The end of the academic year is fast approaching. Finals start Monday, May 6!

As the academic year winds down, it is good to review the steps that keep moving out of the residence halls as easy as possible for you and your student.

Tip #1 Clean and Organize Now

It is never too soon to start cleaning and organizing. You can encourage your student to take small daily steps toward cleaning. That makes the task less overwhelming for the actual day when they are scheduled to leave.

In certain cases, we might charge up to $150 for an improper check out and no one wants that. You can see our Schedule of Charges online.

Tip #2 - Bring Stuff Home Early

Encourage your student to bring home stuff during a weekend visit that they no longer need in their residence hall.

Maybe a bike or cold-weather seasonal clothing is no longer needed and can come home before moving out when the added stress of finals is looming.

Tip #3 - Ask for Repairs

If your student has any maintenance concerns in their room or on-campus apartment—from damaged screens to ripped fabric on furniture, lights or outlets not working, etc., they will need to submit a FIX IT maintenance request.

They can visit our FIX IT form (available on campus) or call 479-575-7005 and make a request now.

Tip #4 Be Ready to Leave Green

Talk to your student about donating old/unwanted items. University Housing partners with local charities to receive donated items from residence halls at closing during the Leave Green event.

The selected charitable organizations will provide clearly marked containers for your student to drop off any clothing and household items. Donations of gently used furniture are also accepted.

Those containers are centrally located throughout our residence halls.

There are also opportunities in and near the residence halls to donate food to the Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry and donate used bicycles to a local non-profit called Pedal It Forward NWA.

Tip #5 Closing Time

Students are expected to move out no later than 24 hours after their last final exam.

Your student will have a meeting in their residence hall to cover all checkout procedures and other important updates: including when to sign up for a departure time, move-out parking protocols and quiet hours for finals week.

Encourage your students to attend this meeting to ensure they have the most up-to-date information.

University Housing will also send out several e-mails throughout this month and the beginning of May with essential information and tips for checking out of the residence halls.

Please encourage your students to watch for and read these e-mails so that they can finish their year and check out of their room on a successful note.

For questions concerning on-campus housing, contact University Housing at 479-575-4687 (HOUS) or via e-mail at housing@uark.edu.