Packing for University: What you need - a checklist

*Warning: big, wordy post*

So, the time has finally come. You’ve survived primary school, secondary school and even 6^th Form or College, and are finally flying the nest and off to learn some more at University. Only problem is, what do you take? That’s where I come in to help.

I find that a list is the best thing for me in terms of packing for trips as I can see what I have and haven’t got and means that I don’t miss out or forget anything. I posted this list last year on my previous blog and I found that it really helped me. Not only did I not need to search around for bits of paper (which no doubt would have been found folded and crumpled in a back jeans pocket) but it's always viewable. Just a couple of clicks and whoosh, it's here.

It would hardly be fair for you to read my messy handwriting now would it?
(Although if you click here it should appear larger/full sized.)

This list isn't just for those starting at University, I've edited it to include things which second year or even third year students might need. I hope it helps!

The lists below are sorted into categories, so hopefully that’ll help you. I have these all written on paper, but just in case you can’t read my handwriting, I’m typing them out for you.

• Passport (and photocopies) 
• Spare passport photos (always good to have some spares) 
• Driving license 
• National Insurance card 
• Young Persons Railcard 
• Local Library card 
• Discount Travel cards (e.g. Arriva)
• Credit/Debit cards 
• NUS/Student Card 
• NHS Number 
• E111 card 
• Copies of your CV & references 
• Bank Account details 
• Local & new doctor/dentist details 
• Exam certificates (and copies) 
• Accommodation contract 
• Room insurance 
• Vaccination details (dates of jabs, e.g. Tetanus, HPV etc) 
• Other University details 
• Relevant old textbooks and notes
• ‘What’s on’ in the area (theatre, museums, gigs etc) 
• Local Map (city centre in detail, very useful) 
• Diary 
• Calendar 
• Academic Year Planner (more useful than you'll guess) 
• Emergency contact details (make them readily available) 
• Address Book (incl phone numbers, e-mail addresses, birthdays, anniversaries etc) 
• Reading List 
• Organ Donor Card

You may not want to purchase everything on your reading list, as not all texts will be relevant to your course and may be optional for light reading. You may also want to see how many of the books are available in the library or second hand from students who have just finished the module/year/course. I didn't buy anything on mine and was able to get an essential £80 Biology textbook out the library for the whole year (renewing when necessary). Also, please sign up to be an organ donor. It takes no time at all and might save lives. It’s entirely unselfish, as what exactly are you going to need your liver for if someone out there is dying because of your selfishness. So please, become a donor.

 

• Desk lamp
• Notice board & push pins
• Whiteboard & erasable markers
• Diary
• Academic Year Planner (this is essential when working with deadlines)
• Dictionary & Thesaurus (if you prefer the old-fashioned way)
• Lined paper
• A4 white (printer) paper
• A4 folder/ring binders
• Scissors
• Sellotape
• Stapler (& staples)
• Staple remover
• Hole-punch
• White labels/stickers
• Post-it notes
• Paper clips
• Safety pins
• Blue tac/white tac
• Stamps & envelopes - because letters are fun!
• Big pieces of paper - A3
• Clipboard (I do a lot of field work on my course)
• Plastic wallet
• Little potted plant (I'm taking my orchid!)
• Pencil case (incl all stationary, e.g. pens, pencils, highlighters [ x5 if your name is Amy Claire Thompson] ruler, rubber, pencil sharpener, sharpies, ink cartridges, Tipp-Ex etc)
• Thermos (for tea/coffee/hot chocolate/soup. This will be a godsend in your early morning lectures in winter)

Some things you aren't going to need in your first year, i.e. noticeboards are generally provided in University or student accommodation so the whiteboard becomes unnecessary, but ask permission if you can put the whiteboard on your door. This means that way if you’re out, people can leave a message. It's also great for communal areas for those in private accommodation, such as the kitchen or hallway so that you can leave each other messages. Also, find out the rules about putting posters/stuff on the wall and hanging up things in your room. If you’re going to be charged £60 for a repaint at the end of the year then you need to decide of it is worth it.

• Corkscrew/bottle opener
• Mugs
• Glasses (water, wine, shot, etc)
• Kettle
• Toaster
• Microwave
• Cutlery (knives, forks, tea & table spoons)
• Plates (side plates and dinner plates)
• Bowls (cereal, soup & pasta)
• Teapot (for one or two. Check out Whittards!)
• Small cafetiere
• Casserole dish
• Microwaveable container (great for cooking things like salmon)
• Frying pan
• Saucepan (small & large, with lids)
• Egg cup
• Whisk
• Tin opener
• Kitchen scissors
• Bread knife
• Copping knives (ensure that you have separate knife for raw meat)
• Chopping boards (again, separate board/side for raw meat)
• Cheese slicer and/or cheese grater
• Vegetable peeler
• Wooden spoons
• Spatula
• Potato masher
• Glass or mixing bowls
• Measuring jug
• Sieve
Colander
Recipe book/folder
Measuring scales
Blender
Baking tray
Oven gloves
Tea towels
Draining rack
Washing-up bowl & liquid (often overlooked but essential)
Dustpan & brush
Mop & bucket
Tin foil & Cling film (keep away from Amy!!!)
Grease-proof paper
Sandwich/freezer bags
Storage containers
Biscuit/cake tin (remember to fill it before you leave home!)
Bin-bags
Cleaning supplies
Flask/thermos
Recipe book/folder

Some things on this list you aren't going to need in your first year, such as the kettle, toaster or microwave. However in your second, third or even fourth year these are essential kitchen appliances that you're going to need. The main thing to remember is that if you're sharing a house, there is no point in purchasing duplicate items. You don't need five potato mashers, five tin-openers and five colanders. It's impractical and just silly, plus there won't be that much space for storage. So if possible try to arrange with your new housemates who will bring what, or head to the nearest supermarket to get what you need and then split the cost between you. It is as simple as that and it just makes things a little easier.

Basic essentials: tea, coffee, milk, sugar, salt, pepper, eggs, flour, margarine, butter, oil, pasta, rice, couscous, potatoes, baked beans, spaghetti worms (don't scoff!), soups.

One tip I'd stick by is to take something for the first night as it moving in and meeting new people might be a bit hectic and tiring. I’d recommend cooking some things and putting them into containers/freezer bags so that you’ve something to eat which can be quickly heated up with little effort on your part. And do a shop at the local supermarket when you get there (or better yet, take your parents and let them!)

You also need to remember that you are a student, and as such if you're sharing a kitchen, you may find yourself and your flatmates borrowing each others things. That's fine, but please bear in mind that others may not treat your things with the same level of care and respect that you do. Last year I went with a cheap, basic cookware set from Sainsbury's for a bargain £6.66 (three saucepans in various sizes & a small frying pan). This was fine for the first few months. After that, the non-stick began to, well, lose it's non-stick and instead decided to stick to my food. So this year, I'm buying good quality kitchenware from places like TK Maxx, where it'll be cheaper than it's retail price.

As someone with long, thick hair an en-suite bathroom in my first year was essential. I like being able to use the bathroom whenever I chose and know that it will be nice and clean when I do. I also like have space to leave my shower things without having to take them with me every time I want to use the bathroom and take a shower. A bathroom at university is no different from a bathroom at home, you are still going to need all of the things that a bathroom needs, such as ...

• Bath mat
• Body & hand towels
• Flannel/sponge
• Basket (for shower supplies)
• Wash bag
• Shower gel
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Curling crème
• Moisturiser
• Tooth brush
• Toothpaste
• Soap (& soap dish)
• Beaker/glass (for toothbrush)
• Toilet roll (not something you'll want to run out of)
• Tissues
• Deodorant
• Perfume
• Hair spray
• Hairbrush
• Comb
• Razors
• Lip balm
• Nail varnish
• Nail varnish remover
• Cotton wool/buds
• Bleach
• Toilet brush
• Rubber duck (not optional)

Just remember that all cleaning supplies, be it for bathroom, kitchen or the house in general, can be shared by everyone in the house. So set up a cupboard in the kitchen/bathroom/under the stairs and keep everything nicely organised together. Also, because they're shared you simply share the time cleaning and the cost of replacing them when they run out. Simple.

Keep your bathroom cabinet tidy so that you can find things when it's early and you're tired.
Also, it's just nicer not to keep the bathroom tidy for you and others, wouldn't you agree?

• Painkillers
• Vitamins
• Solarcaine (treats burns and bites and stuff. It’s amazing!)
• Basic First Aid (plasters, antiseptic wipes, bandages)
• Paracetamol
• Cold/flu remedy (Fresher’s flu)
• Cold/heat pack
• Hot-water bottle
• Afterbite lotion
• Suntan lotion
• After sun

These are just basic little essentials that one should always have in a medicine cabinet at home, so why would it be any different? You’ll still get ill and you’ll still need to stay safe. So bring some sort of basic First Aid kit with you.

James patiently has his arm put in a sling by Jamie

I would also recommend taking some form of basic First Aid course before you leave for University. When I undertook Accident and Emergency training with St John's Ambulance (see above) it was fun and I learnt things. ( I learnt not to let Jamie bandage me up. He cut of blood supply for five minutes, my arm went purple and the instructor panicked as she couldn’t find and scissors. Thank fully, my arm is OK, and didn’t require amputating.) Don't wait until the middle of September and you're triple checking that you have everything. Grab some friends and do one last thing together before you all split for Uni.

You may also need to bring electrical items, so check out the number of plugs when you get a quick look at your accommodation or ask the owner.

• Alarm clock
• Calculator
• Laptop (as well as a bag & charger)
• Mouse
• Blank CDs
• USB ‘pendrives’
• Printer (don't forget paper!)
• Camera
• Network Cable (access to the Internet - if not provided or there's no wireless)
• Mini fridge*
• Desk/Bedside lamp
• Mobile phone (and charger)
• Speakers
• Headphones
• (Rechargeable) batteries (and the charger too, duh)
• Multi-plug adapter or an extension cord
• iPod
• Hair Dryer
• Straighteners
• Curlers
• Iron
• Batteries

*A mini-fridge is not essential and you must remember that it will make some humming noise in your room, possibly keeping you from sleeping. Also, some places do not allow them, so check with the company before you bring one. Also it obviously depends on your hair and how you like to wear it as to what electric styling devices you bring. I gave up with trying to make my hair manageable a few weeks in and simply enjoyed the extra time in bed on a morning. Priorities, I got em.

An average student room (yes, they really are that big)

And here’s everything else that a student will need in their bedroom that wasn't included in the studying part at the top of the page.

• Bedding (including spares of sheets, duvet & pillows)
• Cushions
• Toys
• Sleeping bag (when you have someone stay the night & you don't have a double bed they're going to need to sleep somewhere)
• Dressing gown & slippers - student staples
• Blanket
• Books
• CDs
• DVDs
• Fairy Lights
• Extra storage
• Photograph album
• Postcards (to decorate your notice board)
• Calendar (I've got a beautiful John French photography calendar which I adore)
• And anything else that will help make your room seem more homely

The first thing I thought of when I saw my University accommodation for the first time was 'I'm going to need some more storage'. And I was right. All I had in my room was a large cupboard (with one shelf at the bottom and one at the top for towels & bedding & stuff), a desk with three drawers and two shelves above the desk (one of which I obviously couldn't reach). So I shopped around and found this four drawer storage set, which I can store anything and everything (that will fit in it) for just £12 from Morrison's and I guarantee I'll be using it again this year.

Argos do similar storage units, available with three drawers, four drawers and five drawers. They also do a large, seven drawers unit, but it's a lot more expensive, so I'd advise you to shop around & check out supermarkets before you buy one, because you're going to be using it a lot.

There are items which do not fall into any sort of category, so they’re all being written here :)

• Washing Liquid/Powder
• Laundry Bag
• Clothes rack to dry them on
• Clothes hangers (and possibly pegs)
• Tissues
• Extra storage (boxes, shelving etc)
• Holdall/weekend bag/suitcase/rucksack etc
• Torch
• Sewing Kit
• Candles & matches/lighter
• Watch
• Hooks
• Superglue
• Glasses/Sunglasses
• Shoe polish

Now, I don’t think I really need to tell you what clothes to bring. Check out the climate for where you’ll be studying and compare it to where you currently live. Manchester is on the other side of the Pennines to York which meant that I was no longer in the rain shadow so there was the shock of windier, wetter weather. Instead of summer dresses with thick tights in October, I now have to bundle myself up with thick, knitted jumpers and coats and boots.

Keep your wardrobe neat, tidy and organised and you'll do fine.

My tip for you is to simply go through your wardrobe, section by section deciding how many of which items of clothing you want to bring. Remember, you'll need the same as you do at home, some nice clothes to wear out and some for just being round your flat (I mean, you don't want to wear out the nice new skirt before you get a chance to really show it off now do you?). So pack short sleeve and long sleeve T-shirts as well as strappy and tanks tops for layers. Bring cardigans as well as hoodies. Jackets as well as coats. Jeans as well as skirts. Dresses and plenty of accessories. Don't forget to bring spares too. Also, you may want to take up swimming or something if there are facilities nearby, so don't discount swimwear or gymwear either. I plan on taking up dancing (modern, jazz, tango, ballroom) as soon as I get back as it's a great way of meeting people.

Amy and I dressing up to raise money for charity. I'm Titania, Queen of the Fairies and she's a witch.

Also, a lot of student events and clubs are themed for certain events/times of the year. Manchester has it's own Cirque Du Works  where everything in Circus themed. At university dressing up isn't just for halloween.

I hope that this is helpful for all of you, and if there is anything that I have forgotten, just let me know. Or, if there's items on here which I've reminded you about. Best of luck to everyone, whether it's your first year of university or your last. Whether you're leaving this weekend or in a few weeks.

I'll leave you with some shopping tips from Taylor.

Have fun! xx