Everything You Need To Pack For University

A BIG list of everything I can think of that you may need to bring with you for University, as well as a few things I wouldn't bother bringing...

So it's nearly time to for me to head back to university, and this time for my second year - I'm so excited! I miss being at university loads, and being in Brighton too. I'm especially excited to move in to an actual house in Brighton this year, and to do another year of uni all over again.

 Anyway the bit I love (and hate) about moving to university is the packing. I try to keep organised, but then I end up packing way too much stuff because I worry that I haven't got everything (even though I'm only an hour away from my home and I can literally buy anything I need when I get there...) 

Bur anyway in today's post I have decided to create a rather large list of everything I'm going to bring with me to university. I hope this list helps you out, whether it's your first year or second/third/fourth year. It's everything I can think of that you may need, as well as some stuff that I wouldn't bother bringing at all. 

First of all, my biggest tip before packing for university is to check what your halls provide (if it's your first year) or house (if it's your second/third/fourth year) because you don't want to go out and buy a kettle or toaster or anything like that if it's already provided for you, and if it's not provided then wait until you meet your flatmates and you can all chip in and buy some things if they're needed.

Anyway here is my list...

IMPORTANT STUFF

1. Passport

2. ID

3. Any university, course, accommodation, student finance, and medial documents you may need

3. Bank cards

4. 16-25 Rail Card (definitely would recommend buying this if you're planning to travel anywhere by train because the discounts are definitely worth it)

5. Student Discount Cards (I would recommend buying the NUS card because chances are there is a Co-Op on your university campus, and you'll probably find yourself buying from there more than you think and you get a 10% discount off there - and there are also hundreds of other places that provide discounts off so it's 100% worth it)

6. Home House Keys (For when you travel home)

BEDROOM

1. Duvet

2. Mattress protector

3. Mattress sheet

4. Pillows

5. Duvet covers

6. Pillowcases

7. Extra bedding for when friends come to visit

8. Cushions

9. Blankets

10. Storage boxes (to use for clothes, makeup, and other bits & bobs)

11. A room diffuser/room spray (zara or primark do really nice reasonable ones)

12. A fan (trust me university halls get very hot)

13. Photos of friends and family

14. Fairy lights 

15. Clothes hangers

16. Clothes horse (save money by not paying for the dryer in the halls launderette and air dry your clothes instead)

17. Laundry basket and bag (to carry clothes to and from the launderette)

18. Laundry detergent (capsules are better than washing powder- especially if you're using the Circuit Laundry washing machines)

19. Hot water bottle (for when it's cold or period pains)

20. Sewing kit (actually came in handy more times than you'd think in my flat)

21. Door stop

22. Playing cards/board games (be sociable people)

23. Mirror (a small-ish one for makeup/face and a full length one for outfits if it's not provided in your room)

TECH

1. Printer (you'll actually save money buying your own ink and printer instead of paying for printing in the university library and if you're not living on campus you can print out things whenever)

2. Laptop (obviously)

3. Mobile (again obviously)

4. Speaker

5. Chargers for all devices

6. Laptop case

7. Portable charger

8. Earphones

9. TV (great to put in the communal area for a movie night, or to play videogames)

10. Games console

11. Extension lead

12. USB stick

STATIONERY

1. Pens and pencils

2. Cellotape

3. A planner or diary

4. Calendar

5. Post-Its

6. Coloured pencils

7. Paper clips

8. Stapler and staples

9. Folders

10. Ink (for the printer)

11. Highlighters

12. Pins (for the bulletin board which should be provided in your room in halls)

13. Folder wallets

14. Plain paper (for the printer)

15. Lined paper pads

16. Blu Tac

17. Transparent pencil case (a must for exam season)

18. Calculator

19. Batteries

20. Flashcards

21. Notebook

KITCHEN

1. Mugs

2. Glasses

3. Plastic cups (to stop any breakages at pre drinks)

4. Straws

5. Tupperware

6. Baking tray

7. Ice cube tray (because water tastes 1000% better with ice in)

8. Oven gloves

9. Cheese grater

10. Peeler

11. Plates

12. Bowls

13. Cutlery (loads of spoons because that's what you always seem to lose for some reason?)

14. Tea towels (be prepared for them to get gross very quickly so wash them frequently or just buy new ones every now and then)

15. Sponges and dish cloths

16. Washing up liquid

17. Washing up bowl

18. Frying pan

19. Wok

20. Saucepans and lids

21. Chopping board and sharp knife

22. Tin opener

23. Scissors

24. Colander

25. Measuring jug and scales

26. Mixing bowl

27. Wooden spoons

28. Bin bags

29. Tin foil

30. Cleaning stuff (e.g. kitchen cleaner, window cleaner...)

BASIC FOOD ESSENTIALS

1. Vodka (or whatever preference of alcohol)

2. Salt and pepper

3. Herbs and spice mixes

4. Olive oil

5. Frozen meals (some frozen pizzas are good for freshers as their quick meals that will last if they don't get eaten)

6. Bake in the oven bread (fresh bread goes off  toooo quickly at uni so bake in the oven bread definitely lasts longer)

7. Porridge oats or cereal

8. Cereal bars and biscuits

9. Lemonade and coke (or any other mixers)

10. Frozen fruit (like bread fruit tends to go off really quickly too so frozen fruit was my saviour last year, plus it's cheaper than buying fresh berries too)

11. Milk

12. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate

13. Pesto or pasta sauces

14. Pasta, rice and noodles

15. Soy sauce

16. Ketchup

17. Soups

18. Butter

19. Cheese

20. Crisps

BATHROOM

1. Hand wash

2. Towels

3. Toilet rolls

4. Shampoo and conditioner

5. Bath mat

6. Shower gel

7. Deodorant

8. Body exfoliant and moisturiser

9. Hair brush

10. Hair dryer, straighteners and curlers

11. Perfume

12. Hairspray and dry shampoo

13. Hair bobbles and clips

14. Fake tan 

15. Razors and shaving cream

16. Nail varnish and nail varnish remover

17. Toothbrush and toothpaste

18. Medication

19. Paracetamol

20. Contraception

21. Plasters

22. Nail scissors

23. Sanitary products

24. Toiletries bag

MAKEUP AND SKINCARE

1. Cotton pads

2. Makeup remover

3. Cleanser

4. Exfoliant

5. Toner

6. Moisturiser

7. Serum

8. Face wipes

9. Primer

10. Eyebrow product

11. Foundation (your day to day one and then your night one)

12. Matte powder

13. Bronzer

14. Highlighter

15. Blush

16. Eyeshadow palettes (try to limit yourself to as few as possible - I know it's hard)

17. Eyeliner

18. Mascara

19. Lipsticks and lip glosses (again try and limit yourself)

20. Lip balm

21. Face masks

CLOTHES

1. Day outfits

2. Comfy outfits

3. Hoodies

4. Gym outfit (and a padlock for the lockers)

5. Swimwear

6. Formal outfit

7. Nightwear

8. Coat and a few jackets

9. Dressing gown

10. Going out outfits

11. Lingerie

12. Socks and tights

SHOES

1. Day shoes (e.g. vans)

2. Heels (even though I don't think I wore them once last year but just in case I suppose?)

3. Flip flops

4. Slippers

5. Trainers

6. Formal shoes

ACCESSORIES

1. Rucksack

2. Tote bag

3. Small body bag

4. Clutch bag

5. Bum bag

6. Belts

7. Jewellery

8. Umbrella

9. Sunglasses/Hats/Scarves/Gloves

APPS TO DOWNLOAD

1. Uni Days (great for all the discounts)

2. Your University App (used for everything including emails, timetable. assessment details, catching up on lectures and events)

3. Picolo (good for pre drinks)

4. Circuit Laundry (well clearly good for laundry)

5. Bus Travel App (if you're staying in Brighton & Hove like me you'll need the bus app to travel anywhere by bus)

6. Trainline (for travelling into London, visiting friends or going home for weekends)

7. Banking App (for budgeting and keeping on track with your funds)

8. Netflix

DON'T BOTHER WITH

1. Fancy dress costumes (unless you know the costume theme before heading to freshers - don't bother bringing with you any costume things - if you need to get a costume for a night out, you can always buy something when you get to university)

2. Course books (all of my course books were provided to me for free online last year, and other books I needed for coursework I simply rented out from the library - wait until you get to your lectures before you buy any course material unless obviously you have been advised or informed to buy it beforehand)

3. Freshers wristbands (I waited until I got to university to book tickets to freshers events and nights out because I wanted to see where everyone else was going first - and I am so glad I did because when you get there you realise many of the wristbands are not worth it!)

4. Bin (most university halls and student houses provide bins in kitchens, and in bedrooms and bathrooms in halls)

5. Iron and ironing board (again this is usually provided in halls but check beforehand)

6. Desk lamp (again usually provided)

7. Hoover (and again...)

8. Microwave, toaster and kettle (and again....)

9. DVDs and CDs (I brought with me loads of DVDs and box sets last year and didn't use a single one - instead I just watched loads of Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube and On Demand Channels so I wouldn't bother really)

10. Candles and incense (usually these aren't allowed in university halls or even student housing)

11. Kitchen cleaning equipment (this is usually provided in halls, and in addition halls generally provide a cleaning service in your communal areas)

12. Nice kitchen stuff (it will just get lost or broken)

13. Expensive jewellery or precious processions (there may be a risk of things being lost, stolen or broken)

Good luck to everyone going to University for the first time, or just going into their next year this september!

You can check out my '35 Things I've Learned At University So Far' post that I uploaded in Autumn last year here if you're interested in more university related content.

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