GUIDE TO UNIVERSITY: What should I pack and what should i leave behind!?

Hello blogworld,

I hope you are all well and enjoying the Easter weekend! I'm back with the second addition to my guide to university (finally)! If you missed the first post then click here to take a look. Firstly I'd just like to add a quick disclaimer as always, this guide to university series is compiled my thoughts, experiences and opinions. University is truly what you make of it so please bare that in mind and do not take these posts too literally and be mindful that these are just a little bit of guidance to help anyone who is thinking of going to university this year or in the future! With that said, thank you so much for reading my blog and i hope you enjoy the post!

 This weeks addition covers the moving process; what to take to uni and what to leave behind. The months between exams and results day are incredibly frustrating and the uncertainty of your future is quite hard to deal with, particularly if you are nervous about your results. I know first hand how many emotions are flowing in August when you go and collect essentially the ticket to your future. In most cases there are only a few weeks between results day and moving day so once you know you have your place on a course and accommodation sorted the panic kicks in and it is a bit of a mad rush picking up bits on pieces to take with you! I personally found it difficult to get excited about university before results day, I don't think the reality hits you until you get your course start date and information about freshers week. So for me, I was completely disorganised but that is fine; you could literally go out and buy most of the products the day you move in, but for those of you who like to have a bit of organisation in your life here's a few tips on what to bring!

Essentials for your bedroom:
Most university halls of residence are single beds due to the fact that they only provide single occupancy rooms. In halls of residence you should expect a basic room, some universities have worked to build newer more modern halls which are a lot more eye appealing but inevitably still basic and suitable for all.  You should expect a smallish room with a bed, desk, chair, wardrobe, pin board and shelves; some halls will provide en-suite rooms and if you can I would advise getting that (Remember you are moving in with complete strangers). Below are pictures of the halls of residence at my university so you can get an idea of the space available.

Halls of residence bedroom.

Doorway and en-suite bathroom.

 With that said, (Obviously?) one of the main things you will need is bedding; I personally took a double quilt because I knew a lot of my friends and sisters would come to stay over and I like cosying up with lots of duvet. This proved to be useful because in second and third year student housing I did end up with a double bed so i didn't need to go out and buy a new duvet. If your room does not come with a lamp I would recommend that as an essential, I know in my experience when lightbulbs went in the room you could wait a few days before anybody came to fix it and lamps are just handy when you are working at a desk anyway. Other essentials i would recommend for the bedroom are storage boxes, as i said before the bedrooms are compact and even if you do not take a lot of stuff it will build up over the year so if you want to keep things organised I would take a few under bed storage boxes!

Bedroom Decor:
Getting your place at University and making the move is a massive life change and lots of people struggle with that transition. It is difficult to leave your family, friends, school and security at home and live in a completely new town where you may not know anyone. University can be very daunting and lonely at times, you will find yourself spending a lot of time sat in your bedroom particularly when your flat mates or close friends go home for the weekend or have a lot of work on. One of the best ways to deal with the challenges of university is to make sure that your room reflects you and feels homely. For most, nothing will compare to your spacious bedroom at home painted how you like but unfortunately  its part of university and something you have to learn to deal with. A great way to transform your university bedroom and give it some style is with decorative bed linen,pillows and throws; not only will they reveal your personality they also won't take up "space" in your room and will make your bed a lot more comfortable. When I moved to university I to go for chose a floral cath kidston esque theme and brought bedding, storage boxes and accessories that matched and it instantly transformed my bedroom! However, I strongly recommend leaving off buying little decorative bits as most university freshers weeks have poster sales and a freshers fayre where you can pick up some bits for your room once you have settled in. Another great item to take is picture frames, you will find you have a lot of shelf space that doesn't get used and its nice to have pictures of your friends and family around the room to cheer you up. A lot of people also use their pin boards to display photographs/memories and that is another good way to decorate the room and make it feel personal.

When shopping for home decor pieces i strongly recommend visiting bargain shops as you can get some really nice pieces for a fraction of the price. For most people your university room is always the "second home" and you must remember when you move back you will be left with a wealth of unwanted stuff so try to be realistic with your decor and don't buy lots of exspensive things you will later be afraid to throw away.

Shops i recommend:> B&M Bargains
> Dunelm Mill
> The Range
> Home Bargains
> Matalan
> wilkinsons

Top items to bring:> Photo frames
> Posters/canvas
> Storage boxes
> bed linen, pillows, throws.

- leave the rest till you have settled in, no what space is available and only buy things that you really like.

Momentos: 

As with the decor, personalizing your room is essential for avoiding home sickness. Bringing pictures of your family/friends is important for those times you feel a little bit lonely or are missing home. I used to keep momentos such as festival wristbands, concert tickets etc in a box and before uni i put them into a scrap book which I kept in my uni room and it was a lovely way of showing my new friends what my life back home was like and also just a nice nostalgic piece to cheer me up. When moving to university don't take every single memory attached item you own, like trophies or your childhood money box etc unless you have a significant attachment. It seems really harsh but honestly, theres no space and theres no need. Keep it practical!

Essentials Kitchen/Bathroom:

Usually en-suite accommodation is offered and as i said, i would highly recommend this. The bathrooms tend to be very compact but they do the job so don't be too disappointed if you get a tiny bathroom or even a wet room, in a few weeks you won't mind. If you are sharing a bathroom then take the basics off this list as a good-will gesture, most flats will agree to combine resources and share the costs in the coming weeks. However, If you are lucky enough to have your own bathroom then i would recommend collecting the following as you won't be able to borrow somebody elses:

Bathroom checklist:
> plenty of toilet roll
> possibly a toilet brush (if not provided)
> toilet bleach
> bathroom surface cleaner for the toilet, sink and shower.
> j cloths/cleaning cloths
> toiletry essentials such as toothpaste, toothbrush etc.
> bath towel, flannel, hand towel.

A lot of people make the mistake of buying a full set of knives, pans etc for the kitchen and end up never using it. When buying kitchen accessories I strongly recommend being rational about what you eat, what you will cook and therefore what you need. One of the main ways people make friends at university with their flat mates is sharing, everybody is in the same boat and everybody wants to be liked initially so people will agree to let you borrow things and if you are lucky you may decide to have a communal box of pans and trays for everyone to use. If you can make contact with your future flatmates before moving in, try to discuss buying when you arrive with them as this will be more effective in the long-run and you won't end up with 6 sets of pans in one flat (THERE IS NO ROOM!). In my flat we decided we wanted a toasty maker so we all chipped in and brought one later in the term, things like this are a good way of saving money and if you fancy taking on then try and suggest it when you get there and if nobody wants to chip in then go ahead and get one for yourself.

 Below are pictures of the kitchen in my university halls: 

In my halls you were provided with two cupboards each, baring in mind you need to put food in one there really is not a lot of space left. So i recommend taking the following to start with and then building to your collection as and when you need things:

Kitchen:
2x Glasses
2x mugs (if you drink hot drinks)

2x bowls

2x small side plates (for toast/sandwiches)

2x dinner plates

Cutlery set (B&M Bargains do 16 Piece for £3.99)
Small pan & frying pan.
Baking tray

Culinder/siv
Measuring jug
Sandwich bags/tin foil/cling film
Masher/Wooden spoon/whisks

Other things you may consider once your there:
Extra pans, toasty maker, smoothie maker, gridle pan, mixing bowl, set of good knives.

I apologise that this post is so lengthy but I really hope its helpful to anyone looking to move this September and a bit nervous about what to pack. As always if you have any questions please just let me know in the comments and i will respond or alternatively tweet me if you want to anything else about university!

NICOLEPOWNALLX