Westminster, CA University Storage
California is widely recognized for its beautiful beaches, terrible job market, and prestigious universities. Students from all over the place attend schools in Orange County and move to areas within it, like the city of Westminster. Westminster is conveniently located and is very close to a number of great colleges, so along with all of the families living there, there are also a lot of students. With so many schools in the area, there’s a wide range of things that students do, meaning that there’s also a wide range of things that they have and need storage space for.
Students and their Storage Needs
One of the largest universities in the area that is part of the famous University of California system is the University of California, Irvine (UCI). UCI has an undergraduate enrollment of 24,489 students and covers an area of 1,474 acres. It also has more than 500 student organizations. Although UCI is known as a commuter school, there are actually a lot of students living on and around campus, and the university is working towards offering more on-campus housing options. The dorm rooms at UCI are pretty small, just like at any other college and university, so there is a serious need for storage space for students living on campus.
A lot of the students that come to UCI live out of state, so they bring at least a year’s worth of things with them, and usually plan to permanently move to the area. Who wouldn’t want to live in a place where you get sunshine for two thirds of the year? Because of the beautiful weather and the school’s proximity to the beach, it’s very common for students to go surfing or sunbathing between classes. The campus is also very large, so people use bikes to get around so they can make it to class on time without having to try to run with a pile of books and their skinny jeans. The school actually has designated bike lanes on its walking paths because of the high usage of bikes. For keeping things like surfboards and bikes on hand, it’s a lot easier to find a storage facility nearby so you can easily keep your things without having to overcrowd your dorm room. Mini U Storage is a very convenient place for UCI students to rent a storage unit. It is only 0.6 miles away from campus, meaning they get a lot of students and are familiar with student needs. The great thing about this facility is that it’s close to campus, but not close enough to the beach for the sea salt to ruin your bike.
Flexibility
A lot of the schools in the Westminster area run on a quarter based system, meaning that each period of classes lasts only ten weeks. Therefore, the school year actually seems much shorter than it is. It’s very common for students to go study abroad for one of those quarters, which means they would need a storage unit for the duration of time that they are away. Students who are originally from out of state also go home for the summer, which again brings up the need for temporary storage. Storage facilities are aware of their client’s need for temporary storage, and therefore offer month-to-month leases. Also, be sure to ask about student discounts and back to school specials—a lot of storage facilities offer these but you might get a better deal at a facility that’s closer to your campus.
Speaking of flexibility, it might be a good idea to find a facility that allows for 24-hour access to your unit. UCI isn’t exactly a party school, but that doesn’t mean everyone goes to sleep at 8PM. You’ll probably be up studying late into the night, so if you have a sudden urge to grab something from your storage unit or just to take a midnight stroll, opt for a place that has 24-hour access and you’ll be a happy camper.
Security
Westminster is actually a pretty safe place, but crimes still happen pretty often. Westminster is safer than 26 percent of the cities in the U.S. and has an annual property crime of 2,213. It’s a lot better than other cities that are in the area, but we would still advise that you find a storage facility that takes strict security measures to protect your stuff. Some things you should definitely look for are individual door alarms, electronic gate access, 24-hour video surveillance, and on site managers. The more security measures there are in place, the more likely it is you’ll have peace of mind when you’re home for the holidays.
