What Things to bring to University?

For most people moving out for university will be the first time out of their family home. With this new found freedom, unfortunately, comes a responsibility where you now have to take care of yourself. This can seem like a daunting and overwhelming task at first and chances are if your parents are helping you pack, they will have you convinced that the only way you’ll stand a chance at surviving is by packing up your whole childhood street and taking it with you. It seems impossible to pack light when it feels like you’re moving your whole life but you might be surprised; You don’t need everything! There are things you rush to over pack due to overexcitement, such as all your freshers’ fits and then there are those you’re most likely to forget because they’re not the most thrilling thing but you will realise how necessary they are if you do forget them. 

 

Here is a checklist below of some of the things you’ll need to take: 

 

Papers and Documents 

 

·       Passport (and other forms of ID) 

·       Driver’s license (if you have one) 

·       All official university correspondence, including acceptance letter 

·       Details of accommodation and contract 

·       Bank account details and recent bank correspondence 

·       Bank card 

·       National insurance card/details 

·       Student discount cards (e.g. 16-25 Railcard, NUS, Unidays) 

·       Insurance documents (for international students, who may be required to take out health insurance) 

·       Your qualifications 

·       Proof of student finance letter 

·       Rail card 

·       Scholarship and bursary letters 

·       Prescriptions copies 

·       Up-to-date CV- you want to start looking for work as soon as possible as thousands of other students will be moving to London around the same time as you, make sure you snag the best student friendly jobs first! 

 

Electronics 

 

·       Adapter- Especially for international students. Most of the adapters sold in the UK are the adapters for going out of the UK so finding one, depending where you’re from, might be difficult and expensive to get hold of here 

·       Extension socket and extension cables- Most rooms have only one or two plug sockets and some rooms have them in awkward locations 

·       Laptop 

·       Hard-drive- Back up EVERYTHING and then back it up again!!! 

·       Mobile phone and charger 

 

Optional 

·       Speakers- So you can get in your feels 

 

Bedroom 

 

·       Duvet and pillows 

·       Two bedding sets, including duvet covers, pillow cases and sheets 

·       Clothes hangers 

·       Stationery and folders to keep your handouts or printed work in 

·       Laundry basket and clothes horse if you don’t have access to a dryer 

·       Door stop 

·       Small mirror 

·       Storage boxes to keep your space organised 

 

Kitchen 

 

·       Plates, bowls and side plates 

·       Mugs and glasses 

·       Microwavable container 

·       Knives, forks and spoons 

·       Chopping board 

·       Sharp knives and scissors 

·       Washing up brush/sponges 

·       Washing up liquid 

·       Multi-surface cleaner 

·       Tupperware boxes 

·       Measuring jug 

·       Tea towels 

·       Food and drink – you might only need lunch foods and snacks if you're  planning to get a catered meal package

·       2 saucepans, frying pan- DO NOT buy the cheapest ones, you will need to replace them. Buy cheap, buy twice! 

·       Colander 

·       Kitchen utensils like tongs, a wooden spoon, spatula, serving spoon, can opener and potato masher 

·       Baking tray 

·       Oven mitt 

·       Heat resistant pad or trivet to stop your pans burning the kitchen counter 

·       Mixing bowl 

·       Recipe books- If you need one, its best to check charity shops or second hand book sales to get them cheap 

·       Reusable water bottle and reuseable coffee cup – don’t forget you get 20% off hot drinks in Students’ Union outlets when you bring your own cup! There’s also water refill stations around campus. 

 

Medicine cupboard 

·       First Aid kit 

·       Assortment of non-prescription medication- the last thing you want is to have to walk to the store with a sore head just for a packet of 45p paracetamol 

·       Any personal medications and prescriptions 

·       Contraceptives/Condoms 

 

Bathroom 

 

·       Toiletries like toothpaste, shower gel and shampoo 

·       Toothbrush 

·       Dental floss 

·       Toilet roll 

·       Hand towels, bath towels, face flannels 

·       Nail clippers 

·       Toilet brush 

·       Bathroom cleaner, bleach, lime scale remover- London is a hard water area 

·       Hair brush, comb, hairdryer and styling tools 

·       Wash bag or basket 

 

Optional extras: 

·       Skincare products 

·       Air freshener 

·       Bath mat 

·       Perfume or aftershave 

·       Tampons/sanitary towels 

·       Hot water bottle 

·       Razors or shavers and shaving cream 

 

Others 

 

·       Clothes, shoes, underwear, outerwear, indoor wear, outdoor wear- a wardrobe is very personal so it’s entirely up to you 

·       Some sentimental keepsakes 

·       Photos of friends and family 

·       Sewing kit 

·       Blue tac/drawing pins- you might lose some of your deposit if you leave marks on the walls so be careful. Another option is to use command strips to hang things up on your walls without the need for nails or leaving any marks. 

·       Decorations for your room 

·       Anti-bacterial wipes- handy to have 

·       Keyring 

·       Bike- optional  

 

What you probably won't need 

 

·       Iron- Buy one once you have moved in, they can be heavy and available everywhere  

·       Printer- Plenty on the university campus that you can use 

·       Desk lamp- If you are in a room by yourself, just use the highly reliable ceiling fixture 

·       Kitchen electricals as student accommodation tends to have fridges, cookers, toasters, kettles- If you’re American, chances are you’ve never seen one. They’re used to boil water 

·       Car- don’t need one to get around London

·       Clothes not in season- Keep your Hawaiian shirts and sundresses at home for the first semester 

·       Excessive stationary- This is highly subjective. If you’re studying Fine Art, you’ll probably need more than someone studying International Relations so you be the judge

 

Remember if you forget any of the key essentials don’t worry! Our Village Shop is right on campus and stocks all the groceries and essentials you need, find out more about the shop here. There is also Westfield Stratford only 10 minutes from campus, one of the biggest shopping centres in Europe that’s home to all your favourite brands!