A Parent’s Guide to College Prep & Storage Units

As your children enter their final years of high school, you need to start preparing them for the college experience. If a child plans to move onto campus and into a dorm room, then you will need to prepare months in advance to make the move seamless. One way to help with the process is with the use of a storage unit.

If you have a storage unit ahead of time, then you can really help with your child’s transition to college and ensure they have everything they need when the time comes to move onto campus. Follow this guide to learn more about how storage units will help with college life and reduce stress as you plan the big move.

College Prep Items & Discounts

When a student moves onto campus for college, they will likely receive a list of items they need to get ready. Along with school supplies, a student will need a lot of extras to live their everyday life and remain responsible for themselves. In the months and weeks before their classes start, you have the opportunity to shop for items.

In many cases, you can take advantage of sales and keep the items in storage until they are ready for use. For example, you may find that a store has laundry detergent on sale. You can stock on detergent bottles so you don’t have to pay full price when your child uses laundry services.

You may also find discounts on needed items like blankets and pillows. After their purchase, you can keep everything in the storage unit for easy access. In some cases, you may check out a college for liquidation sales once a school year ends. Your child may not move in for a few months, but the heavy discounts can help net a lot of savings.

For example, you may find good deals on miniature fridges or microwaves. A storage unit can hold the items so your home does not get cluttered with all the new products.

Storage Unit Location

Instead of looking for a storage unit close to your home, look for storage units located close to campus. A storage unit located close to campus will make the moving days easier to handle. For example, in the summer, a student may have to completely pack up their dorm and get assigned a new dorm in the fall.

Bringing the items to a storage unit close to campus will make the transition easier for each school year. Students can easily unpack the unit once the new semester starts. You do not need to worry about storing items in your home and hauling everything back again for four years in a row.

If needed, you could sign up for units just for the summer and then sign up again once the newest school year ends.

Seasonal Needs & Access

A dorm room often has limited options for storage. A student may not have enough space to keep their cooler clothes in the first months of school and their warmer clothes for the winter months. A storage unit can help a new college student stay organized through the various seasons.

With a storage unit, a student can keep multiple coats, boots, and other gear packed away and organized. For example, around October, they could pack away shorts and tank tops and replace the space in their dorms with coats, hoodies, and warmer socks.

Along with the clothing, other items may help as well. For example, as spring approaches, a student could access their storage until for fold-up chairs and other outdoor accessories they want to use.

Vehicle Storage

Your child may want to drive around their college area. Instead of taking a big road trip at the end of each school year, you can keep their car close to campus with a vehicle storage rental. With the vehicle storage, your child can fly home quickly and have more of their school break at home rather than on the road.

Many storage rental companies offer vehicle storage in their units. With a storage unit rental, the vehicle will remain safe and not exposed on a daily basis. Your child can fly home without any extra worries or stress with the vehicle.

Ideally, you want to use a fuel stabilizer in the gas tank and disconnect the negative battery cable to prevent any battery drain. These two simple steps will help the vehicle start back up again when your child returns.

For more information on our storage units, contact us at North Star Mini Storage. We have multiple storage unit options in the Twin Cities area and can help you pick out a unit to fit your needs. Along with everyday storage, we have units big enough to store a wide range of vehicles for storage use.