Step One: Pick a college.

Step Two: Pick a dorm, a major, and establish a new group of friends.  

Step Three: Create a whole new life. Then, next thing you know it’s time to move out.

Step Four: Find a new apartment.  

These are the basic steps to get you through freshman year. Easy enough, right?

Spring term is closing out, and students in the dorms are preparing for a big move out of the lively environment and into an apartment, townhouse or new home.

According to Director of Operations at University Housing and Dining Services Brian Stroup, students are expected to move out within 24 hours of their last final or by 5 p.m. on Friday, June 16, whichever comes first. Most apartments around Corvallis start their leases in August or September and run through June or July. The transition period can be difficult for freshmen moving out of a dorm because they have to move all their belongings home before they can move into a new apartment in the fall.

“We had a program for students to store their belongings over summer, however, we did not see many students utilizing the program and now we just work one-on-one with individuals and refer them to storage units in the area,” Stroup said.

Before students are released from their dorm, they have to schedule a move-out appointment with a student-staff member (Academic Learning Assistant, Community Relations Facilitator or Resident Assistant) in the residence hall via MyUHDS, starting May 22. Rooms must be empty of all personal belongings and trash and cleaned prior to the checkout appointment. After a student’s room is empty and clean, a staff member from their residence hall will inspect their room for damages.

Taylor Betz, a freshman animal science major, currently lives in Finley Hall and is looking forward to moving to her new townhouse, but explains some complications of moving all her stuff home for the summer.

“My plans for moving out are, the weekend before finals week, I am planning on moving a lot of things home. If I still need help the following weekend then my mom will come up, but I’m planning on being able to do it myself,” Betz said. “It should not be too difficult to move home, just more time consuming than anything.”

Students looking for a better chance to snag their preferred housing situation need to start looking early. According to Wyatt Jones, the community manager and technical support employee at The Retreat, a popular off-campus living option, students start looking for apartment space and floor plans winter term.

“Students should start applying in January in order to make sure they get top priority when it comes to picking the most desirable locations and finding the perfect roommates, but it all depends on the floor plan,” Jones said.

The Retreat has started a new program this year called “RoomSync,” where students have the ability to match up on Facebook with other applicants who want the same floor plan.  This allows applicants to find a roommate that they have a lot in common with and can closely relate to. The Retreat also offers many amenities that are included in the rent.

“I believe we are the first to start this program (in Corvallis), so we are really excited about it this year,” Jones said. “Another thing that makes us stand out is our inclusion of different amenities as well as pets in the facility.”

The Retreat offers an option for a $25 monthly fee to own a pet.  The housing complex also offers many amenities including Wi-Fi, a computer lab, tanning beds, a game room, indoor golf simulator, bike storage, a yoga studio, a weight room, a cardio room and a pool. Utilities are also supplied and are included in the rent.

“The Retreat was definitely one of our options because they offer a lot of amenities and utilities in rent. They also allow pets and I am a huge dog lover,” Betz said. “But not everyone that I planned to live with had a car, so we needed to find a closer place.”

Students take these factors into account when looking for a new place to live and it is important to do so early.  Perhaps you don’t have a car and the Retreat is too far of a walk. In that case, other options are available, like Preferred Properties Northwest (PPNW), offering apartments that are within walking distance.

“I am excited to have a place I can actually call home. I am excited to be able to live somewhere and decorate it how I please,” said Betz.