moving out

Stress and moving go together. Especially since you will soon live in another country, you may feel tempted to cut corners and get through the moving out experience as quickly and with as little effort as possible—don’t. Whether you lived in an apartment, with a host family or in a dorm environment, don’t ever just pack up the things you care about and leave the rest in a state of disarray. Apartment companies will not refund the deposit you paid when you moved in if they have to clean up behind you. You will probably want to stay in touch with your roommate(s) or hosts even after you leave, so make sure they know how much you appreciate their part in your life by leaving the room clean and neat. As a rule, leave things the way you would like to find them if you moved in next.

Always give plenty of notice when you have decided on a departure date. Most apartments require at least a 30-day written notice so they can plan ahead for the next occupants. Notify the school and dorm about your departure plans so they can have accurate information for incoming students.

If you have lived with a host family during your time in the U.S., do something special for them before you leave to communicate how much you appreciated them opening their home and family to you. You will likely have built a strong bond by the time you leave, so keep them up to date on your plans for leaving and let them participate in helping you prepare to move.