Heading to Ohio State this fall? Here's your complete guide to move in on- and off-campus

August is here, which means the countdown to the first day of fall semester is on.

Whether Ohio State University students are packing up for the residence halls or living with friends off campus, here's what you need to know before your move:

Moving into the dorms?

Ohio State's move-in for larger residence halls — including Smith-Steeb Hall and Park-Stradley Hall — will begin on Aug. 16. All other buildings will be open for move-in from Aug. 17-19.

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Students wanting to arrive on campus before their assigned dorm opens can pay for an earlier arrival date, as early as Aug. 14 for a $35 daily early arrival fee.

All students will need to sign up for an arrival day and time through the university's housing portal.

Ohio State's move-in period looks a little different than it did a few years ago.

In pre-pandemic times, most Ohio State students would move into their residence halls during a two-day rush the weekend before classes began. That changed in fall 2020, after the pandemic closed residence halls and halted in-person classes that spring, causing the university's Office of Student Life to reimagine move-in day.

Those two days were extended over a 12-day period. Students were assigned an hour-long time slot to limit overcrowding and were only allowed to bring one or two people with them. University volunteers also wouldn’t help them carry anything to their rooms like in years past.

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In 2021 and 2022, Ohio State shortened the move-in period from 12 days to six and allowed students to sign up for what day and time they wanted to move in. This year, the move-in period will take place over four days.

Room assignments and move-in instruction should have been emailed to students by July 26, so now is a good time to touch base with your roommate to see when you're both planning to arrive. It's also smart to double check what is and isn't allowed in residence halls and discuss who is bringing what.

Living off-campus housing?

Transitioning from on-campus to off-campus living can be a big jump, but Ohio State's Office of Student Life and the University District Organization have resources and events available to make the move easier.

Instead of pitching unwanted furniture, mattresses and small appliances in shared dumpsters and cluttering alleys, students moving to and from off-campus housing during the next couple of weeks can drop off items at a number of neighborhood locations.

A partnership between Ohio State, the University District Organization and the city set up multiple temporary dumpsters and drop-off locations for bulk trash collection. There are 15 off-campus sites that are available to use through Aug. 14. Recycling dumpsters will be available at four of those sites.

“The city hopes to build on the success we had last year with students taking advantage of our expanded services to go green and reuse and recycle rather than unnecessarily landfilling items,” said Jennifer L. Gallagher, director of the city’s department of public service. “Reducing the volume of waste and waste-generated greenhouse gas emissions benefits everyone in our community.”

Those sites include:

• 454 E. Northwood Ave., rear parking lot at Iuka Park Commons & plus recyclables collection

• 176-178 E. Norwich Ave., rear parking lot

• 117 W. Norwich Ave., side parking area

• 1975 Summit St., rear parking area

• 174 E. 12^th Ave., rear parking lot

• 165 E. 11^th Ave., rear parking lot

• 55 E. Blake Ave., side parking lot

• 2351 W. Patterson Ave., next to Tuttle Pool & plus recyclables collection

• 243-247 E. 18^th Ave., on-street dumpster

• 28 E. Woodruff Ave., on-street dumpster & plus recyclables collection

• 140 E. 16^th Ave., on-street dumpster

• 1943 Waldeck Ave., on-street dumpster

• 293 E. 14^th Ave., on-street dumpster

• 225 E. 16^th Ave., rear on-street dumpster & plus recyclables collection

• 1570 Highland St., on-street dumpster

Students can also have more peace of mind renting in the University District.

Last summer, Ohio State created the Off-Campus Housing Network, which requires more than 100 participating landlords to commit to things like following various safety rules, regularly meeting with Ohio State officials, and having a percentage of their units randomly inspected by city code enforcement officers and the university.

The Office of Student Life also has a number of resources available online, including an interactive University District map, information on off-campus composting, and the "Smooth Move" renter's guide to living off-campus.

The annual Off-Campus Community Welcome & Block Party will be held on Aug. 25th from 3-6 p.m. at the corner of 16th and Indianola avenues. Students can enjoy free food, yard games and meet some of their new University District neighbors.

Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for her Mobile Newsroom newsletter here and Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.

shendrix@dispatch.com

@sheridan120

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Heading to Ohio State this fall? Here's your guide to move-in day