Boston College Student Develops App To Cut Down On September Move-In Chaos
BOSTON (CBS) - If you have ever driven around certain Boston neighborhoods during the first few days of September, you have probably seen the chaos created by students moving in and out of apartments.
In Allston, a favorite neighborhood for students from Boston College and Boston University, it is commonly referred to as, Allston Christmas. Students end up leaving all kinds of unwanted furniture, home accessories and even electronics on the sidewalk.
According to Boston College senior Michael Thomas, it's a crazy time for these young adults and their neighbors.
"Students moving in and out is way more stressful than you would ever imagine," he said.
Thomas figured there had to be a way to cut down on the stress and the mess, by connecting students who want things, with students looking to get rid of those same things.
"People waste too much, consume too much," he said.
He and several recent graduates created UniMarkit. "It is essentially a campus marketplace app where students can buy and sell things with each other on campus," he explained.
Have an extra printer or a lamp that work fine, but you don't want to take with you? Just post them on the app with a picture and a price. Buyers simply search for what they need. The app then connects the buyer directly with the seller.
"You can make an offer, bargain essentially," Thomas explained. Then you make arrangements to meet on campus.
Daniela Lampru needed something to spruce up her dorm room. She searched the app and found an inexpensive pillow and blanket set.
"It's super cute," she said.
Lampru says she feels safer using the app than she would buying from a stranger on a site like Craigslist.
"Knowing that it's a BC student; knowing that it's a girl; there's a face; there's a name; there's a background. I like that," she said.
Michael hopes to expand the app to include a social element that helps students connect with others on campus.
"We want people buying from each other, selling to each other, learning from each other, because I think classes without walls is the best way to learn," he said.
UniMarkit is currently available to students at Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern and Tufts, but Thomas hopes to include more schools soon.
