Residence Hall Move-in Day Procedure
Move-in day is one of the most exciting (and hectic!) days of the academic year. New students make their way to campus for the first time to settle into their new campus home, and returning students return to reunite with friends after the summer break. Our Boston campus does not allow for cars to park close to the residence halls for move-in, so we have developed a system that will help you get your possessions moved in safely.
See the Important Dates page for upcoming move-in dates.
Steps to Take for a Smooth Move-in Day
Due to parking limitations, each resident may only bring one vehicle to campus to unload on Move-in Day.
The Office of Residence Life will give you the opportunity to select your arrival time to Residence Campus. The link to sign up is included in the Move-In instructions email. If you are scheduled to be an early arrival or have signed up for the Street Team, DO NOT sign up for an arrival time.
Each arrival time is scheduled for 30 minutes (15 minute arrival window to the parking lots 10 minutes to unload, and 5 minutes to drive away from the parking lots). We are on a very strict timeline due to the limited number of parking spots available, and the number of carts available for use.
You and your family must adhere to your indicated arrival times. If you arrive earlier than your selected time you will be asked to leave and come back at the time you signed up for.
When selecting an arrival time, you must register using your full name, your Simmons Email (with the @simmons.edu), and your Housing Assignment (Building, Room Number). You also must know your building and floor assignment to select the correct arrival time, as spots are limited for each building and floor for each time designation. Your quantity when selecting your time should always be 1. Please do not count all individuals coming with you as your quantity. We will be cross referencing to ensure you only select an arrival time allocated to your housing assignment details.
If you need to change your arrival time you must contact the Office of Residence Life via email with your initial sign up date and time, along with your preferred new sign up time (pending availability and your building and room assignment). There will be no changes after the deadline.
If you find there are no more arrival times for your floor, at any time, please email the Office of Residence Life to arrange an arrival time.
If you do not sign up for an arrival time by the deadline, an arrival time will be assigned to you.
Before unloading your vehicle, you must first complete the check-in process. At check-in, you will receive your student ID, room key, and important information to help you get started at Simmons. Check-in is located at the Holmes Sports Center (331 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215). Your vehicle should pull up and drop you off at the check-in location.
The check-in process will take approximately 10 minutes.
After dropping you off, we require all vehicles to proceed to the corner of Pilgrim and Brookline (225 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215) where a Public Safety Officer will direct the driver to a parking lot. After you complete check-in, you will meet up with their families. We ask that you and your family updated on their location (i.e. Whether they are still unloading in a specific parking lot or if the cart has been transported to the front of their residence hall). You should not join your family to take their car to the garage, but rather wait to join them once the car is unloaded and your items are ready to be moved to your room.
![A member of the Street Team helping to unload a van full of student belongings into a cart](/sites/default/files/styles/450x300/public/2024-08/street-team-unloading-van.png?h=10d202d3&itok=TLHzDtdb)
After dropping you off at the check-in location, the driver will drive to the corner of Brookline Avenue and Pilgrim Road. From there, drivers will be directed by a Public Safety Officer to a parking lot. A campus map will be provided prior to move-in weekend.
Drivers should pull their vehicle up to a parking space where they will be greeted by one of our Street Team volunteers who will help the driver unload the car. The volunteer will help obtain a cart for your belongings, if one is available. Carts are first-come, first-served. Unloading your belongings into a cart should take no more than 10 minutes.
Once the vehicle is unloaded, the driver will be directed to move the vehicle to the Simmons University Parking Garage (located on the Academic Campus). Someone must stay with the vehicle at all times. You will receive one complimentary garage parking ticket during the check-in process, which will expire at 8 pm that evening. Drivers should be sure to exit the garage by 8 pm.
Once the cart is unloaded, Street Team volunteers will wheel the cart containing your belongings to the front of your assigned residence hall. They will stay with the cart at all times.
After completing the check-in process, you will need to contact your family/driver to see where they are in the unloading process (i.e. Whether they are still unloading on Pilgrim or if the cart has been transported to the front of your residence hall). You should not join your family to take their car to the garage, but rather join your items at the front of your residence hall.
![A student and family members moving belongings into a residence hall](/sites/default/files/styles/450x300/public/2024-08/student-pushing-cart-move-in-day.png?h=10d202d3&itok=Hqd2RWIT)
Once you have located the cart containing your possessions, you and your family can then begin moving items into your room. Street Team volunteers will be available to help you. They help by providing directions, answering questions, pushing carts, or helping to carry lighter weight objects. Many members of our Street Team are student volunteers and for liability reasons are not allowed to move expensive, fragile, or heavy items. Please be prepared to carry items up the stairs to your floor. Elevators are only located in the following buildings:
- Arnold
- Evans
- Smith
- Simmons
If your assigned residence hall does not have an elevator, the Street Team volunteer will stay on the lower floor with your cart as you empty it out. Street Team volunteers will stay with your cart to ensure your items are secure and to ensure the cart becomes available for someone else as soon as it is empty.
Please empty your cart completely before unpacking or setting up your room. This will help us return carts back to the parking lot for the next round of folks to use.
Post Move-in: Mandatory Community and Floor Meetings
Community Meetings
(Mandatory For First-Year and New Transfer Students)
All first-year and transfer students joining our community are required to attend one Community Meeting. During this meeting, you will meet members of Residence Life and learn important information to help you navigate your first few nights as a Simmons University residential student.
See the important dates page for the date and times of the Community Meetings.
Floor Meetings
(Mandatory for all residents)
Each floor on the residential campus will have their own floor meeting that is hosted by their Resident Advisor. The time and location of these meetings will be sent to you by your Resident Advisor. These meetings are mandatory as you will meet your floor mates and be given vital information on what it means to be a residential student as well as many of the policies and procedures that are important to your time at Simmons.
See the important dates page for the dates of the Floor Meetings.
Resources
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