Moving into a dorm at the University of Michigan is an exciting milestone, but it is definitely overwhelming. I moved my daughter in on Tuesday and was also overwhelmed. But, the process ran smoothly and she is mostly setup in her room. I am actually writing this from campus as I wait for her to pickup an extra bag of items.
A2 for UMich Parents
This post is part of our new section A2 for UMich Parents. My “Ann Arbor Kid” started college in fall 2024! I joined UM parent groups and found parents asking for the local “scoop”. After answering a few questions, other local parents familiar with Ann Arbor with Kids suggested I continue to provide my experience on A2 for UMich Parents.
Check out below for my tips on preparing for the move, navigating the traffic, unloading & setup tips, and follow-up tips.
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Preparing for Move-In at University of Michigan
Be strategic about which items to leave in boxes/wrapping and which to unpack at home. A general rule is if it takes less space unpacked, unpack it. If it has lots of pieces or takes more space assembled, leave it packed. Even unpacking most items, we still had so much cardboard recycling.
Items to Unpack at Home
- Bedding & Towels- Wash these at home to start off with clean sheets and towels.
- Refrigerator – Refrigerators need to sit upright for at least 24 hours after being on their side. The only way to stand the refrigerator in my car was to unpack it and remove the styrofoam at the bottom of the packages.
- Small Appliances – Microwaves, coffee makers, and other small appliances (that meet UM dorm code) can all be unpackaged. This is especially true for appliances you want to wash before use.
Items to Leave in Original Packaging
- Mattress toppers. These are typically packaged very compactly and you will not be able to replicate this. You can pop a few small holes to let it air out a bit.
- Shelving or other furniture – If you are assembling on site, leave them boxed so you don’t lose small pieces. Or have to deal with larger items to store.
- Delicate items – TVs, monitors, and other fragile items should be securely packaged.
- We left small items like command strips, picture frames, etc. in their packaging.
How to Pack
For my daughter’s bedding, I found a zippered bag from my queen comforter and it easily held her twin XL comforter, 2 sheet sets, and mattress pad. I had other similar bags from blankets and pillows that were good for other bedding items and towels.
I made a last minute decision to get the rectangular packing bags that I saw recommended. I made the decision Sunday night with a Tuesday move-in, so I went with an 8 pack set Amazon could deliver the next day. This was a great decision. We used 4 of the 8.
We packed one bag full of setup items like power strips, cords, command strips, cleaning materials, tools, and more. I made sure that was the first bag to go to the room. The packing bags zipped on two sides so we could lay clothing on hangers in them and zip around the hangers.
Local Shopping
Where to Shop for Dorm Supplies Near University of Michigan
Are you wondering the best places for dorm shopping near University of Michigan? I’ve got the scoop on all the Big Box Stores near Ann Arbor – Target, Meijer, and more. Map of Big Box Stores near Ann Arbor Target Near University of Michigan In UM Parents group, I frequently saw people posting that they […]
Getting to Campus
Whether you are driving in the day of move-in or arriving a day or two early, you need to plan your routes when driving around campus. With some roads closed or turned into one way, navigating the campus area is difficult on move-in days. I realized today that in 20 years of living in Ann Arbor that I have managed to avoid campus on move-in week.
Move-in brings both road closures and one-way routing around campus. Even if you are familiar with driving around campus on a normal day, be sure to check the move-in routes for unloading. After unloading your vehicle, the university has set aside certain lots of move-in parking.
From what I saw on social media and my own driving through campus on Wednesday, there were long lines of traffic to get to various areas of central campus and the Hill neighborhood. One benefit to a North Campus dorm is you can avoid most of the central campus congestion.
The Housing website for Move-In still says maps will be added in 2024, Housing’s webpage for each dorm links to a Move-In Map for 2023. I have included those links here by neighborhood.
- Central Campus
- The Hill Dorms
- Oxford House
- North Campus
Unloading Your Car
When you get to your student’s dorm they will check in and you can start unloading into a blue bin. If you are stuck in a long line of slow-moving traffic near the dorm, it may be worth having your student hop out and check in. If the line is long enough they may be able to start rearranging the furniture while you sit in traffic.
Once you pull into the unloading zone, there should be housing helpers there with blue bins to unload your car into. As you unload the car, make sure you know which bags or containers are more fragile so you don’t put something heavy on it.
You have 30 minutes to unload your car. It took us 15-20 minutes to make 3 trips with a blue bin to unload my mid-size SUV that had the rear seats folded down. My daughter and husband met me for the first load and took it up. Then my daughter stayed in the room and my husband and a helper made the second and third trip.
Parking the Car
The university has converted several lots to free parking for move-in. My daughter is living in The Hill neighborhood so I parked in Palmer Structure. Because my daughter moved in early, closer lots were not set aside yet.
Make sure to park in a legal spot. Private lots around town are known to tow unauthorized vehicles and that can cost several hundred dollars to retrieve your car.
Setting up the Room
If you are in a room with air conditioning, you may want to setup your fan first. Also, consider plugging in your refrigerator even if it isn’t in the final position.
Arrange Furniture
The first step in setting up your room should be rearranging any furniture including lofting the beds if desired. My daughter and her roommate co-ordinated to move in an . My daughter arrived at 11a with her roommate to start rearranging the room.
There are two different styles of modular furniture based on which dorm you have. UM Dorms have modular furniture that allows the bed to be setup in one of 5 ways:
- Single Bed
- Bunk Beds
- Full Loft
- Half Loft
- Trundle Bed (L-shape) – Building Block Furniture Only
Baits has some rooms with each furniture set. Oxford has some rooms with each plus has some built-in furniture that may affect different bed layouts.
Life Space II Modular Furniture
- Alice Lloyd Hall
- Baits Houses (some rooms)
- Betsey Barbour Hall
- Bursley Hall
- Couzens Hall
- East Quad
- Henderson House
- Mary Markley Hall
- Mosher-Jordan Hall
- North Quad
- Northwood III
- Oxford Houses (some rooms)
- Stockwell Hall
- West Quad
Building Block Modular Furniture
- Baits Houses (some rooms)
- Fletcher Hall
- Helen Newberry
- Northwood I & II
- Oxford Houses (some rooms)
- South Quad
Other Setup
Once the furniture is arranged, lay down your rug and start unpacking. Furniture assembly and running cords to the desk are good parent tasks leaving the student to do more of the decor and practical setup.
How Long Should I Stay?
How long to stay depends on your student. Some want more help while others want to setup on their own. We stayed about 5 hours including lunch with her and her roommate. Her roommates dad stayed a bit over 2 hours, but was coming back that night.
Consider an option like helping with some initial setup then giving your student a couple of hours on their own and then returning to help them finish once they figure things out. My husband and I were prepared with our laptops in the car to head to a local cafe or student union to work if she needed some space. It would also be a good time to pick up any additional items your student needs.
Check out our list of casual dining near campus. Personally, we ate lunch in the dining hall (parents are free with their student during move-in week). Our daughter stayed and ate with her dormmates. My husband and I decided not to cook at home. We went to Frita Batidos in the Main Street Area.
Casual Dining Near University of Michigan
Finding the right place to eat near University of Michigan is an important part of a visit to University of Michigan. Whether you are visiting for move-in, orientation, parents weekend, or a prospective student tour, this guide will help you find the right place to take your college student. Ann Arbor is renowned for its […]
Our Tips
Based on our experience, some things that worked well:
- Daughter arrived an hour early at roommates move-in slot. That let them rearrange furniture together in an empty room.
What To Bring/Buy
- Packing Bags
- Command Strips
- Frog Tape (place under command strips to help protect the wall)
- Rubbing Alcohol Wipes (clean walls before using frog tape or command strips)
- LED Lights
- Surge Protectors with long cords – This one offers 8 outlets spread out and I attached it to the desk smartbar.
- Bedside Shelf
The one thing my daughter and her roommate decided against was the WooZoo fan since they are in an air conditioned building. I am on the fence about returning it or keeping it for when they want it in winter.
