You’re going to university in the Big Apple, capital of the world! This is an exciting time, and your life is about to get a lot more interesting. Let us take you back down to Earth for a few minutes though to help you figure out one important thing: your self-storage needs.
Bring What You Need, And Want
One big question when moving to college is how much should you bring. Some come with the bare minimum of things, and others want to move an entire lifetime of possessions. However, dorm rooms are small, and in New York, apartments can be as well. It’s important to consider various factors.
New York has four highly-populated universities.
Columbia University has around 30,000 students,
New York University has about 40,000
The New School teaches around 10,000, and
City University of New York (CUNY) and
State University of New York (SUNY) combined have a whopping 500,000 students.
Manhattan Island has 65 self-storage facilities, which means around 35,750 individual storage units of varying sizes. New York City has about 8.5 million residents, many with small apartments and who need self-storage.
Once you’ve been accepted to one of these, or any of the other schools of education in New York City, you’ll need to determine if you will need storage or not. Make a list of everything you’ll bring with you. Decide what you’ll keep in your dorm or apartment, and what you’ll keep in storage. By doing this, you can figure out if you need storage at all, and if you do,
what size storage locker will be appropriate.
Storage When Studying Abroad
While studying in New York, you may want to study abroad. Maybe you’re studying a foreign language or culture, or want to learn from a specific, prestigious school overseas. Studying abroad is a valuable opportunity! The trick is figuring out what to do with your stuff.
You could keep your stuff in your apartment or dorm room, where strangers may have access to it, or you can keep it safe in self-storage. If you have enough room in your current unit, then great! Put your household items there and get them out when you come back. If not, many facilities make moving into a different sized unit easy, so you could go to a larger size before your trip, and back to a smaller size when you get back. Today, much if not all of that process can be done online without even having to visit the office. You can also manage your payments over the Internet from anywhere in the world.
To save money on rent, and not lose your apartment, consider subletting your room. Just make sure that the person paying your rent will be able to leave when you get home.
You’ll Probably Need Climate Control
New York has mild summers and freezing winters. Though not terribly hot, summers in New York can get humid.
Humid and cold, dry weather can both greatly affect your possessions. Paper can dry out. Musical instruments can warp. In short, it would behove you to get a unit with climate control.
Think You Won’t Need More Space?
We all go through life accumulating things. Some people don’t throw anything away, while others keep just what they need, but most of us fall somewhere in between. However, after college, you’re sure to have more possessions worth keeping than when you went in.
During your college years, you’ll likely need self-storage at some point. Keep in mind what you’ve learned here to help you save money and protect your valuables.
