The Student Room Group

Things to bring

What are things you suggest for first years to remember to bring or would be essential to bring for their accommodation?
Bedding is a must. Perhaps some kitchen bits and pieces which you can wash and keep in your room. The shared kitchen will have a fridge, cooker and microwave but do not have pots, pans, plates, cups etc. If they do then you can be sure they will get used and no one will clean them. The last thing you want to do is have to scrub a frying pan with green mould growing in it and then cook your egg in it. You need to buy your own food if you are in the kind of accommodation which does not have pre-paid meals.
Board games, video games etc useful for lockdowns)
Bluetooth speaker
Room decor e.g. battery powered fairy lights, star projector is cool
Bags for life so you don't have to keep paying for plastic bags
Water bottle
Washing up brush (only two people - me and another person had these initially)
Reply 3
Im not in uni, but in a talk i attended, someone said a bath mat! Especially if you're sharing a bathroom
Original post by Anonymous
What are things you suggest for first years to remember to bring or would be essential to bring for their accommodation?


Hiya!

From my own experience, these are the key things I have used throughout my university journey!

1. Clothes
I found that the best way to pack for uni was to go through absolutely everything and ask myself if I would really need it! I would recommend packing a real mix of chill/lounge-wear/joggers, jeans/casual clothes, pyjamas, and going out/dressy clothes.

2. Make up/ toiletries/ skincare/ bath mat/ towels.

3. Basic kitchen/ living / bedding list (e.g. 2 plates, 1 pasta bowl, 1 cereal bowl, set of 4 cutlery, food containers, kitchen utensils, baking trays, cups, mugs, washing powder and detergent, bedding- duvet protector, pillow protector, pillows, duvet, sheets, laundry bag).

4. Slippers
I have found wearing slippers or sliders essential whilst at uni!

5. Heated clothes horse/ stand up clothes dryer
(similar to this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/Top-Home-So...a-869100995666).

6. Disposable camera
It's a really great thing to do to make some memories and can print off at the end of the term/ year!

7. Portable speaker
Can use for pres or just in your bedroom.

8. Door stop
My flatmates did too and we chose to leave our door open if we felt like inviting others in our flat to come in our rooms, using a 'open door policy'. It was just a nice and easier way to get to know my flatmates and would definitely recommend it especially if you're not very confident in going and talking to people. However, double-check with your accommodation about fire door regulation's/ safety measures.

9. Things to decorate your room with!
Photo frames, soft furnishings, cacti, fake plants, fairy lights, lava lamp, bunting etc.

10. Have a random list of what you need on your phone as you'll always be thinking of things to add to it!

Best of luck! Sam- Official Student Rep :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
What are things you suggest for first years to remember to bring or would be essential to bring for their accommodation?


Hey :smile:

I made a list of what I was going to take to uni at the beginning of the summer, so it's good that you're starting to prepare now. Make a list of things you'll need, you may find this link helpful:

https://www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus...d/whattobring/

As @University of Portsmouth Student Rep mentioned a doorstop is useful for your bedroom door. I packed lots of clothes hangers as these often aren't provided in halls. I would also recommend taking an extension cable so you can plug in your laptop, hairdryer etc. I found it useful having a printer in my room to print out assignments so I could go over them and make changes before I handed them in. It depends on your course but some tutors prefer you to submit a hard copy as well as an electronic copy of an assignment. Pack a heavy coat as you'll probably have a 10-15 minute walk to uni depending on where you're living on campus. I usually wear jeans, hoodies and trainers to uni everyday.

I made my room more homely by hanging up some fairy lights and had a few little things on my desk such as pictures of family and friends and plants. I didn't actually do a shop for kitchen utensils until I moved as I wanted to see what the accommodation had provided for us e.g. kettle, toaster etc. The Range has a great selection of little extras for your room and B&M is really cheap for bathroom essentials too.

Hope this helps :smile:

Melissa- Student Ambassador
(edited 3 years ago)
Hi there,

There are some really great responses on this thread - so I thought I would share with you my top 4 things to bring :smile:

1) Pictures from home - this is great when you're feeling home sick (which I get quite frequently) and just need a friendly face! As well, It's a great way to make your room your own, and make it seem a lot more homely.
2) Pasta - honestly, pasta is the easiest meal to make and is something you will never get tired of buying! I go threw pasta so much, and it's so easy to make on a sunday and keep for other days throughout the week
3) The basic kitchen utensils - pots, pans, knives, forks, spoons etc. There is always the case that your stuff goes missing - particularly in the kitchen! So it's a good idea to bring a couple things of each so that you're not stressing about where your things are.
4) Door Stop - I know it sounds daft, but keeping your door open encourages your new flat mates to come into your room and socialise. If you have a closed door most of the time, your flat mates might think you don't want to chat with them / socialise, so I would definitely invest :biggrin:

Hope that's helpful - good luck in your move!

Ana:h:
University of Liverpool Rep
Reply 7
What’s recommended to hang things on my walls? I know I can use blu-tac. Are command strips allowed?
Original post by Anonymous
What’s recommended to hang things on my walls? I know I can use blu-tac. Are command strips allowed?

Hi there,

Hope you're okay and looking forward to starting university :biggrin:

I think the student reps here have basically covered everything you should bring, so I thought I'd let you know what I can about hanging things on your walls!

This really depends on the rules at your accommodation specifically, but a lot of places (like our Peel Park Quarter accommodation where I stayed in first year) have designated areas on their bedroom walls where you can put photos, posters, tapestries etc.

It'll usually be a kind of notice board, so take push pins! :wink:

Sophie - Student Ambassador
Reply 9
Are you allowed your own kettle in your room?
This is a list

Pen etc
Positive mindset
Notebook
Money
Phone charger
Guidebooks for the local area
Loads of energy drinks and protein bars
A alarm clock
Coffee maker
Cutlery
Language dictionary (language students only)
A phone in case
Cookbooks
Envelopes for emergencies
Folders
Blankets
A dry sense of humor
Original post by Anonymous
What are things you suggest for first years to remember to bring or would be essential to bring for their accommodation?

I think it depends on what your student accommodation offers first. There's no point buying things like kettles and toasters if the kitchen already has one in for example.

Here is an article that we got sent and covers everything the uni advises that we should bring. Other than the obvious things, I would also advise that students bring things that remind them of home, whether its a few photos or a blanket or something, uni rooms are typically decorated quite plainly, so any little touches that you can add to make it your own can help you to feel settled. I also brought with me some icebreaker games to help me get acquainted with my roommates. On the first move-in day, everyone's feeling a little awkward so if you can get everyone together with a cup of tea and some games it really helps.

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