During winter break, a new source of anxiety added itself to the mountain of college stress already living inside of me. Over the course of the academic year, due to a few trips to Bed Bath & Beyond and lots of Amazon orders, I had accumulated quite a collection of belongings. Spring is now around the corner, which means move-out season is soon, so I’ve started to think about what I’m supposed to do with all of my things over the summer.

The ease of traveling with only a carry-on bag is gone when it comes to moving in and moving out of college. I no longer have just myself to tote around, but also a bunch of furniture, dorm essentials, cooking appliances, a fridge and some large electronics. I had assumed NYU would provide storage space for returning students. This was not the case. Committing to a four-year college does not equate to a four-year temporary home, but four successive years of move-ins and move-outs. To ease the burden on students, NYU needs to provide storage space over summer breaks.

For some students, such as those with friends or family near campus who can store belongings, a dedicated storage facility may not be a necessity. For international and out-of-state students like myself, however, the situation is more complicated.

If NYU were to offer summer storage space for students, it would save both time and money. This change would not only make our lives more convenient, but also alleviate the stress surrounding moving in and moving out. Move-out dates typically fall around final exams, so while you’re preoccupied with studying for back-to-back tests, you also have to worry about cramming all of your dearest belongings into suitcases and boxes before your dorm’s strict noon move-out time. 

Storage space in New York City is available through companies like Dorm Room Movers and Gotham Mini Storage. Some offer student discounts, but prices can still be high. For example, Gotham Storage offers a 5x5x4 storage space for $39 a month. For four years of three-month-long summer breaks, storage would cost $351, assuming prices remain the same.

Shipping everything back is an option, but comes with its own set of challenges. It’s not only expensive and time-consuming, but also physically demanding, as you’ll have to make repeated trips to and from the dorm lobbies with a clunky blue bin filled to the brim with boxes. Students who ship their items must transport their things to and from New York City at least eight times during their four years at NYU. If you’ve ever shipped anything, you know that, unfortunately, getting your items back is not always a guarantee.

And your hangers, cleaning supplies, extra storage boxes — all the things you don’t need back at home — take up a lot of space in your luggage. Have you ever tried traveling with a mop? It’s really hard. Instead of carrying our dorm items with us, we tend to leave them behind just to buy them again next semester — a great way to contribute to consumerism and the dilemma of single-use. Even though these household essentials might not be the most expensive, throwing away perfectly usable products is damaging to our environment and costly. All of this further contributes to the growing list of out-of-pocket costs that come with attendance. 

NYU has the largest international student body of all U.S. colleges, with over 21,000 international students enrolled. Considering this, a larger percentage of NYU’s student body most likely needs summer storage for their belongings compared to other schools in the United States. 

NYU is our home for the next few years, and we need belongings that make us feel at home for our comfort, well-being and mental health. Many students would take advantage of and benefit from NYU offering storage over summer break. This change may take time to fully implement, but kickstarting the process by offering a stipend to eligible students is a solid alternative to begin with.

WSN’s Opinion section strives to publish ideas worth discussing. The views presented in the Opinion section are solely the views of the writer.

Contact Ingibjorg Steingrimsdottir at [email protected]