11 Things to Store as a College Student

When you first move to college, it’s important to be smart about what you take with you. Find out how big your living accommodations will be, whether you’ll be sharing a house, apartment, or a dorm room, and plan accordingly. Dorm life, especially, is notorious for tight quarters.

You may have items that take up too much space in your dorm room. You may bring items that you think you’ll need, but once there, you find out are redundant. In either case, a nearby self storage unit can help you keep your new home tidy.

Here are 11 things you will likely need to store in college. 1. Coffee Maker: Coffee is the elixir of life for students, so of course you’ll want to bring your own coffee maker. Once in your new accommodations, however, your roommate may have a better one, you may start getting your coffee in the cafeteria or you may learn that coffee makers aren’t allowed in your dorm.

Before storing your coffee maker, be sure that it’s clean and completely dry, then find a good box for it. Use bubble wrap or packing peanuts as packing material to protect the glass.

2. Hot Plate: Hot plates typically aren’t allowed in dorms, so if you have one, it’s better off your storage unit than in your room where it could get you in trouble.

As with the coffee maker, clean and dry it thoroughly and pack it in an appropriately sized box before putting it in storage.

3. Mini Fridge: A mini fridge is a great place to keep your leftovers and a few groceries. However, you may find there’s not enough room for it, or that your roommate has one and is willing to share.

You may need to defrost and clean the fridge before storing it, but if not, simply put it in your storage unit and make sure the door is propped slightly open to allow for airflow.

4. Bicycle: Most universities have bike racks to keep your bicycle safe. However, when winter comes along, rain and snow can damage your ride. That’s a good time to ride your bike to your storage facility and put it away for a few months.

Follow these tips for proper bike storage.

5. Surfboard and Wetsuit: If you’re lucky enough to attend college along the coast and you enjoy surfing, by all means, bring your surfboard. If you live in a dorm, however, it may take up too much room. The same goes for bulky wetsuits. Instead, keep these in your storage unit, and when you’re ready to hit the waves, get them from storage, and head to the beach. Just be sure that your surfing gear is clean and dry before storage. 6. Other Sports Equipment: From football gear to golf clubs, some sports equipment can take up too much space in close quarters. Consider putting these in storage when not in use.

7. Firearms: Do you enjoy visiting a gun range now and again for target practice? Unfortunately, your college won’t allow you to store firearms in your dorm, and many self storage facilities won’t allow them, either.

Always ask your storage facility about their policies before storing firearms and research other options including safe deposit boxes and your campus police.

8. Alcohol: Most dorms allow adults 21 and over to keep liquor in their rooms. You may, however, live in a dry dorm, or even on a dry campus.

Most self storage facilities will allow you to store your unopened bottles with them. Some even specialize in wine and alcohol storage, so look around.

9. Candles: Candles can provide great ambiance—the thing is, many dorms don’t allow them because they present a fire hazard. If you brought some candles along and discover that your dorm doesn’t allow them, you can put them in storage.

10. Electric blankets: Like candles, electric blankets may be considered a fire hazard and disallowed in dorms. Even if they are allowed, you may still want to put them in your storage unit during the warmer months.

11. Duplicates: If you and your roommate both bring a household item that you need only one of, one of you can put the duplicate in storage. This includes things like microwaves, televisions, video game consoles, and the like.

On a final note, if you live in an area with extreme weather, such as cold, dry winters and hot, humid summers, you may want a self storage unit with climate control. This keeps the temperature and humidity at a safe level for all your things.

Once you know what you’re going to put in storage, it’s easy to decide on the size you need, and to find an affordable self storage facility. Have fun in college, and keep your stuff safe.