7 Ways to Use Self-Storage for College Students

Kicking off your college adventure comes with its share of excitement and hurdles. One minute, you’re figuring out your major, the next, you’re pondering where to keep all your gear between semesters or during that semester abroad.

Or maybe you’re transitioning from being a dorm resident to your off-campus apartment, or graduating into post-grad life.

Thankfully, with the right student self-storage unit, all those logistical headaches from cramped dorm rooms to summer breaks can become a thing of the past. 

This helpful guide reveals seven ways to use self-storage for college students to level up your life. We’ll also cover the self storage unit features college students love and how to choose your unit size based on a storage size guide. 

Finally, we’ll share how to find affordable student self-storage solutions near you.

1. Climate Protected Storage During Summer and Winter Break

Taking home everything from your dorm room and bringing it all back again is so inconvenient during summer and winter breaks. While self-storage doesn’t fully remove the never-ending game of packing and moving items between college semesters from the equation, it does lessen your burden.

And if your college is located in an area with brutally hot summers or harsh cold winters, a climate-controlled unit will keep your stuff much safer than throwing it in your friend’s garage.

First of all, you say goodbye to the stress of overpacking your car or splurging on a rental truck and extra packing supplies you’ll need to keep it safe for a long-distance drive.

• When you move your gear back home, you’ll have to pack up your belongings, rent a moving truck, load all your stuff up, and drive it across the country, but the rental truck return date is.
• And if you have a personal vehicle, you have to tow it behind the moving truck!
• When renting a storage unit close to your college campus, you can pack and move your stuff into the unit little by little over the last few weeks of class.
• By the time summer or winter break rolls around, you simply jump in your vehicle and take off, or catch an Uber to the airport.

Second, when you come back from break, all your dorm room items, your cozy winter jacket, and those heavy textbooks will be right where you need them — close to campus.

You’ll pat yourself on the back when you return, as the transition will be way smoother and hassle-free compared to your friends who didn’t rent self-storage.

And you don’t need to worry about getting tied down. Many storage facilities offer summer storage for students as well as other short-term leasing options. These will have you covered whether you need storage for a short winter break or the longer haul over summer, with no more moving marathons or car cramming. Just easy, breezy breaks with everything just where you left it.

2. Low Price Self-Storage While Studying Abroad

Going to study in another country is thrilling. But there’s this big question — what to do with all your stuff? Renting out your space just to keep your things there? Nope. Cramming everything into your friend’s garage? Not quite ideal. Here’s a simpler idea: temporary storage for college students.

• Drop your stuff in a unit and forget about it until you’re back. It’s secure and out of your hair (and everyone else’s).
• Month-to-month options mean you’re not stuck paying for storage when you don’t need it. No long commitments, just temporary storage for college students abroad.
• Self-storage is cheaper than keeping your apartment or dorm room just for storage.
• Knowing your things are in a safe place lets you focus on your studies and indulge in adventures without that nagging worry about your belongings back home.

Pro Tip: Looking for more affordable storage units for students while you’re away? You can benefit from long-term and short-term student storage deals if you show your student ID at select facilities. Discounts can vary.

3. Transitions Between Off-Campus Apartments and College Dorms

Moving between places during your college years is pretty much a given. One semester, you’re in a dorm, and the next, you might be moving into an apartment with friends. To make these transitions smoother, there’s self-storage again.

• Caught in the limbo of moving out and waiting to move into your new spot? Drop your belongings in a storage unit and breathe easy. Your stuff now has a temporary home.
• Moving day is already a headache. Why add to it by trying to juggle all your belongings in one go? A storage unit lets you move things in stages, drastically cutting down on the chaos.
• Some storage companies either provide moving services at a sweet price or partner with trusted movers. It’s worth asking about that when you rent your unit.

Pro Tip: Look for facilities offering drive-up storage access to your unit — it’s a blessing for loading and unloading heavy furniture or countless boxes.

4. Decluttering Dorm Room or Apartment

If you look around your dorm or apartment and wonder where all the space went, you may need a self-storage rescue. Between the textbooks, the winter gear, and, let’s be honest, a few impulse buys, things get crowded fast.

Given the tight quarters most of us live in during college, no wonder self-storage units are trusty backup closets, but without the clutter. Keep your living space for living and let the college dorm storage solutions handle the rest.

• Got a bulky jacket taking up half your closet? Or maybe a lamp that doesn’t fit anywhere? Pop them into storage. This can be your go-to spot for stuff you don’t need every day, allowing you to keep your place tidy without saying goodbye to things you love.
• Picking a storage spot close to where you live means you can grab what you need without a big ordeal. Suddenly need that textbook you thought you were done with? It’s no big deal to swing by the storage unit.
• Try keeping your day-to-day needs around and stash away the rest. Plus, it makes cleaning a breeze when you finally want to find your desk under all those papers.

5. Secure Self-Storage for Valuables

Got some stuff you’d hate to lose in the chaos of dorm life? You know, the gadgets, the jewelry, or maybe those collectibles you’re super proud of. Your roommate’s cool and all, but accidents happen, and sometimes things go missing – unless of course they’re safe and sound in a storage unit with enhanced storage security measures. 

Extra secure self storage facilities offer security features like:

• Keypad entry for individual units
• Electronic gate access
• Fire Safety
• Fencing and Perimeter Security
• Locks and Alarms
• Video Surveillance and Monitoring 

Student self-storage options merge extra space with added security. A laptop you aren’t using, that vintage watch, or your comic book collection gets its safe spot in there.

Need to grab your DSLR for a photography class or that special piece of jewelry for an event? No problem. Your items are just a quick visit away, on your schedule.

When comparing the cost of replacing valuables vs. a storage unit, the math adds up in favor of storage. After all, investing in secure storage for student belongings can protect against the unexpected, be it theft, loss or damage. 

It’s a small price for a big peace of mind to be able to focus on your studies and enjoy college life without the background stress of “What if?” 

Pro tip: Check with your family insurance agent to see whether it makes sense to take out a policy for even more added protection.

6. Vehicle Storage for College Students

Tired of circling the campus for what feels like hours hunting for a parking spot, only to end up late to class? Not to mention the high parking fees seem like they’re only going up. For all these, the answer is quite simple: secure self-storage for vehicles.

From spots under the open sky to covered awnings that keep the rain off, all the way to fully enclosed units that give your ride its dedicated room, there’s a storage option for every vehicle. And yes, that includes your campus-ripping moped or beloved bicycle.

What’s more, storing your vehicle at a nearby facility can be pretty wallet-friendly — often a fraction of the cost of campus parking fees. And that’s before you factor in the savings from not having to pay for repairs from parking lot dings and accidents.

Plus, many storage places near universities understand student life. They offer flexible contracts so you can store your vehicle only as long as you need to, whether that’s just for the winter months or a whole year while you’re studying abroad.

7. College Storage Needs After Post-Graduation 

Just tossed your cap in the air, clutching your diploma, and now you’re hit with the big question: What comes next? For a lot of fresh grads, the answer isn’t just heading back to the old room at their folks’ place. You might be lining up interviews, dreaming of far-off places, or scouting apartments with your buddies.

So, what’s the plan for all your college stuff — the piles of books, the cherished mini-fridge, and everything else that made your dorm feel like home? Well, there’s a simple solution and, once again, that’s self-storage.

Transitioning to post-college life, a storage unit becomes your treasure chest, holding onto the bits of your student days while you chart out your future adventures. Feeling uncertain about where you’ll end up? 

It lets you jet off to job interviews or backpack across continents without lugging your college life behind you. It’s a secure spot where your belongings can chill until you’ve got your next move figured out.

And while it might feel like you’re just stashing away yesterday’s memories, self-storage is the stepping stone to what’s ahead. These units flex with your life’s rhythm, keeping the old and the new until you’re ready to blend them. 

And for the wanderers not keen on putting down roots just yet, long-term storage is the perfect holdover, without the pressure of picking a permanent spot. It’s all secure, out of the way, but there when you need it.

Storage Options College Students Need

By now, you should have a pretty good idea of why college students rent storage units. But while renting self-storage is a relatively straightforward process, you’ve got to figure out which features you need.

Not every storage facility offers units with the same storage options. And adding features to your storage unit’s list of amenities also adds to the price. It’s best to know what you’re looking for ahead of time so you’re not paying for storage features you don’t use.

Here’s a quick list of storage features college students love:

Climate Control

Facilities keep their climate-controlled storage unit between 55 and 85 degrees (F). Climate-controlled storage units are almost always indoor, and with stable temperatures and humidity levels, your valuables will be better protected from damage in long-term storage.

But climate control is more than just storage with air conditioning and heat. They also maintain a consistent humidity level to keep your moisture-sentive,  valuable or environmentally-vulnerable items susceptible items safe and sound until you get back to campus.

24/7 Storage Access

The hectic class, study, work, and social schedule that comes with college can make it hard to comply with limited time windows. If you find a storage unit with 27/7 access, you can pop in and out of your unit at any time of day or night.

If you realize you need a textbook for class at 6am, or that fly pair of shoes for a social 4 hours before your limo arrives, no biggie. Use your gate code to access your unit 27/7.

Month-to-Month Rental

Whether you only need your storage unit for summer or winter break, or you plan on keeping it for the whole semester but don’t want to commit to 6 months or a year, month-to-month storage unit leases help keep it simple.

Depending on the location of your storage facility and the size of the unit you rent, you could pay as little as $30 or $40 for a month-to-month self-storage rental agreement. Some facilities will even give you a free moving truck rental with a monthly rental, an attractive option helping you save even more money during your move.

Storage Unit Size Guide: Best Storage Unit Sizes for College Students

Storage units come in a variety of sizes. THe best sizes for college students depend on whether you’re simply storing your dorm room essentials there between semesters, or keeping your vehicle there for the entire school year.

You can take a look at our complete storage unit size guide for a detailed look. For now, we’ll just take a quick look at the common storage sizes and what you can fit to help you decide what the best size storage unit for college students is:

• 5 x 5 Storage Units: Dresser, small mattress set, and several boxes
• 5 x 10 Storage Units: Queen-sized mattress set, dresser, TV, and several boxes (could fit a smaller loveseat or other small furniture)
• 10 x 10 Storage Units: Entire family room (sofa, coffee table, chairs, bookshelves, etc.) and two full bedrooms (mattress sets, night stands, dressers, etc.)
• 10 x 15 Storage Units: Three full bedrooms, plus larger furniture (sofas, chairs, tables, appliances, etc.), a compact vehicle, motorcycle, scooter, or jet ski plus a shelf of vehicle maintenance tools. 

How Storage.com Can Help Find Self-Storage for College Students 

On-campus storage solutions keep your belongings close to where you live and study, while off-campus storage near universities can offer greater flexibility and often more space at better rates. 

Since most campus residence halls don’t allow students to keep their belongings at school over the summer, students are faced with either finding a place to store everything or moving their belongings back home for the break. Renting a storage unit near campus can give you a place to store your belongings over the summer so you don’t have to move it home just to move it back again the next fall.

But not all storage units are created equally in terms of features like climate control, accessibility, and security. So, how do you find a 10×25 storage unit size in your area that has all the storage amenities you need?

Storage.com is here to help. 

Just punch your college’s zip code into our handy Storage.com search tool, and we’ll help you browse and compare self-storage units using amenity filters that isolate the storage facilities close to your campus that have units available with all the specific storage features you need. 

If you’re looking for some additional space and considering summer storage for students for the first time, we recommend you first go over the basics of self-storage and follow that with our tips for college self-storage. It can give you all the space you need moving forward in this next phase of your life.

College students are notoriously frugal, so they know a good deal when they see one. Many storage facilities on Storage.com offer discounts specifically for students to help them afford a storage unit. If you’re looking for storage near campus and want to save a few bucks, call us at (833) 448-1067, and we’ll help point you toward facilities in your area offering student discounts. Most facilities will require a current student ID upon arrival.