Relocating To Another State: Tips And Tricks

By Danielle Wirsansky on January 19, 2022

Relocating to another state can be all sorts of tricky. It certainly helps if you are familiar with the new place you are going to but many students do not have the luxury of getting to see or visit their college town before choosing and moving to their university, especially if it is out of state. But even if you have been able to visit a place, it is not the same as living in a new place and there will be lots of new things to adjust to and learn as you go along.

As difficult as relocating to another state may be, there are some things you can do to ease the way. Read on to learn some tips and tricks for relocating to another state!

Photo by Marko Klaric from Pexels

Weather

One of the most important things about relocating to another state is learning about what the weather is like, especially if it is different from where you live now. Sure, maybe you know it gets colder or hotter, but how much colder or hotter? It could be significant and it might make a big difference.

For example, if you move to Florida from a different state it will likely be much hotter in the summer than you are used to and winters are incredibly mild. On the other hand, if you move to Vermont you need to know that summers are very mild and winters are very harsh, with temperatures sometimes dropping as low as negative forty degrees. If you are not aware of the temperature, you might not be well prepared, which could even put you in danger.

Make your move easier for yourself and get prepared for the new weather. Do you have the right clothes and gear? If you are moving somewhere hot, make sure you can get dressed and walk around campus without passing out from the heat. If you are moving somewhere cold, make sure you will not freeze as you trek across campus. Do you have emergency food and water in your trunk in case you are caught in a snowstorm or an ice scraper to clear your car windows? Knowing the weather and being prepared for it will make your move that much smoother.

How to Get Home

Even though you are moving away from home, it is very important to know how you will be able to get back home. Even if the move does not feel that big when it is out of state, figure out how to travel back home.

Can you drive, or will it take 8+ hours? Are there forms of public transportation you can use to get home, like a greyhound bus or Amtrak train (and if so, what are the schedules and costs like)? Is flying the best option to get back home from your out-of-state university, and if so, how often can you really afford to do so? Does your college town have an airport or do you need to drive to the closest big city to get affordable fares? These are all really important questions to ask yourself so that you are prepared for your move and know that no matter what, you always have a way home. It can be really comforting to have the answers to these questions and make moving out of state a little bit easier and less stressful by preparing you for holidays, emergencies, and homesickness.

How to Get Around

Another really important aspect to figure out when moving out of state is how you will be able to get around. The first thing to do is look at the city you are moving to. Is it a pedestrian safe city, where it is too big and crowded for people to really drive their cars around, like New York City? Or is it a big town that is too far-flung for you to get around without a car, like Jacksonville, FL which is the biggest city in the US land-wise? Does the place you are moving to have well-established and reliable public transportation, like a subway or trolleys? Even if you have a car, you would not want to bring it to a city like Boston where there are so many other ways to get around that are cheaper and more convenient and often even faster than driving.

Having the answer to these questions will help you with your move. Depending on how you plan to get around, you can figure out how far or close you can live to campus, if you need to pencil any kind of public transportation passes into your budget or gas and car insurance instead, and other really important basic day-to-day stuff.

Photo by Ketut Subiyanto from Pexels

Doing legwork in advance of your move will really help prepare you and make your move all the smoother. Good luck!

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format