Moving in & out

When?

First-year students should have received an email in early-July with a specific move-in appointment to arrive on campus, pick up their room key and move into their room on Saturday, August 23. Freshman transfer students living in first year residence halls will also move in on Saturday. Move-in appointments are staggered that day between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. to help ease traffic and congestion in the area and in the buildings. If you don’t have an appointment or need to change your move-in appointment, you can log in to the My Housing portal and go to the Fall 2025 Move-In section to view available times and select a new appointment. This process will close on August 14 at 5 p.m. If you need to arrive earlier than August 23, see the section below on requesting an early check-in. Students who sign up for early arrival will have their originally assigned move-in appointment canceled and will follow different instructions for early check-in.  

If you can’t arrive on campus until after August 23, please contact your Residence Hall Coordinator in advance to arrange your arrival.  

Where?

First-year students arriving on their standard check-in date on Saturday will report first to a centralized check-in location at the Bob Carpenter Center (631 South College Avenue, Newark, DE) before proceeding to their residence hall. If you go to your building first, you will be required to go back to the athletic center to check in.

• At the athletic center, students will receive their room key and maps with directions on how to get from the athletic center to their residence hall. Students will also be able to interact with representatives from various units across campus. 

• As you get closer to your building, parking staff and University Police will help direct you to get close to the building to unload. 

• Once at the residence hall, plan to unload vehicles within 20 minutes of arriving, and then have someone park your vehicle in a designated long-term parking spot while you stay with your belongings. Maps to designated long-term parking will be provided. 

• Then you can bring your belongings to your room and unpack! We suggest labeling your bags, boxes and other belongings with your name and room number to keep track of them. We recommend that family and friends help with the initial unloading and set up, but that students take ownership of the unpacking, full set up, and decorating experience.  

• Resident Assistants and live-in staff will be available at your assigned buildings to welcome you and answer any questions.

When?

Upper Division students (rising sophomores, juniors and seniors), Associate in Arts students transitioning to the Newark campus and incoming transfer students will move into their rooms on Sunday, August 24 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. There are no assigned check-in time windows that day for upper division students, but students must plan to arrive and pick up their room key / fob during the timeframe posted here.

If you need to arrive earlier than this date, see the section below on requesting an early check-in. If you can’t arrive to campus until after August 24, please contact your Residence Hall Coordinator in advance to arrange your arrival. 

Where?

Students arriving on Sunday will report directly to their residence hall area designated below for check-in. Resident Assistant staff will be onsite to distribute room keys for that specific area.

We will email you a few days before your arrival with a map and directions to get to your building. As you get closer to your building, parking staff and University Police will help direct you to get your vehicle close to the building to unload. Once at the residence hall, the student should go to the check-in location to collect their room key. Plan to unload your vehicle within 20 minutes of arriving, and then have someone park it in a designated long term parking spot while you stay with your belongings. Then you can bring your belongings to your room and unpack! We recommend that family and friends help with the initial unloading and set up, but that students take ownership of the unpacking, full set up, and decorating experience. Resident Assistants and live-in staff will be available at your assigned buildings to welcome you and answer any questions.

Check-in locations by building:

• Caesar Rodney: Caesar Rodney Commons Lounge
• Independence East & West: Independence West Main Lounge
• North Central (Brown/Sypherd/Harter/Sharp): The Green near Sypherd Hall (Rain Location: Sypherd Main Lounge)
• Ray Street: Ray Street A Main Lounge
• South Central: (Sussex/Squire/Kent/Cannon/New Castle): Kent Hall patio on the Green (Rain Location: Squire 1st Floor Lounge)
• University Courtyard Apartments (UCA): UCA Clubhouse

When?

Any student can request to check-in early to their residence hall for a fee on Thursday, August 21. Students can check-in and pick up their room key/fob between 5pm-7pm that day but can continue to move into their room after check-in closes.  

The fee for standard early check-in (starting from 8/21) is $50/night for each night prior to the student’s standard arrival date. Students affiliated with a university sponsored group may be eligible for a discount on this rate and should contact their coordinator for information about fee payment. Blue Hen Helpers who complete their required volunteer shift will have the standard early check-in fee waived entirely (learn more about Blue Hen Helpers below!)

Students should keep in mind that Blue Hen Helper assistance will not be available during early check-in. All dining plans will not be activated until brunch on Saturday, August 23.  

How?

Any student needing to arrive to campus before their standard move-in date must complete the Early Arrival Fall 2025 application within the Breaks & Early/Late Stays section of the My Housing portal. The application will close on August 14 at 5 p.m. If you've already completed the application and need to change your responses, you can do so within the application by the deadline. If you change your mind and don’t plan to arrive early, you should cancel your application within the Application Status page of the portal to let us know.

Where?

Any student arriving early on Thursday, August 21 will report directly to their residence hall area designated below for check-in. Resident Assistant staff will be onsite to distribute room keys for that specific area.

New students arriving on campus for the first time who have not yet picked up their student ID card (ONEcard) should go to the ID Card Office to pick up their card BEFORE going to their residence hall. For most halls, access to the building is given through the ONEcard after being checked in by staff. Their office will be open until 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 21.

We will email you a few days prior to your arrival with a map and directions to get to your building. As you get closer to your building, parking staff and University Police will help direct you to get your vehicle close to the building to unload. Once at the residence hall, the student should go to the check-in location to collect their room key/fob. Plan to unload vehicles within 20 minutes of arriving, and then have someone park your vehicle in a designated long term parking spot while you stay with your belongings. Then you can bring your belongings to your room and unpack! We recommend that family and friends help with the initial unloading and set up, but that students take ownership of the unpacking, full set up, and decorating experience. Resident Assistants and live-in staff will be available at your assigned buildings to welcome you and answer any questions.

Check-in locations by building:

• Caesar Rodney: Caesar Rodney Commons Lounge
• George Read North & South: George Read North Lounge
• Gilbert: Gilbert Main Lounge
• Harrington: Harrington Commons Lounge
• Independence East & West: Independence West Main Lounge
• James Smith: James Smith Main Lounge
• Lane and Thompson: Lane/Thompson Yard (Rain Location: Lane Main Lounge)
• North Central (Brown/Sypherd/Harter/Sharp): The Green near Sypherd Hall (Rain Location: Sypherd Main Lounge)
• Ray Street: Ray Street A Main Lounge
• Redding: Redding Main Lounge
• Russell: Russell Dining Hall
• Smyth: Smyth Patio (Rain Location: Smyth Main Lounge)
• South Academy: South Academy Courtyard (Rain Location: South Academy Main Lounge)
• South Central (Sussex, Squire, Kent, Cannon, New Castle): Kent Hall patio on the Green (Rain Location: Squire 1st Floor Lounge)
• Thomas McKean: James Smith Main Lounge
• University Courtyard Apartments (UCA): UCA Clubhouse

One fridge (4.5 cubic feet or less) and one microwave (700 watts max) per room is permitted. If living with a roommate(s), be sure to talk to them and make a plan before purchasing or renting.  

Students are welcome to purchase and bring their own minifridges and microwaves.

Alternatively, many families enjoy the convenience of a rented microfridge unit. Campus Specialties Inc. provides MicroFridge rentals for all residence halls. All orders placed by August 1 will be delivered to your room prior to your arrival on campus. For students who don’t know their specific assignment by August 1, you can still order - just be sure to update your order with your room assignment once you receive it so you can be sure it arrives to the correct location before you come to campus.

See more about the microfridge in this informational video. Call Campus Specialties at 1-800-525-7307 or navigate to the website to place your order.

We’ve put together a list of items students should consider bringing to campus. Students living in a room with a roommate(s) should consider connecting with them to discuss a plan for larger items that could potentially be shared.

Personal items:

• Twin XL bedding (for suite & traditional-style residence halls and executive apartments) or Full-size bedding (University Courtyard apartments)

• Pillows

• Towels (bath, hand, washcloth, etc.)

• Clothing & shoes for rain, shine and possible snow!

• Clothes hangers

• Toiletries (shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.)

• Hair styling tools and/or comb

• Bathmat (suites/apartments)

• Toilet Paper (suites/apartments)

• Laundry supplies (basket, detergent, etc.)

• Personal and OTC medications

Cleaning Supplies:

• Bathroom cleaning supplies if living in a suite or apartment (Students in these spaces are responsible for cleaning their own bathrooms)

• Kitchen cleaning supplies (basics for traditional/suite rooms, and more if in an apartment)

• Vacuums are available to sign out at RA offices, but you may also bring your own

• Disinfectant surface wipes

• Paper towels/reusable cleaning towels

Appliances:

• Microwave no larger than 700 watts (1 per room)

• Refrigerator no larger than 4.5 cubic ft (1 per room)

• Or rent a combo unit from mymicrofridge.com (1 per room)

Electronics:

• Laptop/Computer, charger

• Surge Protector extension cord

• Desk Lamp

• Headphones with Mic

• Smart TV (no cable)

• Fan (for non-air conditioned spaces)

Consider:

• A few decorative items

• Foods & snacks

• Bike/bike lock (for added safety, register your bicycle with Parking Services)

• Umbrella and rain boots

• Shower caddy/shoes

• Kitchen items depending on room type

• Microwave safe dishes/mugs and utensils

• Small tool kit

• First aid kit

• Reusable water bottle or bottled water

Prohibited Appliances:

Preventing fire and electrical hazards is a very important shared responsibility of each community member necessary to maintain a safe environment.

Residents must not use or possess the appliances/items listed below. Additional details about prohibited items and residence hall policies can be found in the Our Policies section of our website.

• Appliances containing exposed heating elements

• Space heaters

• Immersion coils for cups and mugs

• Hot plates

• Electric frying pans
• Toasters and toaster ovens (only exceptions are University Courtyard Apartments)

• Air fryers or rice cookers (only exceptions are University Courtyard Apartments)

• Griddles

• Dishwashers (except those installed by the university)

• Indoor or outdoor grills of any kind including electric, gas or coal

• Microwaves that exceed 700 watts and more than one microwave per room are not permitted

• Large refrigerators (capacity greater than 4.5 cubic feet) and more than one refrigerator per room are not permitted

• Halogen lamps
• Lava lamps

• Extension cords without surge protectors

• Portable or free standing air conditioning or dehumidifier units

• 3D Printers (3D printers may only be used in academic spaces)
• E-mobility devices included hoverboards, e-scooters, e-bikes and e-skateboards

Additional prohibited items: 

• Candles, electric candle warmers and incense
• Bed lofts are not permitted be they purchased or self-made. Students are permitted to utilize products frequently referred to as bed risers or furniture lifts which fit under the feet of the bed. These are only permitted under an individual bed, not under bunked beds. Most of these products are under eight inches tall which provide the extra space desired for storage. When using bed risers, the top of the mattress height from the ground cannot exceed five feet.
• The University of Delaware is a Tobacco-Free campus. The use of all tobacco products, tobacco-related products and smoking, including E-cigarettes and vaporizers, is prohibited on University property including residence hall rooms, apartments, University grounds and public areas. Read the full Tobacco-Free Policy.

Each student is provided with a bed and mattress (XL twin for most of campus, full-sized in UCA), a desk, a desk-chair, a wardrobe or closet/set of drawers, a waste basket and a recycling bin. The windows have built-in adjustable coverings (either blinds in apartments or roll-up shades in traditional and suite style buildings). Explore our halls to learn more about each of our buildings and take a virtual tour of a room. Note that due to the wide variety of room types on our campus, we are unable to provide exact measurements and details for every aspect of each room and its furnishings.  

Students assigned to the room type “Triple Room (FY)” or “Triple Suite (FY)” should expect that two of the three beds are bunked with 3 full sets of furniture in the room. This is important for planning as under-bed storage is less available.

In suite-style and apartment style rooms, residents are responsible for cleaning and supplying their bathrooms, though the shower is equipped with a plastic liner. In traditional-style rooms, the hall bathrooms are stocked with toilet paper and cleaned regularly by custodial services.

All rooms have ethernet access to the internet and secure wifi. University of Delaware does not provide or offer cable television.  

Traditional and suite style residence halls all have laundry facilities and access to a shared kitchen in the building. University Courtyard Apartments have in-unit laundry and kitchens shared by the residents of that apartment.

There are several room types on the campus that house three students and are considered triples.

Triple Room or Triple Suite: These are rooms which always house three students in the room or on each side of the suite. There are over 500 of these beds on campus. Yes, sometimes the space is tight, but the room is designed to have all of the furniture placed on the floor. The square footage is larger than the other triple room types listed below.

Triple Room (FY) or Triple Suite (FY): The “FY” notation means that these are triples in the newest first year residence halls. When these buildings were designed, they were built with larger student room square footage to be able to increase occupancy in a room depending on need. These buildings were also built with additional spaces in mind for the increased occupancy in the building including floor lounges and large common spaces (kitchens, laundry, etc.). These rooms are only located in buildings with air conditioning. It should be expected that two of the three beds will be bunked in these rooms. After arriving to campus, students interested in unbunking beds can submit a FixIt request to facilities, however, all university issued furniture must fit in the room and cannot be removed.

Blue Hen Helpers are volunteers who help new first-year students and families move their belongings into their residence hall rooms during New Student Move-In Day on Saturday, August 23. All students, staff, faculty and community members are eligible to be Blue Hen Helpers!

• Students can get more information and sign up now through August 14 at 5 p.m. in the Forms section of the My Housing portal. Students who serve as Blue Hen Helpers and check in to the residence halls early will get their standard early check-in fee (starting on August 21) waived entirely!

• UD faculty and staff who would like to volunteer with other university opening activities can sign up here.

• Community members who are not affiliated with UD but would like to volunteer as a Blue Hen Helper can sign up via this form instead. 

Please reach out to bluehenhelpers@udel.edu with any questions.