The string lights are coming down. The posters that made your blank walls feel like home are no longer hanging. The room that once held midnight cramming sessions, late-night talks with your roommate and lazy Sunday mornings is slowly turning back into just another dorm. Moving out isn’t just about packing up your belongings but about closing a chapter of memories. The first-day nerves, the friendships that began over shared snacks, the late-night talks around campus, the victories, the challenges. As you zip up your suitcase and check under the bed one more time, you might realize that this space and those moments are about to become part of your past. 

But before your dorm key clicks for the last time, there’s a process to get through — one that doesn’t have to be as chaotic as your first all-nighter. Whether you’re a first-year heading home for the summer, a senior moving on to new challenges or somewhere in between, here’s your ultimate guide to moving out of your Vanderbilt dorm: stress-free, organized and with just the right amount of nostalgia. 

Packing 

The key to a smooth move-out experience is starting early. Give yourself at least two weeks so you can avoid the last-minute frenzy and have enough time to sort through what you really need. As you sort and pack, take the opportunity to declutter. Divide your belongings into categories: keep, donate, recycle and discard. If you have items in good condition that you no longer need, Nashville has several donation centers, such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, where you can give them a second life. Reuse Vandy, a platform for reusing items within the campus community, helps students find great deals on textbooks, furniture and more while selling items they no longer need. Similarly, check out the Reuse Vandy GroupMe for a quick way to make buying and selling goods on campus more convenient.  

Don’t forget to set aside mementos you might want to scrapbook: ticket stubs, postcards and photos from the year that can help preserve the memories of your time at Vanderbilt. Moving out is also a team effort, so coordinate with your roommates early to decide who’s taking or tossing shared items. 

Skylar Hack, a sophomore, notes that it was also important that roommates give each other the emotional and physical autonomy of packing and processing the experience of move-out. 

“My biggest piece of advice is to coordinate separate packing times with your roommate. When I spent hours cramming my dorm into IKEA bags, it looked like a tornado hit our room. Luckily, my roommate was at a baseball game when I packed, and she packed while I was taking a final. It saved us both the stress of stepping over each other’s stuff,” Hack said. 

And finally, don’t forget to clean. A quick sweep, wiped-down surfaces and empty trash bins will help ensure a seamless check-out and leave your space ready for the next student to enjoy. 

Storage 

As the end of the academic year approaches, the question inevitably arises: What do I do with all my stuff? Whether you’re heading home for the summer or transitioning to a new space, Nashville’s local storage and moving services are here to take the weight off your shoulders. From packing up memories to securely storing your belongings, these services are designed to make your move-out experience seamless. 

Storage Scholars: As Vanderbilt’s official partner, Storage Scholars provides comprehensive services, including packing materials, dorm pick-up by student movers, secure storage and delivery to your new residence upon return. 

Collegeboxes: In partnership with U-Haul, Collegeboxes includes in-room pickup, storage and shipping. Whether you’re staying at Vanderbilt or transferring to another school, Collegeboxes includes various options for FedEx pickup, shipping to other schools and temporary storage. 

Dorm Room Movers: Offering services like summer storage, shipping and local moving, Dorm Room Movers provides a supply kit with boxes and tape, picks up your packed items and stores them in climate-protected facilities. In addition to offering shipping services for students returning home, their pricing is specific to the size and number of your belongings. 

Music City Student Storage: Locally owned and operated, this service caters specifically to college students in Nashville. They deliver packing supplies, offer curbside pickup, store items securely and provide delivery upon return. Music City Student Storage can store anything, big or small, even if it doesn’t fit in a box. 

Greenbox Storage: Providing a customized and convenient experience tailored to Vanderbilt students, Greenbox Storage offers free pickup and delivery, secure storage with insurance on each item and can ship your belongings to your summer residence or post-graduation apartment.  

These storage companies are tried and true by students here at Vanderbilt. Carter Deves, a sophomore, shared that the convenience of Music City Storage reduced much of the stress that moving out can yield. 

“One tool that’s been a huge help has been Music City Storage, a storage unit company that picks up your items directly in front of your dorm room,” Deves said. “Living far from Nashville, having a place to store my things over the summer was a top priority.”

Saying goodbye 

As you move out, don’t forget to take time to reflect on the year that’s passed: acknowledge your personal growth, academic accomplishments and the memories you’ve created along the way. 

Micheala Wolfe, a sophomore, reflected on how the finality of moving out of your dorm can cause unexpected emotional responses to creep up.  

 “Moving out was more emotional than I expected –– like it really hit me that the year was over once I started taking stuff off the walls,” Wolfe said. 

Saying meaningful goodbyes is equally important; take time to express gratitude to friends, professors and mentors. Before leaving campus, make the most of your remaining time by revisiting your favorite spots or exploring new ones, such as having brunch at Urban Juicer, a picnic on Alumni Lawn, a stroll through Centennial Park or a night out on Broadway. With thoughtful planning and mindfulness, you can turn this transition into an opportunity to reflect and celebrate, marking the end of one chapter and the exciting beginning of another.