The days are slowly ticking away until the student in your life flies the nest. They grow up so fast! Too fast! But whilst you might be mourning (or celebrating) your lodger’s move to university you should also prepare yourself for the logistics of moving day. We’ve put together a quick guide to make sure you’re not trekking across the country with the wrong documents, getting lost on campus, or receiving a call a day later from your child telling you they’ve forgotten their favourite mug they can’t live without!
Before you leave
Pack them an Ethernet cable
Wi-Fi is almost a basic human right these days but despite this it’s still famously unreliable. When the Wi-Fi bugs out at home you can turn it off and on again but that’s not really an option when you’re in shared accommodation. Your son or daughter might think it’s a little old school but encouraging them to pack an Ethernet cable will turn you into a hero when they realise how useful the magic interweb cables can be.
Their life of filing starts now
As your children move out on their own in the world, keeping a record of things is going to become even more important. But with all the excitement of Welcome Week, the chances of anyone thinking to file away those important documents is slim. Do them a favour and start a folder. Pack it with their university documents, student loan info and most importantly, their ID card! This way they will have a place for everything important that comes through the letter box.
When you get here
Expect it to be a little busy
Most of our students will be moving in on the same day and while this does give the halls of residence a great atmosphere, there may be some queuing, parking difficulties and other small nuisances. Rest assured, our student ambassadors will be there to help! Thankfully, Birmingham is a big city packed with things to do, so if the accommodation looks a bit too hectic you can always wait til it dies down a little.
When parking gets full at the accommodation you’ll only be able to park temporarily to unload. If this is the case and you’re travelling heavy, it might be best to find some alternative nearby parking instead of dropping them off with a year’s worth of luggage!
Don’t worry too much if you’ve forgotten something
If there’s one thing Birmingham has, it’s shops. Besides the retail therapy, there’s also some less exciting shopping destinations like IKEA. Left the pots and pans at home? You can even get a cheeky hot dog and ice cream (which is the real reason we go to IKEA if we’re honest).
Keep an eye on the traffic
We’re an inner city university so keep an eye on the traffic updates. Moving in day is on the weekend so it’s not like you’re going to hit rush hour but it’s a good idea to keep the postcode of the accommodation close at hand so your sat nav can find alternative routes. Navigating a new city place (if the city is new to you) can also be a bit tricky so a sat nav or phone maps is the best way to go.
