What to Pack for Uni

---

This post is part of our "Next Stop: Uni" series which guides you through each week of the summer between finishing school and Freshers so you can start uni prepared and excited.

Next Stop: Uni by UniHomes

Leave the stress behind with your A Levels – deciding what to pack for university doesn’t have to be a hassle. Now that you’ve got your results and your uni place has officially been confirmed, let us help you suss out what exactly you need to bring along with you to student halls. We’ve worked with our Content Ambassadors to tell you what uni essentials you shouldn’t skip, as well as what you don’t need to bother packing, so that you can spend more time enjoying your summer before university and less time worrying in Ikea and Dunelm.

Everyday essentials 🌟

1. Important documents 📄

As our Content Ambassador Sophie points out, you never know when things like your passport will come in useful. Make sure you pack important documents (like bank statements, your National Insurance number, your driving licence… the list goes on) so that you’re as prepared as you can be when it comes to getting a job or going on holiday.

2. Clothes airer 👕

Washing your clothes at uni can be an expensive chore, so why not minimise how much you're spending here by bringing an airer with you? This tip from our Newcastle Content Ambassador Lara means that whilst everyone else is paying for dryers, you get to do what every student dreams of doing – save money.

3. Extension lead 🔌

Plug sockets in uni-owned halls can be hard to come by, especially in communal spaces, and there’s nothing worse than going to sit down at your desk with your laptop only to realise there’s nowhere for your charger to go.

Our Content Ambassadors Sophie and Claire both recommend including an extension lead on your uni checklist, with Claire saying: "you have no idea where your sockets are going to be, and I had none close to my desk so had to purchase one pretty quickly!".

4. Mattress protector 💤

This one’s easy to overlook, but once you think about how many previous owners mattresses in older uni halls of residence have had then you’ll regret not having the foresight to bring a mattress protector.

5. Laundry basket 🧺

When it comes to ferrying your clothes to and from the laundry room, you want a sturdy receptacle to transport everything in. Whether that’s a collapsible laundry basket or a bag for life that folds away neatly, consider getting something that can be stored easily when not in use.

Kitchen necessities 🍳

1. Bowls 🥣

Take it from our Leicester Content Ambassador Kayleigh – bowls, especially something shallow but big like a pasta bowl, are so much more versatile than plates. Whilst it’s still worth bringing a plate or two, don’t forget to pack the pasta bowl; they’re so much easier to eat off.

2. Thermal mug ☕

If there’s one way to save money as a student, it’s by making your own coffees at home. Our Ambassador Kayleigh wishes she’d brought a thermal cup along to uni for this exact reason.

3. Sharp knife and a chopping board 🔪

Although they seem obvious, it’s easy to forget about these if you’ve not got much cooking experience. But bringing a sharp kitchen knife and a chopping board with you will make meal prep so much easier – and it’s also not too late to learn some easy meal ideas before you head off to university.

4. Tupperware 🫙

Speaking of meal prep – pack a few pieces of Tupperware for storing leftovers, which will make your meals stretch further and save you money in the long run.

5. Bottle opener 🍾

A bottle opener will be your life saver during Freshers’ Week, because you can almost guarantee that all of your housemates will end up losing theirs. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Bathroom basics 🚿

1. Cleaning products 🧽

If you have an ensuite, you’ll want to bring along a decent selection of cleaning products to keep your bathroom from turning into a biohazard. A good place to start is by packing antibacterial spray, cloths, and bleach, which you can also use to clean the kitchen and your bedroom.

2. Hand soap 🫧

This one’s just common sense, really, but it’s easy to get so caught up in buying all the other uni essentials that you forget about poor hand soap. Buy some nice soap and use it liberally to prevent the dreaded freshers’ flu from taking hold.

3. Bathroom bin 🗑️

Easily forgotten, often missed. You have no idea how much you need a bathroom bin until you find yourself without one, so don yourself a favour and put one on your packing list. If you’re sharing a bathroom that just so happens to come pre-equipped with a bin, yours can always double up as a waste paper bin in your room.

4. Hand towel 🙌

Drying your hands on the still-damp towel you used for your shower isn’t the vibe. Bringing a specific hand towel doesn’t sound like it’ll make a big difference, but trust us; it will.

5. Bath mat 🛁

If you’re lucky enough to have an ensuite, be prepared for the mini floods that come hand-in-hand with wet rooms and carpeted bedrooms. A good idea is to bring a bath mat and place it at the entrance to your ensuite to avoid tracking water all over your bedroom floors.

Bedroom must-haves 🛏️

1. Wall calendar 📅

You’re much more likely to look at a wall calendar than you are a planner – at least, that’s what our CA Kayleigh says: "I actually looked at my wall calendar and used it to see when I was going home, when I had lectures, etc... But I never used my diary, oops."

2. Hangers 👗

Bring more hangers than you think you’ll need; odds are, you’ll end up treating yourself to a few new clothes once you get your first student loan. Reuse the ones you have in your wardrobe at home, though, as this will save you money in the long run.

3. Pins 📌

Your uni room will probably come with a pin board for you to put up photos, postcards, and posters, so take advantage of this wall space and bring plenty of pins. In fact, our Portsmouth Content Ambassador Claire wishes she’d brought a lot more with her to uni.

4. Trinket box 💍

If you live in a particularly thrifty city with a great charity shop scene like York, Nottingham or Norwich (or if you just love collecting cute little trinkets), you might find yourself inundated with loads of lovely little trinkets. Our Content Ambassador Sophie’s pro tip for this scenario is to get yourself a box to put all your lovely things in – this helps to keep everything in one place and prevents you from losing anything.

"I'm a trinket collector," says Sophie, "and having a box or something similar for them is so nice (if you have the space)."

5. Fleece blanket ☃️

The weather’s only going to get colder after Freshers’ Week, and a fleece blanket is a great way to ensure you stay cozy and comfortable in your bedroom. It’ll come in handy later on when you move into a student house and start having to pay for your own heating, too.

Give it a miss 🙅

1. Unnecessary kitchen bits 🍽️

Whether that’s a potato masher, a cheese grater, or a garlic press… this one really depends on you being honest with yourself. Take it from our Content Ambassador Sophie – if you know that you probably won’t be making any mash, or that you’ll most likely go for convenience and buy garlic paste rather than crush your own, be realistic and skip packing these items.

Here's a top tip from our CA Lara: "avoid bringing basic Ikea kitchen bits; I did this and ended up regretting it because it complicated matters when moving out, as all my flatmates had the same idea to shop at Ikea!"

2. Printer 🖨️

Chances are, you won’t have to print things out nearly half as much as you think you will, but if you do then head over to the library and make use of the uni printing services. It’ll be much cheaper than buying your own ink.

3. Old textbooks 📚

You might think that your A Level materials might come in handy, but our CA Claire says that she "never once looked at any of her old work or textbooks – they were unnecessary and a waste of space!"

4. Stationery ✍️

As our Ambassador Claire points out, most uni work is done on a laptop now, and unless you do a specialist degree that requires a hands-on approach, you’ll probably never pick up those highlighters. Consider minimising your stationery collection and instead just stick to a few basic pens and Post-it notes for revision purposes.

5. Summer clothes ☀️

With winter on its way, your wardrobe is going to be full of cosy jumpers and bulky coats; save space and save your hangers by not bringing your summer clothes with you straight away, and swap everything over once the sunshine starts to warm up in the New Year.

Our Leeds Content Ambassador Jarisse says that she wishes she hadn't brought her full wardrobe along to uni; "I didn't wear most of the clothes I packed, so it's much easier to pack light and make sure the clothes you do bring are appropriate for the weather."

The views and opinions expressed in these blogs are those of the UniHomes Content Ambassadors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of UniHomes. UniHomes accepts no liability for the content of these Student Blogs.