The end of spring quarter is a busy time of year, especially for on-campus students at Western Washington University. While balancing finals, students must also pack all their belongings and move out for the summer.
Yolanda Blount, a second-year human services major, has lived on campus for the past two years and assisted with student move-out in the fall and winter, and will continue this spring. Last year, she lived in Alma Clark Glass Hall and now lives in the Beta-Gamma Community.
Move-out week begins on Monday, June 8, and ends on Friday, June 12, at 4 p.m. Residents can begin dropping their keys off at the front desk, Monday June 8, at 1 p.m. Any residents who are not moved out by that time will receive a late fee.
“(The parking lots and buildings) get really crowded, really, really fast,” Blount said. “People are trying to move out ASAP, so we have to work around that.”
Residents must check out with their resident adviser before leaving. Residents can sign up for a time slot through a link their RA sends or during their final meeting of the school year with their RA.
“Last year, I did not know I had to sign up with our RA to move out,” Blount said. “ I was like, ‘I’m ready to move out now,’ but I actually (had) to go through my RA’s schedule.”
To avoid delays in moving out, it’s important to tell family or friends assisting the move-out when the resident needs to be moved out by.
Additionally, a visitor move-out parking permit must be purchased, which can be done the day of move-out through the ParkMobile app.
In previous move-outs, Blount noticed that students had left belongings in their rooms before checking out. To check out with an RA, residents must have all their belongings out of the room, including things they may not want to keep.
If residents have items such as mini fridges, microwaves and tea kettles that they do not need or want anymore, they can donate them to the recovery drive. There are different places on campus where students can donate their items, such as the Buchanan Towers and Higginson Hall first-floor lobbies.
“Instead of throwing things away as soon as possible, see what you’re able to give away,” Blount said.
Items donated to the recovery drive can be used for the Resident Checkout Program. This program allows students to check out expensive items for the school year so they don’t have to buy something new and then get rid of it when they move.
There are items, like mattress pads, that cannot be donated to the recovery drive, so it is important to double-check what residents are able to contribute. Other resources like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are available to give away or sell items.
For students who need access to boxes for moving, Blount said the front desks may be able to provide a limited amount of boxes and bags, but to also look at grocery stores for move-out supplies.
“WinCo (has) a whole corner of boxes … that you’re able to take for free,” Blount said.
She also recommended looking around the residence hall lounges for spare boxes.
Blount said that residents should continue to check their emails for updates from their RAs, and maintain a consistent schedule to help keep the move-out process quick and easy for everyone involved.
Isobel Diprima (she/her) is a campus life reporter. She is a second-year visual journalism pre-major and is thrilled for her first quarter writing for The Front. When she’s not writing, Isobel can be found curled up in bed with her cat, Twilight, reading a good book or taking photos for The Rage Magazine or of her friends. You can reach Isobel at isobeldiprima.thefront@gmail.com.
