School's out and so is your stuff

As the semester winds to a close, students prepare to spend their summers in places both near and far. And the part of the moving-out process that so many students dread -- the packing -- is nearly upon us. Figuring out where to put this stuff, and how to get it there, is a quandary for any student.

The problem of where to store possessions for the summer is a larger issue for students who live far from Tufts. Claire Freierman, a sophomore from New York, had the ideal situation last May, with family in the Boston area. "I took most of my stuff home, but certain things like bedding, etc. I stored with my uncle who lives in Cambridge," she said.

Many students have to find alternative solutions for summer storage. "When I was a freshman, I went home for the summer and since I wasn't going to take all my stuff back to Ohio, I put it with TSR [Tufts Student Resources]," senior Melissa Frankel said.

TSR's Summer Storage is a popular option for students who need to store their belongings over the summer. Offered in conjunction with Campus Storage and Shipping, the service allows students to store their belongings without ever leaving campus. The service offers free boxes and free delivery in the fall of up to five boxes.

Sophomore Jessica Schwartz used TSR to store her stuff last summer. She liked the service and is planning on using it again this summer. "They were very nice and helpful," she said. "I arranged for early pickup and it went fine."

Using TSR does not, however, make the entire moving-out process hassle-free. "TSR was good because it was on campus," Frankel said. "But it was difficult to get your stuff to the trailer, especially if you don't have a car."

Schwartz is dreading carrying her boxes to the storage drop-off this May. "Last year I was in Miller so the trailer was not so far away," she explained. "This year, in Hill, it will be impossible carrying boxes to the drop-off truck."

Sophomore Andy De Luca used Collegeboxes.com to store his belongings last summer. "Compared to other alternatives, like renting out one of those garage rooms over by Mystic Ave., I'd say it's a pretty fair deal -- much more expensive for the amount of storage space you get but more convenient," he said.

"I just set a time and place whenever I wanted over the summer and they delivered," De Luca explained. Though the process is easy, it does come with a price. "They come to your door to return the boxes, but it is 40 bucks a box which could come to cost you a lot," De Luca said.

Despite the hassle and the price, storing belongings with TSR or another similar company is sometimes unavoidable. "Those of us who live far away hope that we have friends who lives close by that will let us store stuff at their house," Frankel said. "Otherwise you just suck it up and use TSR. I guess you could rent U-Haul space or something like that, but that has its own challenges and problems."

Renting space in a U-Haul storage facility is another option for Tufts students as there are U-Haul facilities in both Medford and Somerville. If they use this option, however, students must have a car to drive their belongings to the facility. In addition, for those students who do not wish to store their boxes with TSR, the Office of Off-Campus Housing website offers a list of area storage and moving companies.

Students who are moving into off-campus housing for either the summer or the upcoming school year also face problems when the dorms close. Many leases begin June 1 and, as the dorms close for non-seniors on May 15, this creates a two-week long period of homelessness.

Some students negotiate with the current residents and share housing during this two-week period, moving in before the new lease begins. Sophomore Rachel Diskin is planning to move into her new apartment when the dorms close. "I spoke to the people who currently live in the house and agreed to live in one of the spare rooms," Diskin said. "It's only for two weeks and it will be good to move my stuff in."

This idea, while solving that two-week gap problem, brings with it additional challenges. Diskin does not know the people she will be living with for the two weeks. "There are a few other people who are doing what I'm doing, and living with people who are already there," she said. "But most people know the people they're living with."

The option is not readily available for most students -- there aren't many spare rooms in off-campus apartments. Thus most students are forced to find alternate solutions. "Last year, I managed to get an apartment that let me put my stuff in their basement," Frankel said. "But there was so much stuff in there that when I moved in, some of my things got lost."