What to bring to university
Packing for university is a mind field. Everyone (including myself) leaves it until the last minute, brings a million things you don’t need, 5 microwaves, 5 air fryers and 5 nights of regret when unpacking it all. It’s easy to get overwhelmed while packing and bring things you don’t need. Don’t want to be that person? Here’s a survival guide for what to bring to university.
You’ve confirmed your accommodation offer and now need to start packing while you have the motivation to. You’re worrying about who you’re living with, if they’re going to be nice people. Try finding them, groups on Facebook like the official YSJ freshers Facebook group are a way to start chatting and finding people you’re living with. It can also be a good way to coordinate what everyone is bringing with them. This avoids bringing unnecessary items and makes you more comfortable knowing your flatmates before you move in.
What about decorating? Bringing posters (but not too many, wait until the fresher’s poster fair!) and things from home, such as fairy lights and trinkets, can make accommodation more homely and cosy. You’ll be staying in accommodation for a while, so make it your own. Don’t forget command strips and hooks to put everything where you want it in a safe way.
There are a lot of different components for making your room and kitchen usable. When deciding what to bring to university, having a checklist makes packing a lot easier, knowing you won’t forget something if you tick off items as you go. Using packing cubes and boxes also makes it easier to manage things you need into different categories. These categories might be: kitchenware, bedding, technology, clothing and toiletries. Make sure to keep it simple. What do you need? and what can you manage without? which might be unnecessary or take up too much room.
You don’t need 6 plates or mugs, just bring the basics, which you can always add to at a later time. This means you don’t have overflowing cupboards or cluttered bedrooms. Try not to bring your entire wardrobe from home, as tempting as it might be. Try rotating your clothes per semester by bringing winter and autumn clothes first, then switch to more summery clothes with the warmer weather. This means jumpers and coats, which take up lots of space won’t be there when you don’t need them.
Don’t forget, when deciding what to bring to university, packing is exciting and a new chapter in your life so enjoy it! It’s important that while enjoying the process of moving in you keep organised and don’t forget the important things and the things that make your room uniquely yours.