moving tips

For most students, moving into rez or their first ghetto house is a pretty life changing experience. You need dish soap and dryer sheets and coat hangers. When in your life have you ever actually needed those things, they always just appeared.

Getting Your Stuff Here

If you live within driving distance, the answer to this question is obvious: put it in a car, rent a UHaul, whatever. If you live out of province, there is a slightly more difficult situation.

First Year- Shipping

What you cannot pack in a suitcase (50lbs x 2 bags Air Canada, 70lbs x 2 bags Westjet) you will have to ship or purchase in Kingston.

Shipping, depending on how far away you live from Queen’s, can be a costly way of getting things out there. Usually, for about 200lbs of crud, it’ll cost around $120 dollars on Greyhound to ship from BC. Keep in mind that a lot of the time, delivery dates are ambiguous, and what you thought you’d get on Tuesday actually shows up on Friday at 6:30 am in the morning while you’re trying to sleep on a barren, sketchy rez mattress.

There are lots of things you can purchase while in Kingston, such as school supplies and printers. Many businesses offer deals to students on various items. If you don’t mind paying minimal cab fare, this is a wise thing to do.

My First Ghetto House

Moving into a ghetto house can be one of the most stressful, yet exciting times. There are peak moving times- usually the first weekend after April exams (or the first before May first). Traffic is a nightmare, and everyone parks his/her SUV and attached dinky trailers every which way. If you can avoid the pandemonium, do so.

For those whose parents will not make the 2000 km drive to Kingston from out of province, there is recourse. Many people graduating sell off their stuff for cheap cheap cheap! All that’s necessary after that is finding a way to pick it all up. If you’re lucky, you can just buy furniture off people who used to rent your new house. Otherwise, many cabs will pick up smaller items, and friends’ parents will lend a hand.

Remember, if you need to book a moving van, do it early. They book up pretty fast, and you usually need to have someone over 25 to rent it for you, as rental companies in Kingston are fairly strict.