Moving to Med School!

[rhesuspieces]

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So, for those of you who are moving >500 miles away from home to attend med school, what's your plan?

I'm thinking about renting a UHaul to go from Minneapolis to Cleveland, but with gas and everything it could easily cost more than $1000. I know that's a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of med school-related expenses, but still....🙁

What are you guys going to do? Suck it up and get a UHaul? Load as much as you can into your car? Sell all your possessions and start anew?

 

[JubJub603]

Uhauling all your stuff over seems kind of silly since you'll likely only be living in the same place for a few years, especially if your rotations require you to find sublets close to their locations.

I'll likely just load my car up to the brink. If it doesn't fit, I probably don't need it anyways.

 

[tr0gd0r]

I'm moving from CA to VA next month, so I feel your pain. The BF and I have a one-bedroom full of stuff we actually care about, so we're either going to hire a moving company or get a self-pack container, and have someone else haul our stuff across the country. Self-pack shipping containers seem to cost at least $2,000 and a moving company will be at least $1,500, probably...We're trying to decide between the two right now. Only the valuable/ultra fragile/necessary stuff will go in the car.

 

[Mizoodles]

what if i'm moving 499 miles away

 

[Avoidthetiger]

Remember, Cleveland isn't a real city. It has no IKEA.

So pretty much Uhaul it or you are SOL. :/

I have been living in a furnished home though, so I'm just stuff all my stuff into a car.

 

[rafflecopter]

Well, my plan is to load up my car with as much stuff as possible and then good will the rest. Trouble will come if I end up in NYC, where I'll have to ditch the car. No idea what I would do in that case... ship all of the stuff???

 

[mauberley]

Trouble will come if I end up in NYC, where I'll have to ditch the car.

Leave it out on the street. Your car will be taken off of your hands eventually.

 

[Signe]

Remember, Cleveland isn't a real city. It has no IKEA.

So pretty much Uhaul it or you are SOL. :/

I have been living in a furnished home though, so I'm just stuff all my stuff into a car.

You forget with the super cheap cost of living. We don't need an IKEA...we can buy real furniture for the same price! The downside is that I won't feel that small sense of pride putting together a piece of furniture by myself that claims I need two people to do it.

Rhesus, I'm moving 638 miles (practically all on the same highway too) with my car (225,000 miles on it) packed to the brim. I figured selling some furniture and just bringing what I can will be much less hassle/cost than renting a UHaul (plus I sometimes wonder if ikea furniture has ever crossed state lines...it seems like people just buy it if they're near a store and then sell it if they move away). My logic is: When I can really afford to move it anywhere in the country...then I'll buy nice stuff.

 

[Avoidthetiger]

You forget with the super cheap cost of living. We don't need an IKEA...we can buy real furniture for the same price! The downside is that I won't feel that small sense of pride putting together a piece of furniture by myself that claims I need two people to do it.

haha, I've known a few people that have Uhauled in IKEA furniture to the Cleve. I've never gone furniture shopping in Cleveland, but Ive always thought their cost of living was more compared to other cities. I do know food and girly stuff (like manicures) are about 50% more than my big city home.

regardless, the IKEA thing is a 30 Rock joke!

 

[Signe]

haha, I've known a few people that have Uhauled in IKEA furniture to the Cleve. I've never gone furniture shopping in Cleveland, but Ive always thought their cost of living was more compared to other cities. I do know food and girly stuff (like manicures) are about 50% more than my big city home.

regardless, the IKEA thing is a 30 Rock joke!

I'm basing my (possibly faulty) assumptions on how much cheaper rent is compared to Boston. The cheapest rent you can find in Boston might buy you a palace in Cleveland.

 

[kiwifruit487]

Planning to fill my car with whatever it can hold (after I buy a used car... 😛) and just drive across the country. Ta-da!

 

[Barcu]

I'm moving cross-country to a large city where a car is both expensive and impractical (for the first two years at least), so I'm just packing what I can and flying.

And upon arrival, IKEA!

 

[lisi326]

I'm moving 600+ miles. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I've been living in a 1BR alone for 2 years, and collected a lot of nice furniture from relatives through my 6 years of college, so there's no way it's not coming with me.

I suspect I'll end up U-Hauling. Or my dad will shadily borrow the box truck from work It's gonna be ordeal, I'm sure.

 

[NickNaylor]

So, for those of you who are moving >500 miles away from home to attend med school, what's your plan?

I'm thinking about renting a UHaul to go from Minneapolis to Cleveland, but with gas and everything it could easily cost more than $1000. I know that's a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of med school-related expenses, but still....🙁

What are you guys going to do? Suck it up and get a UHaul? Load as much as you can into your car? Sell all your possessions and start anew?

I've got the same concerns about the U-Haul. I thought it was going to be somewhat cheap, but apparently not...

 

[startswithb]

Hmmm...since I have lived in my current apartment for two years I have acquired a fair amount of nice furniture that I don't want to part with. I will probably just rent a moving truck and drive the 250 miles down south. That's not that far, I guess.

I got baggage.

 

[startswithb]

I'm moving 600+ miles. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I've been living in a 1BR alone for 2 years, and collected a lot of nice furniture from relatives through my 6 years of college, so there's no way it's not coming with me.

I suspect I'll end up U-Hauling. Or my dad will shadily borrow the box truck from work It's gonna be ordeal, I'm sure.

Whew, finally someone else with some big pieces to move. Although I am not sure my new med school budget apartment will be able to accomodate both a couch and a loveseat. What a difficult decision it will be between the two.

I also have a full size dining table as my desk. And a digital piano. And a nice wine rack...several end tables...and all the basic bedroom furniture. I don't wanna get rid of anything!

 

[lisi326]

Whew, finally someone else with some big pieces to move. Although I am not sure my new med school budget apartment will be able to accomodate both a couch and a loveseat. What a difficult decision it will be between the two.

I also have a full size dining table as my desk. And a digital piano. And a nice wine rack...several end tables...and all the basic bedroom furniture. I don't wanna get rid of anything!

Aww yeah it sucks thinking I might have to store some for awhile 🙁 Love seat + chair, nesting tables, desk, (huge)armoire, kitchen table, digital piano... *sigh*

annnnd about 300 books that take up an entire wall :-| I refuse to part with them, though. They are my last refuge from the world.

we clearly need to work on going with this whole "packing as much as fits into my chair" theme and stop being so materialistic/nostalgic 🙁

 

[Glazebrook]

Thought I'd chime in even though I have no U-Haul advice.

Sushi Rock has 1/2 off sushi on Wednesdays. Make sure to take advantage of it. (W. 6th Street)

Enjoy Cle<3land!

 

[startswithb]

Aww yeah it sucks thinking I might have to store some for awhile 🙁 Love seat + chair, nesting tables, desk, (huge)armoire, kitchen table, digital piano... *sigh*

annnnd about 300 books that take up an entire wall :-| I refuse to part with them, though. They are my last refuge from the world.

we clearly need to work on going with this whole "packing as much as fits into my chair" theme and stop being so materialistic/nostalgic 🙁

haha, you're right. I should be able to give up my loveseat which is green and from the 1970s! My grandma always buys extremely high quality furniture and then it gets passed around the family for generations. Said loveseat is even in the background of my parents' wedding reception pictures! My bedroom furniture is from when my mom was a child and I've saved the big dresser and nightstand over the years. BUT I LIKE IT. On the other hand, my cheap bookcases from Target almost fell apart during the last move and will likely not survive another. I'm not sure which strategy is better for a student.

 

[osumc2014]

Thought I'd chime in even though I have no U-Haul advice.

Sushi Rock has 1/2 off sushi on Wednesdays. Make sure to take advantage of it. (W. 6th Street)

Enjoy Cle<3land!

same in columbus

 

[mauberley]

I'm selling off as much as I can and keeping only what I need. Even then, I'll probably still need a rental truck of some kind (for my last move, I still needed a 14' U-Haul truck, so).

 

[Avoidthetiger]

Sushi Rock has 1/2 off sushi on Wednesdays. Make sure to take advantage of it. (W. 6th Street)

West. 6th, it's the perfect place if you are a d-b.

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY[/YOUTUBE]
Cleveland humor never gets old.

Though the second one is better.
[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM&NR=1[/YOUTUBE]

(I'm alittle bored today -- So i can't take anything serious, sorry)

 

[mvenus929]

I took one piece of furniture with me, filled my car to the brim and unloaded it when I got in town. Then my new roommate and I drove the 100ish miles to the closest IKEA and bought all my bedroom furniture.

Now the problem is that I have to move twice in the space of a month. I have a lot of stuff. It's going to be painful.

 

[BaronVonZ]

I'm definitely taking the pack-my-car approach... nothing I own would be worth the moving costs. As the proud owner of a del sol, I look forward to owning virtually nothing 😀

 

[eablackwell]

I'm moving 360 miles away, so you may be uninterested in my 2 cents, but I was just too excited to be posting in the "Moving to Med School" thread."

I Craigslisted most of my furniture, donated about 10 boxes of clothes and books, and the rest of what I'm bringing I'm splitting between mine and my husband's cars. I didn't want to bring a lot of stuff because it's only 4 years and I DESPISE packing and due to this hatred I just throw everything in boxes and that makes unpacking even worse. I'm hoping for a residency in Miami just so I don't have to pack up again, LoL.

I'm not sure about a U-Haul, are you going to have enough room in your apartment for a uhaul full of stuff? I'm going to make a trip to IKEA and be done with it.

 

[barcoderider]

I'm bringing clothes and my bike. That's about it. I am pretty disappointed to learn that Cleveland has no Ikea though. 🙁

 

[rhesuspieces]

I'm happy to see there are other people in my situation 😀

what if i'm moving 499 miles away

I don't care about your opinion, then. A move isn't a real move unless it's >500 miles. 😛

Remember, Cleveland isn't a real city. It has no IKEA.

I drove to Cleveland with the BF this weekend to find apartments, and the second we entered city limits he gets this look of panic on his face and goes "Google map the nearest Ikea NOW." Pittsburgh.

I'm moving 360 miles away, so you may be uninterested in my 2 cents, but I was just too excited to be posting in the "Moving to Med School" thread."

360 miles? Nope, your opinion officially does not count. At least you tried. 😉

 

[mauberley]

I'm bringing clothes and my bike. That's about it. I am pretty disappointed to learn that Cleveland has no Ikea though. 🙁

Pittsburgh does, though! 😀

 

[mauberley]

So, for those of you who are moving >500 miles away from home to attend med school, what's your plan?

I'm thinking about renting a UHaul to go from Minneapolis to Cleveland, but with gas and everything it could easily cost more than $1000. I know that's a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of med school-related expenses, but still....🙁

What are you guys going to do? Suck it up and get a UHaul? Load as much as you can into your car? Sell all your possessions and start anew?

It might be a useful exercise for you to compare the cost of moving your things versus the cost of replacing them at your destination. (But I'm sure you're doing that already, right?)

 

[lisi326]

I drove to Cleveland with the BF this weekend to find apartments, and the second we entered city limits he gets this look of panic on his face and goes "Google map the nearest Ikea NOW." Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh does, though! 😀

😀 it does! I'd be happy to take you to it 😉

 

[mauberley]

😀 it does! I'd be happy to take you to it 😉

That would have helped me when I lived there. 😛 Crossing a bridge was like an invitation to get hopelessly lost.

 

[2012mdc]

So, for those of you who are moving >500 miles away from home to attend med school, what's your plan?

I'm thinking about renting a UHaul to go from Minneapolis to Cleveland, but with gas and everything it could easily cost more than $1000. I know that's a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of med school-related expenses, but still....🙁

What are you guys going to do? Suck it up and get a UHaul? Load as much as you can into your car? Sell all your possessions and start anew?

That's not too far of a drive so I would suck it up and UHaul any nice stuff you have.

I moved from CA to GA and shipping my car alone was almost $1,000. I filled my trunk up with stuff I wanted to keep. Brought clothes along with me on the flight and bought everything else I needed when I got to Atlanta

 

[Thornwalker]

Seriously with gas at 4$+ a gallon and a uhall that gets like 15mpg it's not worth it. Is all of your stuff worth the $1000-2000 that you're going to spend in gas and uhall fees?

I speak from experience. I moved from LA to chicago for grad school after undergrad. I sold my car, and blew 2Gs of that renting a uhall, gas, hotels, food on the road, etc. Granted, that was a 2k mile trip rather than just a 500 or so mile trip.

In retrospect I know now that I could've spent MUCH less money to move. If you have a car and have to drive, you might as well load as much as you can and drive. If not buy a one way plane ticket for 150$ and get some 10$ flat rate boxes at the post office. You can get a pretty nice mattress, desk, bookshelf and a table on craigslist for <500$. Probably more like 300.

I mean, 500 miles/ 17 mpg uhall (thats being generous) = ~30+ gallons of gas minimum @ 4$ a gallon = 120$ in gas anyway. That's before the Uhall fee + tack on like 20$ a day if you are under 25 yrs old. Might as well buy a one way plane ticket.

Anyway...my 2cents.

 

[Seven of Nine]

2 of my friends who had to move across country figured out it was actually cheaper for them to fedex/ups big boxes and ship their car stuffed with other things. they sorted through their belongings, tossing stuff they'd toss anyways and if they were lucky enough, leave a couple boxes in their parents' basements. heavy appliances (i.e. microwave) was bought at the destination if needed. they strategically packed and shipped their belongings due to weight and volume.

 

[rhesuspieces]

It might be a useful exercise for you to compare the cost of moving your things versus the cost of replacing them at your destination. (But I'm sure you're doing that already, right?)

I think the time and effort combined with the sheer cost of buying new things means that I'll probably be bringing the stuff I already have in a very expensive uhaul. Plus, I'm the type of person that puts an emotional value on everything. I watch Hoarders and think "oh, well, I guess I can see where they're coming from."

 

[Tapepsi]

So, for those of you who are moving >500 miles away from home to attend med school, what's your plan?

I'm thinking about renting a UHaul to go from Minneapolis to Cleveland, but with gas and everything it could easily cost more than $1000. I know that's a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of med school-related expenses, but still....🙁

What are you guys going to do? Suck it up and get a UHaul? Load as much as you can into your car? Sell all your possessions and start anew?

Well fortunately I live a lot closer to my school. But here's the bad part, the first question that popped into my mind was not how I was going to get my stuff there but...

"What do you pack and bring with you?"

Maybe this is one of those survival of the fittest things and I'm one of the people who are weeded out early because I don't know how to live on my own.

 

[TribalSeeds]

dude, just hit up the craigslist free section! it will save you monaay

 

[byurazorhog]

I'm moving 2000 miles to my school this summer. I'm dreading the drive and it'll cost me up to $400 in fuel. Hotels and food for 3 days and 2 nights will bring that up to $700 or so. I thought about shipping my car to reduce the wear and tear but all the auto shipping estimates come back around $900! Do you guys think I should ship the car? I'm really afraid of having my car break down somewhere along the way. I have a 94 Toyota Camry with about 145k on it.

 

[2012mdc]

I'm moving 2000 miles to my school this summer. I'm dreading the drive and it'll cost me up to $400 in fuel. Hotels and food for 3 days and 2 nights will bring that up to $700 or so. I thought about shipping my car to reduce the wear and tear but all the auto shipping estimates come back around $900! Do you guys think I should ship the car? I'm really afraid of having my car break down somewhere along the way. I have a 94 Toyota Camry with about 145k on it.

Ship it

 

[mauberley]

I'm really afraid of having my car break down somewhere along the way. I have a 94 Toyota Camry with about 145k on it.

Generally, Toyotas are very reliable cars. Have you needed any major repair work? If not, you're fine. For peace of mind, look into picking up a AAA membership (or see if your parents have one).

 

[patel2]

I'm moving 2000 miles to my school this summer. I'm dreading the drive and it'll cost me up to $400 in fuel. Hotels and food for 3 days and 2 nights will bring that up to $700 or so. I thought about shipping my car to reduce the wear and tear but all the auto shipping estimates come back around $900! Do you guys think I should ship the car? I'm really afraid of having my car break down somewhere along the way. I have a 94 Toyota Camry with about 145k on it.

Ship it

I would ship it, but only because you dread the drive. I love driving cross-country so I'd probably drive, but I think the extra $200 + flight is worth it to avoid the stress.

 

[rhesuspieces]

I'm moving 2000 miles to my school this summer. I'm dreading the drive and it'll cost me up to $400 in fuel. Hotels and food for 3 days and 2 nights will bring that up to $700 or so. I thought about shipping my car to reduce the wear and tear but all the auto shipping estimates come back around $900! Do you guys think I should ship the car? I'm really afraid of having my car break down somewhere along the way. I have a 94 Toyota Camry with about 145k on it.

I have no advice but I'm feeling very nostalgic because my first car was a '94 Camry. 👍 I'm sure I'd still have it today if I hadn't wrecked it in '05 👎

 

[CougarMD]

I think the time and effort combined with the sheer cost of buying new things means that I'll probably be bringing the stuff I already have in a very expensive uhaul. Plus, I'm the type of person that puts an emotional value on everything. I watch Hoarders and think "oh, well, I guess I can see where they're coming from."

+1

I am getting rid of a lot of stuff, including over 1000 books just this weekend, and 4 bookshelves. But I'm old....and I don't want to buy new stuff. I will likely hire guys to load and unload, drive the Uhaul myself (with no $20/day fee, TYVM) and just deal with it.

The last time I moved cross country, it ended up costing about 5k. If I get out for about $1500 by driving the Uhaul myself, I'll be super stoked.

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

I'm moving from CA to NYC, and I'm packing my clothes/shoes in my suitcase and shipping my desktop computer, monitor, speakers, and "office supplies" along with some toiletries that I will need (Costco-sized packs of certain things).


USPS and UPS more or less charge ABOUT a dollar a pound of "stuff", so it's not too bad if you're not shipping a lot.

I'm going to dump all my furniture here and just get new/used stuff from Ikea/Craigslist...

 

[ucbsmd]

Think twice before buying things from Craigslist in Cleveland. They are in the top 5 for bed bug problems. I'd say go for the 2 hour drive to the Pittsburgh's Ikea instead.

 

[FIREitUP]

Honestly what do you need to bring? Just get your essentials in order and spend the 1k on furniture that you can sell to M1's when you leave. Problem solved. Plus, Ikea sells garbage so who cares if they're not in cleveland?

 

[Avoidthetiger]

Think twice before buying things from Craigslist in Cleveland. They are in the top 5 for bed bug problems. I'd say go for the 2 hour drive to the Pittsburgh's Ikea instead.

+1. The critters are everywhere and not fun to get rid of.

 

[Druggernaut]

I'm planning on renting a Uhaul trailer. They're much cheaper than the trucks, even if you have to have a trailer hitch installed on your car. Between that, my car, and the car of my friend who's helping me move, I should be able to haul all of my worldly possessions.

 

[g8orlife]

So, for those of you who are moving >500 miles away from home to attend med school, what's your plan?

I'm thinking about renting a UHaul to go from Minneapolis to Cleveland, but with gas and everything it could easily cost more than $1000. I know that's a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of med school-related expenses, but still....🙁

What are you guys going to do? Suck it up and get a UHaul? Load as much as you can into your car? Sell all your possessions and start anew?

I'm just passed the 1K mark (1,004 miles ... But, who's counting??? 😉).

I don't have much with me, so I'll be flying. When I finally arrive, I'll be buying just about everything I'll need there.😱 (which, again, won't be much ... I'm very simple/easy-going 🙄 )

 

[juliedi]

I'm moving about 3,000 miles away!

I'm not sure of the exact plan, but I'm gonna fit as much stuff as I can into my Explorer and schlep it all across the country. Either my mom or my sister will come with me, and then my bf will fly in about a week later. Luckily most of my bf's and my stuff is all either a) utter crap, b) borrowed, or c) can be sold/given to roommates, so I think we'll be able to fit enough stuff in my car. (Plus what bf can carry on a plane with him.)