Welcome to Iowa
University Housing and Dining is excited to welcome you and your family to Iowa! Move-in is a day that is full of exciting and bittersweet emotions for both students and families.
Our team is here to help and we've included everything you need to know in order to make your experience a success.
Move-in steps
The following steps below will ensure you have smooth arrival to campus and a successful move-in experience.
Step 1: Select your date and time
You should select your move-in date and time prior to your arrival to campus. This will let our team know when you are planing to arrive to your residence hall.
Step 2: Travel to campus
Instructions to campus can vary by residence hall. We've included the most direct route to your hall below.
Step 3: Park your vehicle
When you arrive on campus, our volunteers will be outside to help you complete the check-in dashboard slip and direct you where to park.
- Family members: We’ll ask you to stay with your vehicle at all times, and please make sure to know your student’s room assignment information.
- Students: Have your student ID ready and head inside your residence hall to the check-in tables. You will then be issued your room key and update your emergency contact information.
Students are allowed to bring one vehicle with them for move-in, so plan accordingly.
Due to limited space around the halls, we also ask that you do not bring trailers during move-in. If it is essential for you to bring a trailer, we ask that you arrive after 5 p.m. on your designated move-in day.
Long-term parking is not available at the residence halls. The driver should remain in the car and proceed to the next location listed on their dashboard slips. Navigational signage will be visible along the route as a guide.
Step 4: Unpack and decorate your space
Meet up with your belongings and and begin to unpack!
Key dates
August 12
Early move-in will occur on this date. This option allows you to move in early into your residence hall room.
It requires a $35 fee that will be charged to your September U-Bill.
August 13-15
New student move-in will occur on these dates. You can select your move-in date and time starting in July.
August 19
Returning student move-in will occur on this date. You can select your move-in date and time starting in July.
Early and returning students
If you have a university obligation and need to arrive sooner, you can move into the halls on August 12. You will need to sign up in advance for this option. You'll want to check in at your hall and grab a cart to move in your items.
If you are a returning student who will be moving in early, you should go directly to your hall. No volunteers will be available to assist during this time.
New students arriving before August 13, will be charged an early arrival fee of $35 per day.
Returning students arriving before August 19, will be charged an early arrival fee of $35 per day.
Accommodations during move in
Our team is committed to helping all students and families during move in. If you have a family member or guest with a disability requiring an accommodation in order to support you, you will need to contact our contracts and assignments team in advance.
You can contact our team via email at housing@uiowa.edu or phone at 319-335-3000.
Getting to campus
Below are instructions to each of our residence halls. These include the most direct route to your hall. As you get closer to campus, we recommend following the instructions below instead of your GPS navigation service.
Burge, Currier, Stanley and Daum
- Take Exit 244 from I-80
- Turn on Dubuque Street toward Iowa City
- Turn right onto Market Street
- Turn right onto Clinton Street (Clinton Street will be one way going North)
Catlett
- Take Exit 244 from I-80
- Turn on Dubuque Street toward Iowa City
- Turn right onto Market Street
- Turn right onto Madison Street
Hillcrest, Petersen, Rienow and Slater
- Take Exit 239A for South 218 from I-80
- Take Highway 1 Exit
- Turn left onto Highway 1
- Turn left on Riverside Drive
- Turn left on Grand Avenue
Mayflower
- Take Exit 246 from I-80
- Turn on Dodge Street toward Iowa City
- Turn right onto Church Street
- Turn right onto Dubuque Street
- Continue on Dubuque Street
Parklawn
- Take Exit 244 from I-80
- Turn on Dubuque Street toward Iowa City
- Turn right onto Park Road
- Turn left into parking lot, first left after crossing Riverside Drive
What to bring
As you pack for your new residence hall room, we've included information on what to bring and what not to bring before arriving to campus.
Application Instructions
- Appropriate clothing—think in terms of a number of items of lighter clothing, which can be layered as it gets colder and shed as it warms up. Bring hats, gloves, and boots for winter.
- Academic supplies (backpack, pens, notebooks, etc).
- Computer, laptop or tablet.
- Bathrobe, shower shoes and a small bucket for carrying toiletries.
- Bedding: blankets, pillows and sheets (all beds require extra-long sheets, 36” x 80”).
- Cleaning supplies.
- Clothes hangers.
- Desk lamp with LED or CFL light bulbs.
- Ethernet cord.
- Fan (for good circulation and white noise).
- First-aid kit.
- Laundry basket/bag, detergent and supplies.
- Towels, washcloths and toiletry items.
- Power strip.
- Reusable water bottle, cutlery and plate.
- Trash bags for the trashcan. We recommend 11-13 gallon bags.
- Bike, helmet, and bike lock (UI is a silver level bike friendly university).
- Microwave
- Toaster
- Rice cooker
- Coffee pot
- Keurig coffee pot
- Crock pot/slow cooker
- Clothing iron
- Air popcorn popper
- Blender
- Personal blender/juicer
- Hot water boiler/electric kettle
- Hair styling tools
- Electric wax melt
- Vacuum cleaner
- Humidifier
- Dehumidifier
- Clothing steamer
- Lava lamp
- Air purifiers (without heating elements)
- Insurance information (health and renters).
- Photo identification.
- Proof of employment eligibility (if you plan to work).
- Bicycle or moped and helmet.
- TV and a coax cable cord for TV.
- Vacuum cleaner.
- Room decor.
- Refrigerator/microwave (five cubic feet and nine amps or smaller). No personal refrigerators are allowed in Mayflower Residence Hall or any room with a supplied kitchen.
- Futon for extra seating. An 80” wide or smaller will fit under a lofted bed.
- Small energy star-rated and approved appliances.
- Alcohol or alcohol containers.
- Candles, incense, toaster ovens, Pizzazz, pressure cookers, hot plates or grills.
- Firearms, fireworks or explosives.
- Halogen lamps (all styles).
- Pets (except fish).
- Space heaters.
- Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia.
- Hoverboards.
- Tobacco and electronic cigarettes. These may be stored but not used on campus.
- Wireless printers. These are incompatible with UI-DeviceNet.
- Google Chromecast. This is incompatible with UI-DeviceNet.
- Electric grills (e.g., George Foreman, waffle iron, griddle, pizzazz pizza oven, panini maker, quesadilla maker, etc).
- Pizza cooker
- Toaster oven
- Hot plate
- All-in-one breakfast maker
- Instapot
- Air fryer
- Hover board
- Halogen lamp
- AC unit
- Space heater
- Electric fire place
- Portable electric dryer
Renting a MicroFridge, which is a combination microwave and refrigerator, is a great solution for your room.
The MicroFridge will be placed in your room prior to moving in and you will just need to return it cleaned at the end of the year. You can order these online: www.mymicrofridge.com.
The deadline is August 1, 2023 to have your MicroFridge delivered to your room.
If you switch rooms, you should talk to your roommate(s) to decide if you will bring your MicroFridge with you or leave it with your roommate(s). If you leave it with a roommate, you will need to complete transfer paperwork. Get that paperwork by calling 1-800-525-7307.
Need a futon or linens for your room? Purchasing a futon through Bed Loft can be a great addition to your room. You can order online at bedloft.com. We recommend an 80” loft (or smaller size) as it will fit under your lofted bed. The deadline to purchase with delivery to your room is July 31, 2023.
If you are in need of linens, Dormify provides a wide array of colors, patterns and sizes to fit your needs. You can order online at ocm.com/uia. The deadline for linens to arrive prior to move-in is July 31.
The university does not provide insurance for student belongings. Students and/or their parents should consult their current homeowner's policy to determine if a student's belongings are covered through a current policy.
A renter's insurance policy can be purchased as part of a homeowner's policy or you can purchase insurance through companies specializing in property insurance for college students.
Once your room is chosen or assigned, you will have the opportunity to learn about GradGuard, the preferred renter's insurance provider of the University of Iowa.
