If you’ve checked your NYU email lately, you’re probably drowning in the flood of reminders that your housing lease is coming to a close. Not only will you spend late May nights cramming for finals, but you’ll also be required to cram your suitcase and hit the road within 24 hours of your last exam.

“If you are not registered for summer housing, and are not graduating, you must check-out within 24 hours following your last exam, but no later than 12 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16, whichever comes first,” reads the email that NYU’s Residential Life and Housing Services has sent out five times this semester.

And don’t forget the iteration of that same email that your respective dorm sent out. OK, we get the message.

If you’re annoyed with the constant reminders, you’re not alone. Gallatin first-year Eden Goncalves feels the pressure as well.

“I’m very stressed … I don’t have until May 16,” Goncalves said. “I have until May 15 because my finals the day before are on the [May] 14. So, that leaves me, on a day where I have three finals, to pack up in 24 hours and leave the building because NYU can’t give me an extra day.”

Some students aren’t letting the emails stress them out. CAS first-year Korin Sayers hasn’t even given them thought.

“I mean to be honest, move out day is the last thing on my mind because I have finals and everything else, and finals can’t even be on my mind totally right now, just because I still have exams happening right now constantly, so everything is just kind of a one-step-at-a-time thing,” Sayers said. “So, I guess I’ll just worry about it after finals are over.”

Maybe trying to forget about it until it happens will work for some, but for most of us, it pays to be proactive. There are many ways to prep for move-out day — doing small things each day leading up so that the actual day isn’t as stressful as usual.

Sell the items you don’t need. Getting rid of unwanted books and clothes will not only ease the move out load but will also fatten your wallet.The NYU Bookstore buys back your used books and textbooks. Just up the street from the bookstore, Strand Book Store also buys back old, used books. After clearing out your bookshelf, you can clean out your closet of unworn clothes. Either donate to the local Goodwill or try consignment and thrift stores like Beacon’s Closet, Buffalo Exchange or Unitiques.

There will be items that you can’t part with but can’t lug all the way home only to bring them back next semester. Consider splitting a storage unit in the city with friends. Typically, no one has enough stuff in their tiny dorm to fill an entire unit, so sharing one with friends for the $7 is both easy and affordable. For example, Gotham Mini Storage offers affordable deals to keep your stuff air conditioned and safe until you return.

Not only do you need to gather all your junk, but you also need to make sure your room is squeaky clean if you want to avoid being fined with the cleaning charges mentioned in move-out emails.

RLHS sent out an email in March in regards to First Year Residential Experience Clean Week, a week of Spring Cleaning to motivate students to make small improvements each day to avoid chaos and filth later.

“Cleaning is the most commonly reported problem by NYU residential students,” The email stated. “That’s why we’ve created FYRE Clean Week, a week devoted to revisiting Resident Living Agreements with your roommate(s), evaluating what personal spaces need a little TLC, and getting motivated to clean so that you are prepared for a hassle-free move-out in May!”

But, it’s not too late. Sayers said that she wants to get organized now.

“If I were to have a plan, I guess I’ll pack little by little each day, so just making sure things are organized and I know where things are,” Sayers said. “It’s like not even a thing for me right now until all my other more stressful, more pressing things are passed.”

If you didn’t participate in FYRE Clean Week or you simply have too many items to pack up, it’s not too late to get started with some of these tips. Move Out day doesn’t have to be a hassle — finals are already hard enough. So don’t stress out, plan your moving out process and get moving.

Email Tianne Johnson at [email protected].