WHAT TO BRING TO UNIVERSITY

There’s always something you forget to pack for university, and a lot of the time, it’s the thing you end up missing the most. With a new school year approaching, I’m going to go through mine and my friends' experience of the most important things to pack.

Image from Lights4fun on Pinterest

Disclaimer: My university experience takes place in the UK, so bear that in mind when I talk about things like the weather.

When I asked my friends to provide me with a list of items to pack for university, most of them struggled after the 10th/15th item. They all coincided with the fact that you don’t actually need much to survive on campus (unless you’re very high maintenance, with absolutely no disrespect intended of course!).

So, without further ado, let’s get right to the list I have put together, organised from most to least important (although the importance of some of these items may be relative to each person):

1. Bed sheets, a duvet, a pillow and a pillow case. The university only provides you with a mattress, so make sure you pack bedding! I also bought a mattress topper, to ensure maximum comfort, but the mattress alone was comfortable, so it’s up to you. I recommend bringing more than one set of bed sheets, in case something goes wrong with one set (for instance it doesn’t dry on time). Also, don’t forget the mattress protector! You don’t know how many students have slept on your mattress, so just stay on the safe side.

2. Toilet paper & air freshener (especially if you have communal bathrooms). Don’t wait until the day after you move in to get toilet paper, pack a roll with you, you won’t regret it. And I definitely recommend bringing air freshener (my favourite one is from Rituals, the cherry blossom scented one).

3. Clothes, duh. Something to bear in mind is that most of the time, no one honestly cares what you look like, so just try to wear whatever feels comfortable. 90% of the time I wear sweats, and so does everyone around me, so don’t stress about it. You may also want to pack smart clothes and maybe throw in a few fancy dresses and costumes for parties! Also, check if you’re provided with coat hangers! I wasn’t.

4. Please don’t be like me, don't forget your umbrella. It really depends on where in the country you’re living, but whether you’re in a rainy part or not, you’re going to need an umbrella. Which brings me to my next point:

5. Weather appropriate clothing. Hats, gloves, leg warmers… you name it. You may not want to wear them for fashion purposes, but when it’s glacial outside, you’ll regret not dressing sensibly. Comfort is way more important than looks when it comes to the cold!!

6. Toiletries and towels. I recommend keeping all of your toiletries in a portable little basket if you share a bathroom, this makes transporting them way easier.

7. Kitchen “stuff”. Tupperware, pots and pans, cleaning supplies, cutlery, etc. Most of the time, before you move in you’re added to a Facebook group chat with your flatmates, and there you decide who will bring what, so don’t stress too much if you don’t know what to bring: it will all get sorted out by talking to your flatmates.

8. Laundry tablets and dishwasher tablets, if your accommodation has a dishwasher (first years don’t usually have one).

9. A bath mat, ideally one that dries fast.

10. Stationery and whatever you need to work well, such as your laptop or tablet, a desk lamp (check with your accommodation to see if they provide you with one, some don’t) etc.

11. A bin. Some rooms already have a bin, but be warned: they’re tiny!

12. Slippers, because you’re sharing a student flat, so the floors will be a bit… filthy :). Make sure that they have hard-ish soles, so you don't get wet feet.

13. A big extension cable with lots of sockets. Can’t stress this one enough. The plug sockets at uni are okay, there’s always the issue of there not being enough though, and some of them are in really awkward places.

14. Planner, or if you prefer using online calendars for planners, go ahead. Your whole life will be in that planner, it’s important if you want to keep up with all of your plans and classes.

15. A door hook? Not sure what it’s called, but I’m sure with the image to the left you know what I’m talking about. Basically, the more storage you can get, the better.

16. Pins, if your room comes with a corkboard. All my friend's rooms had cork boards, so they printed pictures to pin up. To their misfortune, when they went to pin up the images, they discovered that there weren’t any pins.

17. A door stop! This one is great, it allows you to casually chat to people in the hallway. I especially recommend it during move in day and your first week, to get to know your flatmates a little faster.

18. Sports equipment, even if you’re not the sportiest. You never know, one day your friends may suggest going on a walk in the park, or going to the university gym. Another point is that if you join any clubs and societies, they may organise sporty activities. Just in case!

19. A bottle opener. It’s the quickest way to make friends! I kept mine on my keys, and actually got to know loads of people at parties thanks to it!

20. A pack of playing cards, every flat needs one. Whether you play them sober or… not. Best conversation booster.

That's it from me for today, I truly hope this list was useful!

Until next time!