With colleges and universities across the country canceling classes and closing campuses as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands of students are forced to move out of the dorms and find storage for their belongings. Even for those students who are heading home, they are left wondering what to do with all of their belongings. Consider the following storage tips to help college students navigate these uncertain times.

1. Find Out When and How You Can Retrieve Your Belongings

In an effort to comply with social distancing guidelines, many colleges and universities are only allowing students to return to campus during specified times to retrieve their belongings. This means students only have a limited amount of time to pack and remove their belongings from their dorm or apartment. Check with your school to find out exactly when and how you will be able to pick up your belongings and plan accordingly.

2. Portable Storage Options

During this difficult time, it can be helpful to find the easiest solution for your storage needs. Portable storage units making moving and storing your belongings simple and stress-free. Simply arrange to have a portable storage unit delivered to your dorm or apartment where you can conveniently pack and load your belongings. When you are done, simply call and have the storage container delivered to the location of your choice. You can deliver it to your parents’ home or have it transported to a storage facility for long-term storage.

3. Get Rid of What You Don’t Need

In an effort to save time and keep costs down, sort through your belongings and get rid of anything you don’t need. This might be old books you no longer need, clothes you don’t wear, or bedding that is worn out. Not only will discarding unnecessary items save you time on packing, but it will save space as well so you don’t have to rent a large storage unit.

4. Disassemble Furniture

You can save a tremendous amount of space by efficiently packing furniture. Disassemble any furniture that you can such as table legs, desk hutches, chairs, and bed frames. Doing so will make it easier for you to store more items in a storage container. It will also prevent your furniture from damage while it remains in storage.

5. Gather Packing Supplies

Since the coronavirus can live on cardboard surfaces, this isn’t the time to be using recycled boxes. Your safest option is to purchase new boxes from a local hardware or moving supply store. You can also make use of items that you already have by storing things in pillowcases, placing gadgets in the microwave, and placing work and office supplies in plastic containers.

6. Check for Special Storage Discounts for College Students

As a way to help curb these unexpected expenses, many portable storage companies are offering special discounts to help college students. Be sure to ask about these special discounts when you are researching storage companies.