The end of the summer term brings with it the relief of exams being over, the satisfaction of handing in your final piece of coursework, and the perhaps unwelcome task of packing and saying goodbye to your flatmates.
Whether a permanent goodbye or a temporary ‘see you soon’ before moving into your new accommodation for the upcoming year in September, saying goodbye is never fun (and don’t even get us started on packing!)
Luckily, we’ve created this blog so that you have somewhere to turn to when the packing becomes a little overwhelming. Keep reading for our tips on how to navigate and ensure a smooth transition process, as you move from one year to the next.
Navigating the mixed emotions that come at the end of term
University can feel a bit like a bubble – with the end of term akin to the bubble being burst. Suddenly, everyone heads back to their own hometowns, no longer living out of each other’s flats and eating each other’s snacks.
By far the best way to navigate this is to soak up the final days and weeks you have together, especially once your university work is complete and you can enjoy some time off together before moving out.
Most accommodations will request that you leave around the end of June to allow sufficient time for turnaround in advance of the new term and incoming students – meaning that you have some time to relax before heading home.
Group Packing Tips
Remember back in September when you moved into your student accommodation with your own set of mugs and crockery, your own ingredients and plenty of snacks to keep you going?
Well, the chances are that by the time the year comes to an end, and you are ready to head home for the summer, you’ve lost track of what’s yours and what’s not.
If you’re moving onto new accommodation with the same flatmate(s) then this doesn’t really matter. Simply box everything that you want to take with you and send it off with the flatmate who has the biggest car and the most space to store it over the summer. This box can then be brought to your new flat ready for excessive use again in September!
If you’re heading off in separate directions, then dedicate a time to piling everything up and either splitting it out based on need and assumed ownership or trying to work out what belongs to who. At the end of the day, all Ikea saucepans look the same so it likely won’t matter if you take home the exact one that you brought with you or not!
Visit your new flat before the start of term
If you can, it’s well worth visiting your new flat for the upcoming term before September, if only to create a list of things you need and to examine what furniture is provided before you move in.
Student accommodation deposits are no joke, and it’s important to know what belongs to your landlord or to the building manager of your apartment before moving in so that you can ensure you take good care of these items in particular. If you don’t, that deposit will likely not be making its way back into your bank account!
Visiting your new flat in advance of the new University year will also help you to feel slightly more settled, with a little less trepidation about the upcoming year. A new year at university is demanding enough without adding to that uncertainty about where you’re living.
Familiarise yourself with the surroundings, get to know your route and journey time from the new flat to university, and (most importantly) identify the closest supermarket and pub!
Organising your belongings
Finally, the only thing worse than saying goodbye to all your friends on a final night out is realising the next morning that you haven’t packed everything yet. Add to this a potential hangover, and you’ll be starting your summer break on a bit of a downer.
To avoid this, and to ensure that you get to enjoy that final night out of the year on a real high, take the time to organise your belongings and pack as much as you can in advance of the last days of term.
Consider working out what you need right away and packing that in one bag, and storing other possessions and things you don’t need in a suitcase that can sit by the door, ready to go. This will make heading off the morning after that last night out much more enjoyable!
Finding student accommodation that supports you
Student accommodation is so much more than just a bed to sleep on. For those who choose the right accommodation, it can be a real home from home – surrounding students with activities and opportunities to socialise outside of their coursemates and other activities and hobbies.
At Liv Student, we offer flats and apartments for students across all years, giving you the flexibility to live on your terms. Liv Student accommodation is designed to combine the independence of university living with access to facilities and extra amenities that you don’t usually get from a student house or halls of residence situation. And with all accommodations located in prime spots across major university towns and cities, you certainly won’t feel like you’re living outside of the action.
Discover your ideal student accommodation by heading to our website, where you can learn how and why we’ve won countless awards for our accommodation over the past couple of years and hear from students who have called Liv Student accommodation blocks home during their studies.
And with that, all that’s left to say is that we hope you all have an excellent summer break and enjoy the time resting and resetting, ready for the big return to university in September!
