FINALS: A few tips can make moving out smoother

By now you should have received numerous flyers on move-out from Penntrex, Residential Living and various storage companies. But in case your roommate has been hoarding those flyers, here are some helpful hints to assist you in the moving-out process. First of all, leave. And get yourself and all of your belongings out by 5 p.m. on May 8, or you'll pay the price -- $120, starting at 5:01 p.m. on May 8. If you must stay past May 8, contact the Residential Living Services Center for information. All residents must also turn in their keys, complete a move-out form and fill out a forwarding address card before May 8, according to Gordon Rickards, assistant director of residential safety, security and facilities. Rickards said that students should try to move out as early as possible. "The biggest problem is that every student waits until five to get out, and at four, the lines start to get really long," he explained. "Everyone wants to stay with their friends to stay goodbye, but we run into this bottleneck." "Move-out is a 24-hour-a-day experience," he added. "If you want to move out at 3 in the morning, move-out forms will be available." Rickards also suggested that students bring their own carts to transport their belongings. "There is no way of getting a cart for each person, which is what we need," Rickards said. "In the Quad, there are maybe 30 carts for 1,700 people." If you must use a cart provided by the University, do not leave it unattended. Students "If you sign out a cart and lose it, you are responsible for replacing it," Rickards said. "One or two students gets caught in that every year." One-hour parking passes are available from the Services Center, but these passes do not protect cars parked at meters. Rickards said that although he has requested the Philadelphia Police to be lenient, they have been known to issue tickets to careless University students and their families and suggested that one person remain with the car at all times. Sinclair Storage Moving and Storage Company will be in the Quad and Superblock from May 3 to May 7 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. selling boxes and tape and offering storage facilities for the summer. United Parcel Service will be available in Superblock from May 5 to May 7 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. to help students in shipping their belongings home. They will be selling boxes and tape and will assist in the entire shipping process. Penntrex has also sent out forms to extend phone sevice, which otherwise will be automatically disconnected May 8.