Preparing to Move

[808vet]

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Im preparing to move to begin vet school. Any tips? Non-standard essential things to bring? Advice? What is one thing you can not live without after moving? Something you wish you brought? Thanks!

 

[JaynaAli]

Pack your toilet paper and phone chargers last in case you need them at your destination before you’re fully unloaded.

But seriously though, if you’re someone who studies at home, a desk, comfortable desk chair, and a white board are worthwhile investments. A crockpot or other items to help with meal prep can be useful. If I was doing it over again I’d get a small chest freezer to be able to have more prepped or prepackaged frozen meals on hand. But like five more device chargers than you’ll think you’ll need…it’s worth it to have a home charger, a backpack charger, a backup charger, etc. Get blankets because classrooms are usually cold. Dont forget to get outerwear if you’re moving from a warm place to a cold place…you don’t want a cold day to sneak up on you before you’ve gotten coats and gloves and all that. I’ve moved a lot and have done moves where I move everything in a uhaul and also only taken what fit in my car and bought new/new to me stuff once I arrived…both have their own stresses.

 

[SkiOtter]

I’d get a small chest freezer to be able to have more prepped or prepackaged frozen meals on hand.

I’ve been wanting a chest freezer for the past three years 😂

 

[JaynaAli]

I’ve been wanting a chest freezer for the past three years 😂

I got a small one after residency because I finally had a garage to put it in and it’s nice. I don’t do a lot of meal prep because I don’t like leftovers but it’s nice to have a meat freezer outside, veggies inside and be able to buy in bulk.

 

[that redhead]

Stand up freezers >>> chest freezers. SO much easier to store and see stuff! We got ours on a good sale on Black Friday a few years ago. LOVE it.

To answer the question - you probably need less than you think you do. My strategy was to pack light and supplement as needed at the other end; you can usually find decent deals from fourth years or undergrad seniors moving back out from the area. My place came fully furnished which helped a lot obviously.

Basic cooking supplies/tupperware, chargers, blankets/appropriate clothing, printer/paper/ink and you should be pretty set.

 

[SkiOtter]

Stand up freezers >>> chest freezers. SO much easier to store and see stuff! We got ours on a good sale on Black Friday a few years ago. LOVE it.

Yeah a stand up one is probs what I’d actually end up with 😂 I already have a bad back, don’t need to be leaning over a chest freezer

 

[battie]

And us shorties can't even touch the bottom of a freezer chest.... would have to ask the husband to pull things from the bottom.

 

[SkiOtter]

One of the things I do prefer about a chest freezer is that it’s far harder to leave the door open/open a crack like a stand up since the weight of the door keeps it closed unlike a stand up where maybe the door is open a crack and then everything is sad

 

[JaynaAli]

I like the chest because it takes up less floor space due to the top opening door. You don’t need to have clearance to swing the door open. I have a pretty big truck…like when my truck is in the garage you can’t even squeeze between the front or back bumpers without opening the garage door and walking outside because it’s too close to the front wall and door. But I can park alongside the freezer and not worry about needing to leave clearance to swing a door open. But I do acknowledge that the upright ones are easier to see everything and not lose everything into the abyss. I don’t usually have an issue with “old” stuff getting buried because I mostly use mine for meats my family raises and butchers once a year. I think the chests are more energy efficient but that’s probably a minimal difference nowadays. Whatever kind you get, it’s one appliance I find worth it if you’ve got space.

I’m sure OP didn’t expect this to turn into a discussion on chest freezers but I’m enjoying it lol.

 

[alleycat03]

One of the things I do prefer about a chest freezer is that it’s far harder to leave the door open/open a crack like a stand up since the weight of the door keeps it closed unlike a stand up where maybe the door is open a crack and then everything is sad

My family has completely filled up our "chest" deep freezer enough that sometimes we have to stick something really heavy on the lid to keep it closed.

 

[SkiOtter]

My family has completely filled up our "chest" deep freezer enough that sometimes we have to stick something really heavy on the lid to keep it closed.

Yeahhh that is definitely something that can happen 😂 but if you slam the door (on a non-packed one) it isn’t going to rebound and pop open like an upright sometimes can

 

[that redhead]

I like the chest because it takes up less floor space due to the top opening door. You don’t need to have clearance to swing the door open. I have a pretty big truck…like when my truck is in the garage you can’t even squeeze between the front or back bumpers without opening the garage door and walking outside because it’s too close to the front wall and door. But I can park alongside the freezer and not worry about needing to leave clearance to swing a door open. But I do acknowledge that the upright ones are easier to see everything and not lose everything into the abyss. I don’t usually have an issue with “old” stuff getting buried because I mostly use mine for meats my family raises and butchers once a year. I think the chests are more energy efficient but that’s probably a minimal difference nowadays. Whatever kind you get, it’s one appliance I find worth it if you’ve got space.

I’m sure OP didn’t expect this to turn into a discussion on chest freezers but I’m enjoying it lol.

Valid point on space (and jealous of what I imagine is a beautiful truck!) but ours is in the basement and we don’t have this issue.

I store a large variety of stuff, from home packaged meats to commercially packaged food of various types, large ice packs for coolers, etc. In your situation I can totally see the chest style working out.

 

[IvyMoose]

I don’t mean to take over the thread but how did you all handle the mattress situation? How did you time it so that you had a mattress your first night (did you even have a mattress the first night)?

 

[JaynaAli]

I don’t mean to take over the thread but how did you all handle the mattress situation? How did you time it so that you had a mattress your first night (did you even have a mattress the first night)?

I’ve done it all. I’ve brought my bed in a uhaul, arrived at the destination early enough that I was able to go to a mattress store and purchase one in stock the day I arrived, once we slept on air mattresses, and one time we stayed in a hotel the first night until we got beds unpacked and set up. They all have pros and cons.

 

[Enzo07]

I don’t mean to take over the thread but how did you all handle the mattress situation? How did you time it so that you had a mattress your first night (did you even have a mattress the first night)?

I moved from NY to CA and sent all my stuff in a "ReloCube" including my mattress, and had it arrive a few weeks before I was arriving. They stored it for those last few weeks included in the price and I was able to pick up the day I got there.

I found them to be cheaper than PODS/Uhaul/etc, and it was nice because we didn't have room for a POD to be dropped at our house, so we were able to bring it all to their location and load it ourselves. It also was smaller than a POD but just the right size to ship 1 bedroom full of furniture + stuff.

ReloCube Moving Containers

U-Pack moving containers are a convenient and affordable way to move long distance. Use ReloCube containers to easily move and store your belongings.

www.upack.com

 

[SkiOtter]

When I moved to school I had bought a new mattress and it was set to arrive like 2 days after I was going to get there. The rest of my stuff was coming in a uhaul with my mom and I. We ended up staying in a hotel until I had a bed because my mom and I both have bad backs but an air mattress would’ve been doable if we didn’t have as bad of backs 😂

 

[Viscernable]

I don’t mean to take over the thread but how did you all handle the mattress situation? How did you time it so that you had a mattress your first night (did you even have a mattress the first night)?

I slept on the floor the first night and asked in the class groupme if anyone with a truck could help me transport a mattress the next day. Worked out great.

I brought non-furniture with me in my car, non-mattress furniture I got here second hand and could fit in my car except a dresser. Buying it at a large market meant they had the number for someone who transports furniture like that, and I’m sure there are people with similar businesses in every city (maybe post on neighbourhood groups looking for them?)

 

[Nigripes]

Im preparing to move to begin vet school. Any tips? Non-standard essential things to bring? Advice? What is one thing you can not live without after moving? Something you wish you brought? Thanks!

There are usually sales on Facebook from your school from upper years to purchase used items on a marketplace FB page. Resist the urge to buy brand new everything. You are going to be at vet school temporarily and you can save a lot buying a used desk, chair, crock pot, whiteboard, etc. Depending how far away you move away, I chose to pack an item/gift from important family members and friends. My friend gave me a backpack and I used that, a family member had given me a watch, I brought my leatherman my parents had given. Don't forget to pack a mementos from those who helped or supported you along the way. With that in mind, good comfortable shoes for walking/hiking and winter boots if there is snow or rain where you are going. Congrats on vet school!