Leaving School for Holiday Break?

What You Should Do Before You Head Out for Holiday Break

Right before students head out for Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break, and Spring Break, they’ve spent the week finishing up assignments, holed up in the library studying for exams, living off coffee (or any form of caffeine), and a meager diet.  By the time they are finished, almost ready to just get home and catch up on sleep and have a home-cooked meal, they forget that there are certain things they need to do before they head out.

Now we have said they are sleep-deprived so you may want to gently remind them of some items they should take care of before they leave, less they risk coming back to their dorm or apartment smelling of rotten food, possible bugs, missing items.

Here is that list:

• The Kitchen: Throw away all perishable food that may expire before they leave (or pack it in a refrigerated bag with ice to bring home). Make sure any dishes are cleaned. That dried on food will be much harder to clean when they get back and they risk having bugs.
• Take out the trash. Again, the last thing they will want to come back to is a room that smells of garbage which will not take long at all.
• Clean their rooms. This is just something that they will greatly appreciate when they return and their dorm/apartment is clean – one less thing to worry about.
• Bring home all valuables.
• Unplug their power strip or any other electronic that is left (not appliances but perhaps their television, if they have one. There is no reason to leave a power strip plugged in if nothing is connected to it. By the same logic, while most will bring home hair irons, blow dryers, regular irons, a quick sweep through will help decrease the chances of fires or other electrical issues while they are gone.
• Turn up the thermostat to 78. This being Florida, it is unlikely it will get too cold (even if there is a cold front, they are short-lived). If no one will be in their apartment, it is a good way to save on cooling costs.
• Make sure that all windows and doors are locked securely.
• Have them bring home anything they do not need to use their last month and a half of school including items that will not go in storage. This will make it much easier to pack up their rooms when, and if, they are planning to move out of their current residence.

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