With that over with, you are probably mid-way through compiling a list of things that you need to take you uni with you. We normally think of the essential bits and pieces (pots and pans, cutlery, bedding, clothes - all that stuff). However, it's always the case that you get halfway through the year or term before wondering why you hadn't thought of bringing this and that. To help you avoid that a little bit, I have compiled a list of 20 useful items which will come in hand. Most of them aren't essential, but I have found a lot of these to be very convenient to have around.
- USB Stick
I would say that this one is an essential item. Please, please, please back up your work. Do it every week. You never know what's going to happen to your laptop. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you have completed an assignment or written out all of your revision/ lecture notes, for it to suddenly all disappear. Can't think of anything worse. - Academic Planner
If you are a student who lives without an academic planner, how do you do it? Even if you're very good at remembering dates and appointments, it's always handy to have it physically laid out in front of you so that you can fit everything else (including some you time!) around current commitments. It's also a great way of tracking assignment deadlines and uni work that you need to complete along with society/ volunteering commitments. Student life can be hectic when your schedule is constantly changing every few weeks. - Mini Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
Not sure what the proper term for this is, but it looks like this and it's more useful than an iron and ironing board (which you will probably end up never using if your accommodation has detectors installed in the rooms). This is a more expensive purchase but it's worth it. It essentially works like a vacuum cleaner, but it's small, portable, lightweight, and rechargeable. Perfect for picking up those pesky crumbs from the carpet! - Emergency Money
I think that this is a really important point. Always have some set aside. The best thing to do is make sure that you take out some money and put it in a safe place in you room just in case you lose your bank card or you're not able to withdraw money from it for any reason. You can also set aside some of your student finance for emergency purposes as well, whether that be last minute train tickets or unexpected vet appointments. I know that Student Finance is supposed to be for student/ uni purposes, but sometimes you don't have another choice and you have to do what you need to. - Umbrella
I try to remember to always have an umbrella in my bag. The weather in England is unpredictable - sunny one moment and pouring with rain the next. - Reusable Water Bottle
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Stay hydrated! This way there's also no need to unnecessarily use plastic. This will save you money as well. Bonus. - A blanket
The heating in student accommodation is not reliable. There were some days when I had to sit in my coat because it was so cold. It's usually centrally controlled which means that you can't turn it on when you feel the need to, so if you're sensitive to the cold, a blanket could do some good. - A Soft Toy (or more!)
Whether we admit it or not, we all have our favourite childhood soft toys. At the beginning of the year all of us in the Psychology group chat were sending photos of our beds with our soft toys lying there. Needless to say, I was the only one with a Minion and a dog in a dress (they were a gift my grandma and great-aunt, okay?). Our teddy bears and soft toys seem to have some sort of beneficial psychology impact on us, even as adults! It's just nice to have them there. - Boxes and Baskets
They will make organising and storing your stuff much easier. Handy when you need to move in and out of accommodation throughout the next few years to, and it will make your room cleaner than having items scattered or piled all over the place. - Colour Catcher
These get thrown into the washing machine with your clothes and they stop colours from mixing together so that you don't have to do two separate washes for coloured and white clothes. You can often get two goes from a single sheet depending on your load. They work really well. Great when your uni runs their machines on Circuit Laundry. You can get these from Wilko. - Your Favourite Cooldown Activity
Your wellbeing is essential so I would say that this definitely is as well. This could be anything from your musical instrument, art supplies, a journal, a word search book, a bike, sports equipment - whatever it is that will help you take your mind off work. Obviously, you can't bring your pet to uni with you (boo!), but there's always Pets As Therapy if your uni invites them in. If not, how about becoming a volunteer dog walker or pet sitter? - Squishy
You're probably thinking: 'Aimee... They're for kids', but I disagree! They are actually quite therapeutic! My favourite ones are the round-ish shaped animal ones or anything with a smiley face (the Panda one came from Typo for £2). You can squash them in all different directions and end up creating some really funny-shaped creations which slowly bounce right back! It may not completely get rid of your worries or thoughts but may district you for a split second - try it. They make good decorations to! - Medical Kit
Being ill when your close to exam season, have what seems like 15 assignments due in, or when you're working is a pain. We all know the pain of those times when your heel is sore from your shoes and you wish you had a plaster on you also, or when you're sitting in a lecture with a splitting headache. Creating an easily accessible medical kit with assorted plasters, Lemsip, paracetamol, hay fever tablets, herbal remedies, and whatever else you require will come in handy. I like to keep a mini wallet of basic items in my bag at all times for wherever I go to. - Waterproof Basket (with holes)
This point is mainly for those who are living in accommodation with a shared bathroom, or if your bathroom happens to have no storage space. Instead of scrambling for all of your toiletries only to forget something when you get into the bathroom and having them slip out of your hand whilst getting your clothes wet on the way back to your room, you can keep them in a basket. Just grab and go. Simples. - Boxes for Food
Here we go with the boxes again. Each time before the start of a new Term you should prepare a box of freezable dinner so that you have enough for one per a week (my Mum does this for me because I can't make the kind of stuff I would usually eat at home 😊). There's usually one day during the week when you will finish lectures quite late or something unexpected comes up that doesn't give you enough time to make a decent dinner. This will prevent you from eating rubbish. Also, you don't always (probably won't) have time to go home for lunch if you live on off-campus accommodation. This is where Tupperware comes in. It's better than using plastic bags and your food won't get squashed this way. - Slippers/ Easy-to-Put-On Shoes
All I'm going to say here is 3am fire alarms. They will wake (much rather scare the life out of) you up and you will be out of your mind for a good five seconds before realising that you need to hurry up and get out of the building because the fire alarm is going off.
- Some Cute Decor
Attempt to make your room feel at least a bit homely. Fairy lights, cacti (a personal favourite!), some of your favourite ornaments, photos, mood board, posters; maybe even a rug. This is something that I want to try to make more of an effort to do in the upcoming academic year. Have fun decorating your room! Hopefully this will make you feel a little bit better and less homesick. Be careful not to overdo it though - remember that you will have to pack up everything at the end of the year! - Colander
These are one of those items that a lot of students forget yet will end up using almost every day. Draining pasta, washing vegetables and fruit, holding food before cooking it, and probably a whole lot more! - Air Freshener
Student accommodation doesn't have good circulation. You are quite literally stuck in a box. At Warwick (and I presume many other universities) the windows barely open to for health and safety reasons. Then if you're uncomfortable being in the kitchen like me, you will end up eating in your room as well but smells from the kitchen will sneak in either way. When you're unable to leave your windows open for long enough an air freshener is the next best thing. - Unidays!
This is a student discount app. When you first get it, it will direct you to your uni portal and ask you to login to confirm that you are registered. They have all sorts of discounts on a variety of categories.
Again, well done and have a restful last few weeks of Summer before all the hard work begins!
Such a useful list for those starting uni soon!
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