Where will you be moving to? For tips
on finding your first appartment, go to the Your
First Appartment Page.
Send change of address forms to
everyone you regularly correspnd with including all
universities, scholarship sponsors, banks, loan companies,
government institutions, your high school, people who you
used for letters of reference, past employers (if recent or
"referees"), national and international
organisations, and anyone else who might send you important
documents in the next couple of months. The change of address
forms are free, but you do have to pay for the postage.
Deliver the forms yourself if possible and save postage. You
will still receive incorrectly addressed mail for a few
months, so ensure you bring the change of address to the
attention of the people/organisations in your replies. Tell
your parents to foreward your mail to you. It might be a good
idea for them to open the important-looking letters (i.e.
from the university, scholarship sponsors, etc) in case you
need to know the information in them right away.
What do you need to bring with you?
Take the size of your appartment into consideration. What is
provided and what do you have to buy?
You can probably scrounge up most of
the house-hold items you'll need from relatives (especially
if they have kids who are living on their own). Don't buy
anything new until you are certain that you can't get if from
someone else for cheap or free.
Get house-hold items at local garage
sales. Don't wait until the last minute either. If you find
some plastic containers five months before you move out, buy
them when they're cheap if you know you'll need them.
How will you be moving to your new
place? Are any of your relatives willing to help? Do they
have the correct vehicles to get you and your stuff to your
new home? Are you moving across the country or to another
one? Enquire about transporting furnature and other items by
air/water/land to these palces.
Pack a survival kit that includes
toilet paper, a can opener, a flashlight, something to eat
& drink, etc.
Try to have an idea of where you're
going to put your stuff so you won't have to move it later
on.
Make sure you check you appartment
over very carefully and record any visible damage before you
start moving things in. This list might help you keep your
damage deposit when you move out.
