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Life Stories: Moving to College the Right Way


Your baby is going off into the world, and your son or daughter will be away from home for an extended period, possibly for the first time. You’ll drive them to school, unload a car full of belongings, maybe run out and buy a few “extras” for the dorm room or apartment, and then say your heartfelt goodbyes.

Now fast forward a year. Your child has made it through a couple semesters of college, and it’s time to come home for the summer break. But wait! You’ve adjusted to your new found space (and freedom), and they have accumulated a lot of things… a lot more than they left home with. How are you going to get all of this back into your house?

You don’t have to.

To make that temporary living transition an easy one, many seasoned students and their parents are opting to use storage units to keep their belongings near the colleges or universities they attend. Storing all your child’s “essentials” in one unit makes the transition back to school a lot easier. If you’re convinced you can do without additional storage during the college years, we’ve collected four true life stories to prove otherwise. In each case, storage offered back a little time, convenience, and peace of mind.

The Riccobono Family and Their Daughter’s Dance Gear

For University at Buffalo junior Julia Riccobono, storing her belongings in a 5×5 unit at the Youngs Road facility in Tonawanda, N.Y., is a no brainer. “I have everything there. It just makes a lot of sense,” said Julia.

The Riccobonos live on Long Island, N.Y., about a 10-hour drive from Buffalo. Julia’s mother, Jennifer Riccobono, feels much better knowing her daughter, who is the first child in the family to go to college, has enough space to feel at home. “She’s a girl, she has a lot of stuff,” Jennifer said of her 20-year-old daughter. “The unit at Life Storage is perfect size for all her dorm room stuff.”

She’s a girl, she has a lot of stuff,” Jennifer said of her 20-year-old daughter. “The unit at Life Storage is perfect size for all her dorm room stuff.”

Jennifer, who also has a 16-year-old son, says having her daughter away at school is not easy. “It’s definitely an adjustment … she’s the life of the house!”

“I guess I am the entertainment,” Julia said with a laugh.

Julia has been dancing since she was 3 years old. She is currently a member of the UB Dazzlers, a college dance team that performs during home football and basketball games. She’s able to keep her dance shoes and many dance outfits in storage so it’s ready to go when she gets back to school a week early to begin practice with her teammates. First day of classes at UB are Aug. 29.

Julia, a Biotechnology major, is happy with her decision to go away to school. “It was big for me to go away, being by myself, but I figured it out,” she said.

And mom is happy with her decision to rent a storage unit from Life Storage. “I would absolutely recommend it” to my friends.

The Wright Family and Kayla’s Mission to Stay Organized

Most, if not all, colleges do not allow students to leave anything in their dorm rooms over the summer. And, for most students, it’s not possible to haul all of their belongings back home, especially in one trip. This is the case for the Wright family and daughter Kayla from Clearwater, Fla. “It works out perfectly for my daughter’s situation,” said Cheryl Wright, whose daughter, Kayla, is a junior at Southern Mississippi. “It keeps me from hauling her things across three states.”

It works out perfectly for my daughter’s situation,” said Cheryl Wright, whose daughter, Kayla, is a junior at Southern Mississippi. “It keeps me from hauling her things across three states.”

Cheryl, a single mother of two daughters, is trying to make Kayla’s college experience as fun and affordable as possible. Cheryl works two jobs to help Kayla pay for the “extras” while she’s away at college. Cheryl’s older daughter lives in Georgia, so having Kayla away at Southern Miss., makes it a little lonely in her apartment at times.

“Yeah, it’s quiet and I miss her, so it is hard for me,” Cheryl said. “Kayla wanted to go away to school. She applied and was accepted, so I’m happy for her.”

Cheryl said Kayla is a “neat-freak,” and the storage unit near her college is ideal for decluttering. “She keeps her room cleaner than most adults would,” said Cheryl. “Her room is spotless all the time. The storage unit helps.”

“I have a lot of stuff and it just works out to have it close to school,” said Kayla, a Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism major at Southern Miss. The 21-year-old junior heads back to college on Aug. 16, and she’s happy to know exactly where her things are. She rents with Life Storage year-round and uses the unit during the semester to store totes and empty boxes, things that would normally clutter her dorm room.

The Amoia Family Keeping it Close to Home

The Amoias of West Seneca, N.Y., have a slightly different philosophy for storing their son’s college apartment belongings. Unlike the previous two families that chose storage close to school, Tom Amoia keeps his son’s college stuff very close to home. Matt Amoia is a senior at Syracuse University, about a 3-hour drive away. “We’re definitely happy, the unit works out well,” said Tom. “We store his bed, a dresser, a futon, a computer table, a recliner, TV … a lot of stuff.”

We’re definitely happy, the unit works out well,” said Tom. “We store his bed, a dresser, a futon, a computer table, a recliner, TV … a lot of stuff.”

The Amoias have two sons, and Matt, the oldest, wanted to go away to college.

“We knew we were going to have to use storage,” said Tom. “We load up our pickup truck and Matt’s car and haul all his stuff to school in one trip.”

Long before storing Matt’s college items, Tom used Life Storage to store a 1986 Monte Carlo SS. “The service is pretty good and the prices are good,” said Tom. “It’s a nice facility and it’s close to my house.”

The Sobers and Lapite Family’s Decision to Share Storage

University at Buffalo senior, Brittny Sobers, and her roommate, Oyin Lapite, both grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., but didn’t meet until their freshman year at college. Now the two are best friends and share a storage unit in West Seneca, N.Y., which is about 10 miles from their on-campus apartment.

“Well, we basically store our entire room in one unit,” said Brittny, a Communications major. “We keep everything in storage – appliances, furniture, you name it.”

Brittny, the youngest of six siblings who grew up in a “typical” Brownstone, said her brothers and sisters went to colleges close to home and didn’t need storage. She heard about the storage units from another friend. “Why travel with all this stuff from Brooklyn to Buffalo and back? I can get all my stuff in one trip from the storage unit to our apartment,” said the 21-year-old. “It’s easy… just makes sense. Plus, they (Life Storage) provide a truck which is really helpful. It needs to be affordable for college students and Life Storage is.”

Why travel with all this stuff from Brooklyn to Buffalo and back? I can get all my stuff in one trip from the storage unit to our apartment,” said the 21-year-old. “It’s easy… just makes sense. Plus, they (Life Storage) provide a truck which is really helpful. It needs to be affordable for college students and Life Storage is.”

Having a storage unit near campus also gives students the option of grabbing the items they need at their convenience, like seasonal clothing.

“We rent on a seasonal basis, three months,” said Brittny, who leaves winter jackets, scarfs and other heavier clothing items in storage over the summer. These are items she doesn’t need over the summer months but are there when she returns for the fall semester at the University at Buffalo.

So, if you find lugging all your belongings back and forth between home and college at the end of each semester a major headache, you may want to consider a better solution.

Renting an affordable storage unit at any of our storage facilities keeps belongings safe and secure and easily accessible. It also gives college students, and their parents, a chance to relax on their summers and winters off.

About the Author

Dennis Danheiser

Dennis Danheiser is an award-winning communications professional with over 35 years in the newspaper business. A lifelong Western New Yorker, Dennis has worked as an editor and reporter in covering local and national news, sports, business and features. An avid sports fan, Dennis played college football at Boston University and coached high school football at Kenmore East for 10 years.

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