Any Tips for Moving Your College Student Home for the Summer?

OU Class 2019

As the mom of a freshman I’m excited and anxious to have a little bit of his time this summer, but I realize he’s grown this past year, and frankly I know this is new territory for us. I had planned to write this blog about the in’s and out’s of moving students out of the dorms, but came across little information on that. In the process I did come across a great article on college students returning home for the summer that I would love to share with other parents.

Just a quick note on moving your college student or students out of the OU dorms, according to the OU Housing Guidebook and confirmed by my student: Students are to be moved out and checked out of the dorm within 24 hours of their last final. Exceptions are made for those graduating and going through Commencement. Commencement is Friday May 13th which also coincides with the end of Finals. Now, I really understand why hotels were at top rates that weekend! Your student can get more information from their R.A. on the move out process. This all sounds pretty simple, and I am hoping his move out goes just as smoothly as move in. If you have moved a student out in the past and have any tips or comments please do share with us first timers! I for one, would appreciate any insight.

The following link is to an article about students moving home for the summer. Though a couple years old, I believe the author’s experience and insight is relevant today. Our students have been making decisions over the past 9 months on their own, and moving home for the summer will be an adjustment for them too. I hope everyone in this situation this summer will have a good experience navigating through this new territory. To access the article please click on the title below:

The Other Nine Months: When Your College Student Returns Home For The First Time

4 thoughts on “Any Tips for Moving Your College Student Home for the Summer?

  1. Our biggest tip is that students sign up for Express Checkout! It is brand new this year, and it means that students don’t have to coordinate a checkout time with their RA. Students can log into the housing portal – myhousingandfood.ou.edu, and select the day and time they would like to leave. After that they just pack up their belongings, clean their room and leave their key with a staffer at their center’s front desk. There is a $10 cost, but it is much more convenient then trying to coordinate schedules. If you have questions, email us at housinginfo@ou.edu.

  2. Here’s what we learned from our 2016 Move Out day that may be helpful tips for next years Move Out Day. Note, I know many of you are getting prepared for Fall 2016 Move In, and asking, who’s thinking ahead to move out. I am just wanting to add these tips while fresh in my mind.

    1. The last day to move out is a busy day because most students are still finishing up finals through the last week. Busy means, a lot of students trying to use the elevators to move all their belongings. My son was on the 10th floor, carrying a refrigerator and desktop computer down 10 flights of stairs wasn’t an option, so we waited. A smart move would have been for us to move his heavy, large pieces out the week before and leave him with only what he needed to get through the last week. That way he could have packed up the last of the belongings on his own. If this is not a doable scenario, another option is to wait until later in the day. As we finished up around 1 pm, the elevator lines seemed to be thinning. We heard both of these tips the day of move out from other students. If I would have know in advance I would have planned our day a little different.

    2. The Express Checkout was worth the $10. With so many students moving out and the RA’s also having Finals that week, scheduling a time with our son’s RA was difficult. It was much easier just to schedule Express Checkout and turn in the key.

  3. One of the greatest benefits that comes from being away at college is how much you appreciate coming home. You learn to cherish the comfiness of your bed and the living room couch, not having to watch Netflix on your small laptop screen, and best of all, your parents become more like friends to you. The embarrassment of being seen in public with them fades away and you realize that you actually like hanging out with them, and sometimes they can be pretty awesome people.

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