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7 Things to Take Home and 5 Things to Store During Your Summer Break

Jon Fesmire | August 2, 2021 @ 8:00 AM

Congratulations on finishing another semester of school. Unless you’re graduating or have summer courses, that means it’s time for summer break. Are you going to spend the summer with your parents before you return to school in the fall? If so, you’ll need to figure out what to bring back with you, and what to leave behind. If you’ve been living in a dorm, you’ll need to move out, and if you live in a shared apartment or other situation, you still may want a safe place to keep the things you’re leaving behind. We recommend a self storage space with climate control, which will keep your stuff in good condition despite the heat and humidity. As a college student, you probably don’t have a ton of stuff in your dorm room, so a 5x5 or 5x10 space should do. Let’s start with what you should bring with you, and finish with what to leave behind for the fall.

What to Bring Home

  • Health Essentials
When you go home, there’s a good chance your parents will provide you with the toiletries you need, like soap, a new toothbrush, toothpaste, and so on. If you need to, you can always bring back your own. What they won’t have are your contact lenses, glasses, and medications. Make sure to bring those. Also, have your prescriptions transferred to a local pharmacy.
  • Favorite Clothes
We all feel good when we wear our favorite clothes, so bring yours home. Chances are you’ll have too many clothes at school to bring them all home, and there’s a good chance you’ll buy a few more items while staying with your parents. Bring a few of your favorite shirts, shorts, blouses, skirts, and shoes. Bring a college t-shirt or two and show off your school pride. School shirts can often be a conversation starter. Also, bring home a couple of sets of workout clothes and perhaps a swimming suit so you can get some exercise over the break.
  • Make-Up
If you wear makeup and you have a curated make-up bag, bring it home, or you’ll have to purchase more.
  • Your Favorite Carry Bag
Whether you carry your stuff in a purse or a backpack, you’ll want to bring your favorite carrying bag home. That way, when you go out for the day, you can ensure that you have helpful items with you. Use it to carry a book you’re reading, your tablet, and more. Plus, items like this give a sense of continuity between school and home.
  • Smartphone, Tablet, and Laptop
Your smartphone, tablet, and laptop are your connection to the internet and social media, so don’t put those in storage. They belong with you. They’ll give you plenty to do during your downtime, keep you in contact with your university buddies, and help you stay productive during your summer break.
  • Books
Do you enjoy print books, or do you prefer reading on your Kindle, Nook, or tablet? Whatever the case, maybe you have a couple of print books you’d like to peruse while back home. Bring them in your carry-on luggage. That way, you can also do some reading on the airplane. Consider bringing a journal as well and write a little every day about your summer adventures.
  • Gifts
Want to do something nice for your family and your best friends? Get them some swag from school. People love university t-shirts, so that’s always an excellent choice. You can also bring coffee mugs, notebooks, and key chains, all of which should be available at your university bookstore.

What to Put in Self Storage

  • Your Winter Clothes
You won’t need your cold-weather clothes during the summer unless you live somewhere in the northern U.S. or Canada, so you can pack these and put them in storage. Remember to wash them first, or they’ll stink when you retrieve them.
  • Appliances
You and your roommate probably have a mini-fridge and perhaps a coffee maker and a microwave. You probably have lamps and might have a few smart devices in your dorm room. Put the ones that belong to you in your storage space.
  • Decorations
The art on your walls, the awards, and trophies, and other decorations can stay near school, so dust them, pack them carefully, and put them in storage.
  • Furniture
Your desk, chair, and other furniture belong in storage, too.
  • Anything We Forgot
If there’s something we forgot, you’ll need to decide whether it’s something to bring home with you or to put in storage. When you’re ready to rent a storage space, remember that we have listings all over the U.S. and Canada. Have a wonderful summer.

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