Education
When Your Student Comes Home
Posted: 3/31/2011
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 18 million students are enrolled at U.S. colleges. If any of them are yours, you can help make their return home a little easier.
(NAPSI) - As many parents have learned, college students don’t just acquire knowledge at school—they also accumulate a lot of stuff. Fortunately, getting it all home at the end of the semester doesn’t have to be difficult if you heed a few hints from the folks at Penske Truck Rental:
• Pick the proper-size truck for your stuff. Most college students choose a 12- or 16-foot truck for moving out of a college residence or off-campus apartment.
• Reserve early. Reserve the truck and any moving accessories at least two weeks in advance.
• Pack smart. Load the heaviest items first. To avoid injury, always bend your knees and lift with your legs, not your back.
• Use accessories. Boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, moving blankets and hand trucks are essential moving tools.
• Safety and security. Trucks are taller, wider and heavier than standard consumer vehicles. Drive more slowly and take extra precautions. Park in well-lit areas and padlock the rear door. Penske offers 24/7 emergency roadside assistance and optional protection plans.
• Create a travel bag. Don’t pack everything on the truck. Keep important paperwork, credit cards, identification, change of clothes, drinks and snacks close at hand.
• At home. Once the truck is unpacked, college counselors advise, students and their parents should do four things:
1. Set realistic expectations about house rules and responsibilities.
2. Make mutually agreed-upon adjustments. Curfew may no longer be appropriate, but parents may expect to be notified of late nights out.
3. Keep your sense of humor; ordering a pizza at 2:00 a.m. is “normal” at college but might seem strange at home.
4. Remember, the situation is temporary.
• Learn more. You can find more useful moving tips at www.PenskeTruckRental.com. |