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Moving to college as a student athlete can be an exciting and challenging time. As an athlete, you will have the opportunity to chase your dreams and compete at a higher level in your sport. But as a college student, you will have additional responsibilities and challenges to manage. With over 500,000 NCAA student athletes attending universities, there are many feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety about their move and starting this journey. To assist, Collegeboxes has advice to answer the most important questions for student athletes and tips to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Is Moving to College Any Different for Student Athletes?
The student athlete experience can be drastically different than that of the standard student. So, the process of moving to college and properly adjusting must be different as well, right? In many ways – yes, moving to college can be a contrasting experience for student athletes when compared to other students. Student athletes have more rigorous schedules and commitments due to their participation in sports, which can affect their ability to move in and adjust to college life. They also have to balance the demands of their sport with the demands of their academic coursework. Specifically, student athletes have to meet certain eligibility requirements in order to compete at the college level, which can affect their college experience.
For student athletes that participate in a fall sport, a notable difference is that many are able to move into their dorm rooms prior to the arrival of other students. This week or two head start can be helpful. But for student athletes moving out of state for college – the packing, loading, and transit to campus can still be a hurdle to overcome. It is also worth mentioning that during this period, these student athletes are actively gearing up for the start of their seasons. So, there isn’t much time for them to collect themselves and properly adjust to being college students.
Do Student Athletes Transfer More Than Regular Students?
According to a 2020 study conducted by Gallup, student athletes do not transfer more than regular students. The poll found that “a smaller portion of NCAA student athletes (22%) than non-athletes (38%) transferred to the institution from which they graduated.” Despite this, the transfer portal and new NIL programs have transformed the collegiate sports landscape immensely – prompting more student athletes to transfer colleges than ever before.
The Herald Bulletin reports that undergraduate student athlete transfers saw a 27.6 percent increase from 2020 to 2021. Many strongly believe this figure will continue to rise, resulting in more student athletes transferring regularly. However, this also means that there will be more students facing the challenges of transferring colleges. Similar to moving off to college for the first time, transferring schools can also present many challenges for students. Most notably transporting all their needed belongings to campus.
Tips for Student Athletes Moving to College
Heading off to college with the opportunity to continue playing your sport is a significant milestone in a student athlete’s life. All the hard work has paid off and you now get the chance to fulfill your dream of competing at a higher level in your sport. However, the journey of moving to college can be both a joyful and stressful process. There are many moving parts and decisions that will need to be handled to ensure your move to campus is successful. Properly adjusting to your new lifestyle on campus is important as well. Before those days arrive, Collegeboxes has tips to help.
Here are some quick tips to help your process:
1. Start Packing Early
When it comes to preparing for your move to campus, there’s really no such thing as starting to pack too early. Throughout the process, your idea of what you need to bring and what should stay may change often so it’s ideal to get a head start on packing for college.
2. Decide What to Bring and What to Leave
As previously mentioned, when you first start the process, you may feel like you can bring everything with you to your dorm. But due to the size of college dorms, this is simply not a possibility. This is why deciding what to bring and what to leave is an important step.
3. Reference Our “Moving to College Checklist“
If you have trouble deciding what’s essential when moving to college, please check out our Moving to College Checklist. This checklist can be downloaded, so you can reference it as often as needed during your moving process.
4. Consider Hiring Professional Help
Many students use companies such as Collegeboxes to help with their journey of moving to campus, especially when their university is a great distance from home. Consider if professional services are an option for you.
How Collegeboxes Can Assist
As the #1 student storage and shipping provider, Collegeboxes offers the services needed to make moving to college as a student athlete an easier process. If you’re attending an out-of-state school, our Ship to School service is a great option that helps many students. When using the Ship to School service, your boxes and luggage are shipped from your home to a local U-Haul facility near campus. There your items are temporarily stored and then delivered directly to your dorm room on the date you choose.
If you’re a student-athlete using the transfer portal to continue your playing career elsewhere, our Storage and Shipping service is perfect for your situation. When using the Storage and Shipping service, your belongings are shipped and stored between semesters. While in storage your items are fully accessible by you until they are delivered to campus.
If you are a student athlete moving to college, consider using Collegeboxes to make your journey to campus stress-free.
A ton of preparation and planning is needed when student-athletes move to college. Let Collegeboxes assist your journey to campus for a much simpler process. See if your university is among the thousands of schools we serve and sign up today! If you’re a student interested in being a college brand ambassador, check out our ambassador page and join the team!