Eight home luxuries Newcastle students miss but will never admit

University life is all about independence, late nights, and questionable meal choices. But let’s be real—there are a few home comforts we all secretly miss, even if we’ll never openly admit it. Here are eight luxuries that we take for granted at home but would give anything to have back.

1. A non-sticky kitchen

You never realise how clean your kitchen at home is until you move into student housing. Here, you never quite know what mystery substance you’ve just touched, or worse—what’s just transferred onto your sleeve. Drop a piece of food on the countertop? Straight to the bin, no five second rule applies here.

The hob is a state, the sink is blocked, the fridge hums, and let’s not even start on the horror of stepping into an un-mopped kitchen floor in just socks. Slippers are a must.

2. Doing laundry whenever you need to

Remember when doing laundry didn’t cost the same as a meal deal? Those were the days. If you lived in accommodation, you definitely tried the circuit laundry hack at least once to get free washes.

Now, you’re stuck waiting behind five housemates for a turn, rationing your last pair of clean pants, and praying no one shrinks your favourite jeans in the tumble dryer. And if someone takes your clothes out and dumps them somewhere? Say goodbye to your socks—forever.

3. Toothpaste that magically replenishes

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At home, toothpaste is an infinite resource. It just appears. You never think about it. But at uni? You’re stood in front of the mirror, aggressively squeezing the tube like it owes you money. You could’ve sworn you bought it last week—until you look around and realise it’s been smeared across the sink, the taps, and somehow the mirror. There’s even a mysterious dried-up lump on the floor. The cap? Nowhere to be found.

The most frustrating part? You know you bought the last tube. And the one before that. And the one before that. And you will definitely be buying the next one too. Don’t even get me started on loo roll.

4. A fully stocked snack drawer

The fully stocked snack drawer at home is definitely a luxury we all miss. At home, you never have to decide exactly what you want—you just have options, waiting for you. You never have to choose between your favourite crisps or that chocolate bar you’ve been thinking about all day. You can have both! Maybe even a cheeky biscuit after, too.

That said, there is something kind of magical about a sweet treat run to Tesco with your housemates at 10PM. It’s a core uni memory. But don’t be fooled—if you leave your snacks out, they will mysteriously disappear. Guard your KitKats like your life depends on it.

5. Good working Wi-Fi

I don’t know how big your family is, but I guarantee it’s not the same as sharing a Wi-Fi connection with eight other students, half of whom have gaming consoles and smart TVs running 24/7. It’s all fine until you actually need to use the internet—especially during assignment deadlines and exam season when even loading a PDF feels like a miracle. And if the Philip Robinson Library Wi-Fi is down? You might as well give up on productivity entirely.

6. A peaceful bath

I know we’re not all avid bath lovers… but I absolutely am. And uni life is just not built for it. If you’re one of the lucky ones to have a bath in your student house, good luck actually enjoying it. The second you finally settle in with your little playlist, a candle or some incense burning and the book you’ve been reading for 9 months, someone’s knocking to ask where the tin foil is, or worse—they need the loo.

On top of that, the water pressure is usually tragic, so you sit there waiting 40 minutes for the bath to fill, only for it to be lukewarm at best. And let’s not forget: back home there is an endless supply of luxury bath salts, bubbles, and some fancy oils you’d never buy yourself. Here? You’re rationing the last of your shampoo in hopes it’ll make some kind of foam. Romantic, really.

7. A proper collection of spices and condiments

At home, there’s a magical cupboard filled with every spice, herb, and condiment you could ever need. Need fish suace? Got it. Bit of smoked paprika? No problem. Now, if you find a recipe online that requires more than just salt, you have to decide if you’re really willing to invest in a £3 jar of cumin for one meal.

Beware, the second your housemates discover your salt, butter, or even ketchup, suddenly everything becomes communal. If you want anything to last more than a few days, I’d advise hiding it in your cupboard somewhere. Behind a large pack of pasta should do the trick.

8. TV subscriptions that you didn’t have to pay for

Back home, Netflix, Disney+, Prime, and Now TV were just there—like magic. Now you either split a subscription with five other people, pray you’re not the one stuck paying, or accept that your family’s Netflix account is maxed out on devices and you’re the sacrifice.

If you’re generous enough to log in to one of your accounts on the shared TV, expect chaos. Your entire recommendations list will be ruined—suddenly it’s 90 per cent war documentaries and niche anime. And don’t be surprised when someone’s “accidentally” finished the entire series you were halfway through, and now you can’t even find the episode you left off on.

Oh, and let’s not forget the famous TV licence that we all definitely, 100 per cent, without a doubt pay for. Obviously.