I am leaving for Los Angeles on Sunday morning and I have no idea how I will manage to get everything ready on time! I haven't even finished packing yet but I am very excited about moving!
According to google maps it takes 471 hours to walk from my house in Monterrey to Weyburn Terrace in Los Angeles. Good thing I am going by plane!
Looking back there are a few tips I wish I would have known when I started preparing so I will now share them with all my lovely readers:
- Inquire your cellphone service company about the procedure to cancel your mobile's phone number. It sounds silly but the cellphone company that provided me service required me to make an appointment to return in one month to cancel the mobile's number.
- Close all bank accounts and credit cards you will no longer be using and do so early. It's risky to even keep savings accounts open if you are not using and monitoring them because banks often change the account's minimum balance or the credit card's fees with just a small note in the account statement or e-mail. If you don't notice or are unable to act on the changes it could result in unwanted charges in your accounts. Your account's information can also be stolen and misused and it is difficult to discuss these problems with your bank if it resides outside the U.S. Some banks even refuse to cancel your accounts if you don't go to the banking center where the account was opened. Plan to do this with time because it can be a long process. I have been trying to close an account for two months and till no luck!
- For the bank accounts of credit cards you want to keep, check the expiration date on the card. You might find your card will expire soon after your arrival to the U.S. and they will probably only mail you the new card to an address in your home country. If you tell your bank you lost it they will send you a new one with a later expiration date.
- If there are funds you need to take with you to the U.S., research about banks in your home country that allow you to open a bank account in the U.S. Airports only let you take a limited amount of cash with you so this could greatly help you move your funds.
- Even if you won't pack till last minute start sorting your things early! It takes longer than you think specially if you have lived in your current place for long or if you are kind of a hoarder (like me). It took me two days just to sort through my accesories! Look at all the ones I gave away, I don't even know where all that came from:
Can you believe I used to wear that pink necklace during college? Yes believe it or not, it's a necklace! I even wore it with a tacky pink sweater and a pink hand bag! In the words of someone very dear to me "Ale, you just needed more pink". It makes me wonder my judgement back then because I remember thinking I looked cool and stylish!
- If you are renting give proper notice that you are leaving to avoid losing part of your deposit as penalization.
- Make sure to cancel all services you have hired. Think internet, cable tv, newspaper, utilities, etc.
- For those buying a new laptop upon arrival to the U.S. move all your important documents to dropbox, a USB drive or any other storage device you prefer. I almost forgot to do this!
- Make a list of everything you need to buy when you arrive including furniture, appliances, school supplies, groceries, clothes, personal items, etc. This is especially important if you are renting a car to take care of buying these things. You are sure to forget a couple of them if you don't bring a list. It is also useful to research the prices for these items and including them in the list so you can avoid paying over the average price.
- If you are buying furnitre take a measuring tape with you, you will need to measure the space in your apartment and the furniture to know if what you are buying will fit.
- Check in google maps what stores are closest to your apartment or the school and take notes so you know where to head to when you need something. Some of you might not have a cellphone, laptop, or internet set up upon arrival so getting this information might be tricky and getting lost is not fun!
Good luck and if all else fails ask your classmates! Surely some of them are living close to you and happy to help!
-Alejandra Rodriguez '14
Follow UCLA Anderson at @UCLAMBA
