Tis that time of year when the doorbell rings a little more often marking delivery of item after item your child must possess to make her college experience even more positive. But after you’ve amassed a whole bunch of new paraphernalia–some of which she’ll likely never use–how do you pack your child’s gear together, load your vehicles, and move in those items to her new home-away-from-home as optimally as possible? Well, after a few of these such moves, here are some tips and tricks I’ve come up with to try to make the move-in experience as comfortable as possible.

Box up the gear

It may go without saying, but the more loose items you can box up, the better. I have found 18 gallon storage bins quite helpful because they’re easy to carry and stack up well. Ikea–and I’m sure others–sell handy bags with straps that do well to keep together your lighter items.

Bundle your clothes together

Most of your child’s clothes can be folded and boxed in some fashion, but your child will likely attend a few formal gatherings in her time at school and will want to bring more formal attire on hangers such as suits and dresses. For these, I like to group, say, 7-8 items together in dry cleaning bags. If you don’t have a handy supply of those bags, garbage bags work well as a substitute. Rubberband the hangers together and you can even put some duct tape over the tips to prevent the hangers from scratching your car or other possessions.

Label your items

Most schools will have some sort of welcoming team and some may even help you carry your gear to your room. As a precaution, you should label your bins, bags, and other items with masking tape and sharpie. Write the name of your child, her dorm, and her room number if you know it.

Bring a small dolly or cart

We have a couple of small dollies that easily fold up in the car and help to move your heavier items. I highly recommend bringing one along.

Tools

In my last move, I had to assemble two lamps, a TV stand, and a couple of storage shelves. My socket set and screw drivers made easy work of these. In the past, I’ve had to adjust the height of my kid’s bed frame that was well locked into place, but my hammer helped the adjustment. If you have even more components to assemble, you may consider bringing a charged, cordless drill, but, thankfully, I’ve yet to have to resort to that level of assembly. If you have plastic wrapped items, a knife or boxcutter will be a tool you’ll want available.

Bungees, door stops, etc.

You may need to prop open doors in your path. You’ll appreciate having a bungee cord or door stop on hand to wedge those open. Consider also including zip ties, duct tape, and even rope in your arsenal to help clear your path.

Assess the room

Most of the time, your child’s school will want you to fill out a move-in form where you note any damage to the room before you take possession of it. That way, you won’t have to pay for such damage when your child moves out. Either way, before you start hauling in your gear, take some time to survey the room and note any pre-existing damage. Taking pictures or video may even be advisable.

Don’t lose your key!

As soon as your child receives her dorm key, make sure she secures it: puts it on her keychain, lanyard, or secures it as she would her car keys or other similar items. Losing your key costs money and causes inconvenience. Ask me how I know!

Bring a change of clothes

August is usually a hot month no matter where you are in these United States. You’ll likely build up a nice “shine” carrying your child’s supplies to her room. Consider bringing a change of clothes to put on once the move is done.

Think about a time limit

After you’ve finished moving your child’s gear to her room, it will be time to unpack, organize, and decorate the room. You’ll certainly want to help her with all those tasks and absolutely should, but there will be a time let go and let her take charge of her own domicile. These moves can be emotionally tough for us parents and hard to walk away. It may help to establish some sort of time limit or milestone like an end-of-move meal to mark the time to leave your child and let her fly on her own.