Are you heading to university in September? If so here’s some guidance on how to prepare and what to pack!
It can be very stressful packing up your stuff, debating what to take and then having to move it all into your accommodation. There’s lots of checklists online to help you pack- some of them suggest unnecessary things but the majority of items are essential and very useful. You can find them here:
A checklist is helpful, and I suggest having a general checklist of essentials and checking/packing in advance in case you need to acquire anything like kitchen equipment ahead of moving.
You’ll likely be moving into a small room so try not to overpack, a good idea is to use storage boxes to store stuff under your bed to create more space!
Here are some things to consider when packing:
Bedding
Remember to check the size of your bed for the accommodation you’ll be staying in. Most accommodation provide a mattress protector- but remember to check before in case you need to get one.
- 1 x duvet & pillow,
- 2 x fitted sheets, pillowcases, duvet covers (I recommend packing 2 in case one is in the wash/drying when washing bedding)
Kitchen Equipment
Check what your halls/flat/house already has – it is most likely that you won’t need to buy a toaster or a kettle but if you do, you can club together with your new flatmates to share the cost.
I’d recommend getting more than 1 crockery item (bowl, plate, glass etc) as you may have friends over or get broken!
- Frying pan/wok
- Saucepan
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Wooden spoon/Spatula
- Cheese grater
- Corkscrew/bottle opener
- Colander/Sieve
- Tea towel
- Tin opener
- Tupperware boxes
- Glasses & Mugs
- Cutlery
- Plates and bowels
- Washing up liquid and sponges
Electricals
- Power bank
- Laptop
- Extension lead (Some plugs in halls can be at the opposite end of the room!)
- Headphones
- Chargers
Studying
- Notepad (for writing notes)
- Stationary e.g., pens, pencils, highlighters etc.
- A4 Lever-arch files (There are very handy for filing notes if you don’t create notes online)
- Course books (Check before if you require any course books- sometimes there aren’t any, or these are provided by the university)
- Backpack
Clothing
- T-shirts/shirts/tops
- Trousers/shorts/skirts
- Warm jacket/coat (Make sure to pack a waterproof coat too!)
- Jumpers/hoody
- Underwear/socks/tights
- Dressing gown & pyjamas
- Flip flops/ sliders (These are very useful because sometimes shared kitchen’s get disgusting, which will require shoes, or for if you’re in shared bathrooms)
- Sports & swim gear (There’s loads of sports clubs and societies to get involved with!)
- Coat hangers
- Fancy dress! (There are loads of socials which require costumes at uni- so if you have a few things at home that you can bring then this will save you buying stuff at uni)
Bathroom
- Toothbrush/toothpaste
- Shower gel
- Shampoo/conditioner
- Deodorant
- Hairbrush
- Razor
- 2 x Bath towel (Recommend 2 in case one is in the wash/drying)
- Nail scissors
Miscellaneous
- Passport/Driving licence
- University/UCAS confirmation letter/Student finance documentation
- Railcard (the 16-25 railcard is great and gives you 1/3 of train prices)
- Painkillers and other medication
- Plasters
- Washing powder
If you forget anything- don’t worry! You can always buy it when you’re at university! Much of what you need will be cheaper if you get prepared and buy it online. If you have a university related questions then please contact us: Contact – Hello Future
