It can be difficult trying to get you and all your things back to university after you have been home for the summer or Christmas holidays. If it’s only a few things you want to take back, you might easily fit them in a suitcase on the train. If Santa has been really good to you and you’ve got a bit more, you might be able to rope someone in the family into giving you a lift back, but if you’ve got loads of stuff or even a new bit of furniture, then you might need to hire a van.
However many items you’ve got, the first step is to make sure you pack it well. Any glass or fragile items should be wrapped in tissue paper, or as a more environmentally friendly alternative, you could wrap fragile items in any clothes or towels that you’re taking back with you anyway. Get down to your local supermarket and see if you can get hold of some cardboard boxes to put things in. Not only will this help to keep things safe from damage, but it will keep things all together and make them easier to transport.
Once you have packed all your things carefully into boxes, you’ll need to pack your van or car carefully. Don’t just throw things in any old way. You need to pack everything in such a way that it doesn’t move around as you are driving. If things can move around easily you increase the chances of something breaking in transit and it can also be dangerous if something falls on you or, even worse, under the brake pedal.
Try to get everything into the boot of a car, if you need to use the back seats put things on the floor first and then use the seatbelts to hold things in place on the chairs. In a van, make sure things are as flat and wide as possible so that things can’t slide around or fall while you are driving.
When you are driving – or being driven – back to university, try to drive during day light hours and drive a little slower than you would normally just to keep you and your cargo safe as all the extra weight might make your vehicle a little harder to stop. If you have far to travel, give yourself plenty of time to get there and take regular breaks, especially if you are feeling tired.
Remember, don’t try and carry so much in a suitcase that you will find it hard to get around on your own and don’t over pack a car to the point of it being dangerous. There are many companies that offer van hire if needs be.
Once you reach your destination you can always try to get your lazy flatmates to come out and help you unpack, but it’s impossible to guarantee that they will.
Fiona Roy writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
