Self Storage and the Recent Grad: Keep Your Stuff But Not at Home

College graduation is an exciting time! It’s your first big step on the road to becoming a completely independent person. Part of that independence means picking up all that stuff that’s been chilling back home in your old bedroom or in Mom and Dad’s basement, garage, or attic.

If you’re graduating here in Oklahoma, then chances are you’re an alumnus of one of the many fine colleges around the state such as the University of Oklahoma in Norman, the University of Tulsa, East Central in Ada, or OSU in Stillwater.

You may already have a job lined up after graduation or you may still be looking for work or interning. Whatever your career situation fresh out of college, chances are you’re transitioning from living on campus to your first post-grad home. Maybe it’s an apartment close to where you went to school or maybe it’s a condo, townhouse, or even a house of your own someplace far from where you grew up.

At this stage in your life, you’re probably still renting, but that’s okay! It’s still a place of your own; it’s not the dorms, and it’s not your parents’ house. Even if you have roommates, it’s still a big change. And with that change comes new responsibilities, including taking stock of your things and finding a home for all of them.

Over the last 20-plus years you’ve probably accumulated a fair amount of stuff. Maybe some of it came with you to college while other things stayed back with your folks. Now that you’ve got a place of your own, though, it’s time to give your parents a break and go through all that stuff that you left behind when you went off to school. After all, your parents might have plans for the space that stuff has been taking up.

You’ll probably want to get rid of some of it, but you’ll want to keep some of it, too. It doesn’t always have to make a lot of sense. There’ll be some things that you actually need in your new apartment—kitchen utensils and furniture and all that fun stuff—but there’ll also be things from your past that you want to keep forever because they hold a special value to you.

Other things, though, you probably don’t need to keep holding on to. Are you ever going to actually play that trumpet you had in middle school band? Do all those old trapper keepers from elementary school spark joy, as Marie Kondo would say?

Even once you’ve gotten rid of the things that you no longer want or need, you may still find that you have more stuff than you have room for. Luckily, self storage in Oklahoma can give that extra stuff a home-away-from-home if your new place isn’t big enough to store it all.

Here are a few tips to help you identify what you want to keep, deal with the things that you own, and understand how self storage in Oklahoma can help.

Clothing. We all have tons of clothing, and not all of it is stuff we wear all year-round. Here in Oklahoma, we probably don’t need those long-sleeved shirts and jackets in the summer or those shorts and flip flops in the winter. Luckily, if your new home is short on closet space, self storage can keep seasonal clothing items out of the way until their time comes around again.

Old Schoolwork and Books. You never know when you’ll want to re-read that essay you wrote in freshman comp or when you may want to crack open an old schoolbook to refresh your memory on a particular subject. But all that stuff can really fill up a closet, so why not store it in a climate-controlled self storage unit instead?

Appliances. Maybe your roommate is planning to bring along her own microwave, coffee maker, or other appliances, and you won’t need yours. There’s no reason to put yours out on the curb, though, because you’ll probably need them in your next place. Why not put ’em in storage for later?

College Furniture. Your first post-grad home may not have a guest room, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s time to pitch that dorm room futon. Put it in storage, and don’t forget to use a mattress cover to help protect the mattress. You never know when you might find a use for it.

Sports, Hunting, Golf, or Fishing Gear. We all have our hobbies. While you were in school, all your gear may have occupied a corner of Mom and Dad’s garage, but now that you’re on your own, you want it to be handy when you need it, without cluttering up your new place. Think of self storage in Oklahoma as your “sports locker” away from home.

Holiday Decorations. Maybe you already have a few holiday decorations, and chances are you’ll get more and more as the years go by. But there’s no need to keep all those Draculas and snowmen at home when self storage in Oklahoma is just around the corner.

Media. Don’t play Xbox as often as you did when you were in the dorms? Got a bunch of DVDs you’re not ready to part with just yet, even though you already upgraded to Blu? Put ’em into storage, and they’ll still be there down the road when you’re feeling nostalgic.

Self Storage in Oklahoma is Your Friend! As a family-based business, Storage ‘R’ Us has been providing self storage in Oklahoma since 1972. We’ve helped our kids and grandkids get the most out of their homes and their lives with a little self storage on the side.

Most recent college grads can rent a smaller storage unit around 5×5 or 5×10 to keep the stuff that won’t fit in their first post-grad home. And with 8 locations across Oklahoma, Storage ‘R’ Us is close to many of the colleges in the state.

If you’re looking for a little help finding the storage solution that’s right for you, our knowledgeable staff can answer your questions and point you in the right direction so you can start your new life uncluttered but comforted by the knowledge that your prized possessions are never far away. Just contact Storage ‘R’ Us today or visit one of our convenient locations!