some areas than others. To get a feel for the cost of rent research on craigslist, word-of-mouth and other students to figure out what housing is going for around your campus. Also, consider living with roommates to reduce the cost of rent.

Next you will need to calculate cost of living for dorms vs. renting. For dorms you will need to pay for meal plans and parking, but all utilities and laundry services may be included. For living off campus you need to estimate how much you would spend on food a month to figure out how much you'll be spending on food versus a meal plan. You'll also need to include utility costs like water, electricity and internet.

There are also some additional moving-related costs some students may need to consider. For dorms you may need to rent self storage to store your stuff while you live on campus. There is also the potential additional cost of hiring movers to help move heavy things into and out of your apartment when the time comes.  

Privacy and Restrictions 

When most students embark on their higher education journey they assume they are adults, but by the time they arrive in the dorm they learn this is not exactly the case. All dorms have strict rules, inspections and guidelines for residents, and for some students this may seem to stifling in their new supposed adult lifestyle. Not to mention living in dorms with other students usually means you have no privacy, because dorms seem to form their own new families on campus.

These things may seem trivial to some students, but for others are ready to pursue a more independent lifestyle. Finding independence through where you live is a very important step in life, and some students will be ready for this step sooner rather than later.

Location 

Living on campus can be huge convenience for full-time students, because they have the obvious benefit of just walking to class. What a lot of students forget to consider when renting is the additional cost of transportation via bus, car, bike or whatever means you will use to get to campus.

For other students living on campus is not a viable option because all of the additional grown-up responsibilities they need to deal with on top school. Jobs and family are two factors that make some students live off of campus, because separating themselves from the additional facets of their lives is not an option.

Security 

No where you go is 100% safe, not even dorms. Although dorms do have the benefit of security through staff, locks and policing they do have a host of crime-related problems that are not necessarily found off of campus. Even though dorms are marketed as a safe option, students soon learn the reality is that these are not pristine environments. It is good to be careful and mindful no matter where you live, even in dorms.

That being said, finding cheap off-campus housing may land you in a bad part of town. Make sure to check out the neighborhood before you sign a lease. If you don't feel safe, it is probably a good idea to look somewhere else.

Where to Find Free Moving Quotes

Never Ever pay for a Moving Quote! 

Moving is one of the most daunting tasks that anyone will ever need to deal with in their personal lives. To ensure that this process goes smoothly, I always recommend for customers to get a moving company to help haul stuff from the old residence to the new home.

Understandably people hesitate when it comes time to think about the cost of moving companies. One major way to save hundreds on hiring a moving company is to get a free moving quote. Reputable moving companies will not charge for moving quotes 99% of the time, so if someone is asking to charge you should consider further researching the reputation of that company.

Here is a link to some of our top reviewed moving companies that all offer free moving quotes. With these companies you can compare their current rates through their free moving quotes to choose from some of top ranked moving companies in the moving industry. Here is another link that tells you about a helpful moving site that will instantly give you six free online moving quotes.

It is important to not always go with the cheapest moving company without consideration. If a moving company offers significantly lower prices on a moving quote there is the potential issue that they also offer inferior services or are a complete fraud. To investigate the reputation of a moving company look them up on the BBB.

Why I Hate Moving!

Last time I swore it would be the last time I ever moved. I promise that every time as I unpacked the last of the boxes wondering how many hours I've wasted. Then things in life come up. Break-ups, new jobs, falling in love, babies- you know life! All together I would say in the past five 10 years I moved around 20 times. I am an expert on moving only because I hate it so much I learned very quickly how to make things a little less painful. 

The last 5 times I have used a moving company to make the process easier.  Let me tell you, movers are magical people! I have no idea how one dedicates themselves professionally to such an arduous task, but they definitely earn every penny we pay for them. I'm telling you why I hate moving to let you know why you should hire a moving company to avoid tears, disasters and other atrocities. Or just not move at all possible! 

1. I own too much stuff. Even after getting rid of stuff continuously through Craigslist, donations and trashing, I still own a lot of crap. Unfortunately, I need MOST of this stuff. I even like most of my thing until I move. Then I realize how much STUFF there really is as I pack it all away into boxes wish I lived a less materialistic lifestyle. 

2. Stress. Stress is probably the number one killer in the world! At least I think I read that somewhere. Anyways, there is no way to avoid stress in a move unless you are some sort of zen monk. It stresses out all parties involved, even the household pets. 

3. Cardboard boxes. I stopped using cardboard boxes and switched over to green moving boxes in the last three moves not just because I'm a tree-huger either. It is because of the paper-cuts from the cardboard boxes. I even seem to get even when I wear gloves. There is nothing worse than a paper-cut! Or a cardboard box deciding to give out in the middle of the move. As bad as that is, paper-cuts are worse! 

4. New Bathrooms. Unless it is a completely new house, I am completely grossed out when moving into a used house due to the bathrooms. I immediately scrub down the bathrooms with bleach as soon as possible. Sometimes twice if it is particularly gross. I'll never forget the time I moved into an apartment where the previous owner dumped their cats litter into the bathtub. I literally scrubbed that bathtub five times, and still felt like it was unsanitary when I used the shower. I recommend hiring move in cleaners if at all possible to help with the cleaning if at all possible, these cleaners are also magical in my book.  

5. Children. We all know being a parent is stressful, but kids are especially monstrous during moves. They are either complaining or making a mess. I sometimes wish during a move there was a storage facility that took children in until the process was over. In our house we call this type of facility grandma's house.

How to Motivate for a Move

Moving can test the boundaries of what you are capable of in your personal life. It tests your relationships, motivation and general sanity. There is so much more on the surface of moving than just throwing stuff in boxes. It is a matter of transplanting your life to a whole different location.

There is no real way to make moving easy unless you have a boat load of cash to hire some to do everything for you, but I can offer some tips to ultimately make the move a little bit easier for you. The main secret is finding motivation to work on the move every single day as much as possible. The sooner you start getting everything the done the less of a stressful rush there is at the end. So here are some great ways to find motivation to work on your move everyday.

1. Take small steps. Each day make a list of the projects that you want to get done. A daily to-do list shows you that the things you need to get done are achievable. There is also a special satisfaction from crossing things off that list. Perhaps even give yourself a small reward each time you cross something off the list.

2. Commit via social media, texting, chatting, etc. If you have a project that you need to tackle, commit to that goal on social media to hold yourself to it. Perhaps even tell a friend or family member that you know will bug you for an update on your progress. Important note: Asking someone who lives with you -especially a spouse- can be a bad idea, because it can be perceived as nagging with someone you are too close to.

3. Focus on the positive. If you think about all the negatives of the move you are going to drive yourself crazy. Instead, remind yourself of all the benefits you will achieve by moving. Maybe even print of a sheet to post on the fridge or somewhere else you look a lot to constantly remind you of all the benefits of moving.

4. Get excited. Once you start focusing on the benefits, try to actually amp yourself up for the move. It is easier to achieve our goals when we are actually excited for the end results.

5. Read about moving, decorating, etc. Sometimes reading a blog or a book about your goal can inspire you with new ideas and aspects of moving. Perhaps you can start planning on cool new ways you can re-organize and/or re-decorate your new home.

6. Recruit friends or family to help. When you invite some over to help, you'll definitely be committed to actually working on the project at hand. Pick a specific project that you can get done together, and perhaps finish it off with a bottle of wine and/or meal.

7. Sign yourself up for a new class and/or activity at the new home base. If you are moving a long-distance, signing up for an activity can give you something to look forward to once the move is finally over. It can also help you make new friends and connections in the area.

8. Don't be too hard on yourself. Even if you have a day that you slip-up by not getting anything done, don't beat up on yourself. When we are hard on ourselves it can create a cycle where we focus on being too critical instead of actually getting things done. Try to re-direct that energy into getting things done tomorrow instead of being hard on yourself.

Storing a Mattress in Self Storage

If you are considering putting a mattress in a self-storage, you will need to take special preparations for the mattress to avoid damage. A mattress is an intimate object that damage really is not ideal for, so luckily these precautionary steps are easy for anyone to take. 

A mattress bag

1. Get a mattress bag. These plastic bags usually only cost around 5 to 20 dollars from the store. It only take a couple of minutes to put the plastic bag over the mattress. These bags help you avoid dust gathering in the mattress. The problem with dust getting into the mattress is there is no real way to get all of it out. Dusty mattresses get a dirty odor. The dust is also terrible for people with allergies. 

2. Humidity control. This is an especially important note for people who live in humid climates. Humidity can cause mold and mildew spores to grow in your mattress. To prevent this, you should try to elevate your mattress off the ground. Also, storing it away from the other items in the unit helps if you have the space for it. If you have time, airing the mattress out by opening the bag and storage unit can be helpful. The only sure fire way to avoid this is to get a humid controlled storage-unit. 

3. Do not stack things on tops of your mattress. The worst thing you can do for a mattress is to stack things on top of it, because this will cause it be lumpy. A mattress with an uneven surface is nearly impossible to sleep on. 

4. Deal with bugs. Your mattress offers all sorts of yummy organic materials for bugs to munch on. Putting your mattress in a box and bag is the best way to avoid the bugs. Climate controlled storage units also tend to have less a bug problem, because it benefits the storage owners to not leave cracks and crevices for bugs to sneak into the storage unit. You can also consider some sort of bug spray to apply on the ground around you mattress, but be careful not to get any on your mattress. 

5. Clean After Storage. Once you take the mattress out of storage make sure to clean it thoroughly. First you will want to vacuum it to try to get some of the dust off. Next you can apply a thin dusting of baking soda through a kitchen sifter onto the surface the mattress. Let it sit for an hour. The baking soda will absorb moisture and odor from the mattress. Vacuum the mattress again to get the baking soda off. Repeat these steps if the mattress still seems to have a musty smell on it. 

Quit Social Media While You Move

There are lots of great ways to save time on your move. You can hire movers, junk removal teams, move out cleaners, recruit friends and family or even hire a moving assistant. Or you can just quit Facebook and give yourself more time to deal with more of the move yourself. 

The average internet user spend around 10 hours on social networking a month. Around 6.75 hours of those hours are spend on Facebook. To read more about how are time is used on the internet, check out this nifty infographic that was released by Morrison & Foerster. It seems more and more of our time is spent on our phones, computers and televisions, that leave us with little free time for things in reality- like moving for example.

It doesn't need to be necessarily Facebook that you quit. Quitting any habit that takes up a lot of time during

the move can give you the extra time need to plan, organize and actually preform the move. Perhaps you spend a lot of time on television, texting, reading, drinking or whatever. Honestly consider what is taking up a lot of your time that doesn't benefit you all that much.Vow to quit one of the time consuming habits just for the duration of the move, but try not to quit any healthy habits (like exercising for example). Quitting this habit  will give you a bunch of extra hours to deal with moving related nightmares! 

You can return to Facebook or whatever else as soon as the move is over. I just chose to pick on Facebook, because it something I spend entirely too much time on some days. If you are going to quit for just a while, I recommend disabling your account. You can start it back up as soon as you are ready to return to the world of social media after you deal with this whole real world moving thing.

Quit Before You Run Out of Time to Plan Your Move

Questions to Ask a Potential Moving Company

It is Your Hard Earned Money They Want Do Not be Afraid 

To Ask Questions

Working with a moving company can take a large chunk out of the physical and mental stress involved with moving. The trick is to hire the right moving company to make the process go as smoothly as possible. Part of picking out the right moving company for you is knowing what questions to ask the moving company when you are shopping around for who to use. By asking questions your prepare yourself for what to expect from the moving company, and there won't be any unpleasant surprises on arrival times, additional costs, etc.

The following are some simple questions to ask a moving company before you sign any paperwork with them. You should call various companies to get a sense of who you are dealing with, and what type of moving policies they have.

Questions for Moving Companies

How Will I Be Charged?

All moving companies break down the costs of distance, capacity and time spent in different ways. Some charge by the hours, others charge for works and some by weight. It is good to get a break down of these costs beforehand. Now is a good time to ask about any additional costs that may be added on to a bill after the bill for extra services provided by the company. Moving companies are not always forthright about these costs, so make sure to check your contract for these types of costs before signing anything.

What is the average window of time with estimated moving van arrival and departure times?

There are many stories of people waiting a long time for there moving vans to arrive. Here is a blog where we discuss why moving vans arrive late sometimes. Let the person understand that you know that moving trucks do not have exact arrival times, but you want to know how many hours of waiting you should plan for.

Are your workers covered by workers compensation and liability insurance?

Obviously you do not want to be put in the position where you may be deemed responsible if someone gets hurt on the job. Most larger moving companies will have this policy in place, but if you are using a smaller company you'll definitely need to ask this question to protect yourself.

What kind of liability insurance does your company provide?

If any damage is to happen to your stuff on the move it can be a financial disaster. It is wise to consider investing in the movers insurance that the company may provide. Taking this small cost precaution can save you a lot if any accidents were to happen.

How much work can I do myself?

Some of us may want to do some of the work ourselves to lower the cost. Find out what the company's expectations are from you on this end.

Who does the packing and unloading?

Like the question before, you will want to know what the movers will and won't do. You may choose a company based on what the movers are willing to do, if you do not want to expend the energy or risk and injury during the move.

When do you need me to be there for the move?

Most companies will need you to be there when the movers arrive at both sites and while they are doing any packing. Make sure that you know when the company expects you to be around for the move to avoid any hassles.

Do you guarantee pick-up and delivery dates? What happens if the dates are missed?

Depending on how flexible your move is, this can be a deal breaker for some people. For people who need to move on the exact dates, they should not choose a moving company that does not guarantee your date in some way. You also want more than just the generic word "guarantee", so ask them how they handle situations where they have to reschedule clients.

How do you handle complaints?

Sometimes working with  moving companies does not always go as smoothly as we envisioned. The danger of getting someone else to do the job is always that they will not do the job right. Know beforehand how to process complaints with the company in case it becomes necessary.