Even though your dorm may only feel like a temporary home away from home, there are still some advantages to changing your address. You might think it’s just as easy to let your parents handle your mail at your home address, but sooner or later, this can lead to problems.
What happens when your school sends you important information that you need right away? What if an old friend tries to reach you? If you are attending college in another state or city, how will your address affect your ability to vote or get a drivers license?
The process of changing your address is fairly simple and since it will most likely not be the last time you will do it in your lifetime, you may as well learn how to do it now. Here are some tips to follow to help make changing your address as simple as possible.
- Remind Yourself to Do It!
In the chaos of packing and moving, it can be easy to forget to change your address. Make sure you set reminders on your phone or on your calendar so it gets done. Ideally, you will want to request the change of address before you actually move so you don’t miss a beat.
- Make Sure You Have the Right Address
If you will be living at a dorm, make sure you know the exact address. It could be that your school has its own mail distribution system and that the actual, physical address of your dorm is not relevant. Be sure to ask around and know exactly what address you need to change to.
- U.S. Postal Service
The logical place to go when it comes to changing your mailing address is the U.S. Postal Service. As you fill out the forms to change your address, you may notice that you are asked whether you want to file a permanent or temporary COA. A temporary COA allows you to have mail sent to your new address during specified periods of time up to 6 months. If you know you will be spending your time away from college at your home address, a temporary COA may be a good choice.
- By Phone, By Internet, By Form
There are a few different ways that you can complete a change of address through the U.S. Postal Service. You can submit changes via the Internet, which requires a $1 verification fee to ensure the change is legitimate. You can also call 1-800-ASK-USPS to change your address by phone. Most people typically fill out Form 3575 at their local post office when the time is right.
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