USF students living in on-campus dorms are required to move out by May 8 at noon. ORACLE PHOTO/ELLIE FROST

USF students are preparing to move out of the university’s dorms on May 8 by noon — with the help of storage pods, family and packing routines.

For move-out, students are required to remove all personal belongings, such as posters, clothes and room decorations, and reset all furniture to original positions, according to USF Housing and Residential Education.

Any items left behind or furniture not reset will result in a $30 charge, and a $100 late fee will apply to students checking out past noon on May 8, according to USF Housing.

USF provides students with carts to move items from their dorms, with designated key drop-off locations on the north and south sides of campus, according to USF Housing.

With the move-out deadline quickly approaching, some USF students said dorm move-out feels hectic and stressful, while others said the process is quick and easy with a routine.

Related: USF shifts to priority-based housing for 2026-27 academic year 

Owen Swatko, a sophomore exercise science major from New York, lives in USF’s Holly Apartments. 

Swatko said he has lived on campus since he started at USF and feels that the move-out process is rushed and disorganized.

“It feels like as soon as we move back in for spring, [residential assistants] and everyone in housing is already talking about how we need to prepare for move-out,” Swatko said.

Still, Swatko said he is planning to move out as close to the May 8 deadline as possible because of a packed exam schedule, which all fall on the last few days of finals week.

“The classes I’m taking require a lot of time set aside for homework and studying, so I realistically don’t have time to get ahead, packing-wise,” Swatko said.

He added that he was unable to land a dorm for the summer following USF’s housing distribution system changes this spring, which apply to the 2026–27 term.

This change transitioned USF’s housing system to a priority-based model designed to help freshmen and rising sophomores secure housing first, with some rooms reserved for upperclassmen seeking to live on campus.

“When I applied to the dorm over the summer, USF was unable to get me a slot — so I now need to worry about possibly getting a sublet on top of everything else,” Swatko said.

But since he is from New York, Swatko said moving everything twice would be more expensive and inconvenient than finding a nearby sublease.

“I’m planning to live off-campus next semester [at The Retreat], but my lease doesn’t allow summer move-in, so the only other option for me would be to get a storage unit,” Swatko said.

Swatko said he feels there should be a few extra days after finals week for students to move out, which would help those in similar situations sort out their living and move-out plans.

USF Housing offers a Break Stay option — allowing students to stay in the dorms for a few extra days after the May 8 deadline for a per-night fee. Applications for extensions opened on March 24 and close on April 29.

“It just feels really rushed, and I have no time to actually prepare for what I need to get done,” Swatko said. 

Related: OPINION: USF’s upperclassmen deserve on-campus housing too 

Dylan Nichilo, a junior accounting major, lived in Summit Hall for his freshman year, Holly Apartments in his sophomore year and now lives in USF’s Cypress Apartments. 

Nichilo said he always aims to move out immediately after his final exams — meaning he has to have everything ready to go days in advance.

“My last exam is on May 7, so I have my stuff packed before my mom comes from Naples to help me,” Nichilo said.

Nichilo said he will live with his mom in Naples after moving out of his dorm, but is planning to visit his dad in New Jersey for most of the summer.

He said he will store his belongings at his mom’s house or in a storage unit while he is in New Jersey.

“When I’m packing, I try to split everything into what I’m taking back to [New] Jersey and what I need to leave here for school,” Nichilo said.

But Nichilo said having finals on top of packing makes it difficult to make time to study, pack and drive home.

“Move-out is probably stressful for everyone, but I feel like USF doesn’t take into account some students are hours or even states away,” he said. “The timing of the move-out seems very poorly planned.”

Related: USF’s Full House: Tampa housing reaches full capacity 

But while some students feel USF’s move-out process is disorganized, others said it is an easy process for new and returning students alike.

Carolyn Hoekstra, a sophomore biomedical sciences major, said she has lived on campus both years — first in Summit Hall, and now in Holly Apartments. 

Hoekstra said her family lives about 30 minutes north of USF in Lutz, which makes moving out “10 times easier.”

“I live less than an hour away, so my plan is usually to slowly move stuff out as I go home over the weekends to lessen the amount of stuff I need to pack up on the last day,” Hoekstra said.

She said this helps smooth the process and allows her to move in and out in fewer trips.

Additionally, Hoekstra said her routine of organizing clothes and room decorations into boxes in advance helps prevent her from feeling overwhelmed while moving out.

“The process of moving out is stressful enough as is, but sticking to my process helps eliminate any further stress I have due to exams and stuff like that,” Hoestrka said.

She added that she feels USF’s move-out process is easy and clear to students since the university explains its rules and tips about packing and moving out.

“The process for it is pretty simple, and they try to make it easy for everyone, whether you’re out of state or live in Florida,” Hoekstra said.