Packing for uni? These underrated essentials are a must for any new university students

It’s that time of year when thousands of students are getting ready to move to uni and start living their best lives (which is code for excessive partying, of course).

Whether it’s your first year or your fourth, moving is always stressful and there’s so much to remember. Of course you’re going to bring boring stuff like towels and your laptop, but what about those things you might not even realise you need. From fancy dress to an all-important extension lead, when you’re writing your IKEA shopping list and packing for university (and Freshers’ Week 2022, obvs) there are just so many things every student needs to remember to bring.

Here is a packing list of all of the forgotten essentials that every student needs to survive university in 2022:

Fairy/LED lights

This might sound silly but uni rooms (especially in halls) are rarely giving in the mood lighting department. I really think that turning on some pretty lights makes a sad looking space go from a one to at least a five in seconds.

Some sort of disco light is also a worthy investment for flat parties and pres, to help distract from the strange smell of uni kitchens.

Flip flops or sliders

This is definitely not a want but a need. It’s a well known fact that uni showers are kind of gross and no one wants to have to step in there barefoot. Even if you have an ensuite room, ask yourself – are you really going to be cleaning it often enough?

Indoor shoes are also useful for shared kitchens because, once again, they are often kind of gross. Oh, and Crocs or sliders are better than fluffy slippers, which always end up coated in a layer of crumbs and just general floor dirt.

Plenty of coat hangers

This might seem pretty specific but I remember spending a LOT of my first student loan instalment on new outfits for different parties and nights out. I also found myself going into town and shopping a lot so I could explore my new city and spend time with my flatmates. As well as this, the first term of uni always ends up being continuous fancy dress parties and loads of silly costumes.

All of this results in having a lot more clothes than you arrived with and having nothing to hang them up with. So just bring way more coat hangers than you think you’ll need, trust.

Weird outfits and props

This leads me on to the need for any sort of strange outfit or prop that you might have from past Halloween or fancy dress parties. If you have anything neon I promise you that you will wear it at least once in the first few weeks because it is such a go to theme.

Anything from hats and scarves to glasses and glowsticks will definitely come in handy at one point. Bringing anything you can make a costume out of will save you a lot time and money in the long run.

Cutlery with a distinctive design

For the sake of yourself and everyone that you will be sharing a kitchen with, please don’t bring plain silver knives and forks. They will get lost and mixed up with other people’s kitchenware.

You’ll probably start uni with a full set and next June end up with just one teaspoon anyway, but at least if you have patterned or colourful cutlery you hopefully won’t find yourself bickering with your flatmate over a fork.

A decent speaker

A good speaker can be a bit pricey and you definitely don’t need to spend an absolute fortune but I do think that it can be a good investment. There is nothing more awkward than trying to host a pres or a party with a speaker that is too quiet or keeps cutting out.

Extension cable

This one is a definite life saver. I’ve often found there aren’t enough plug sockets in a uni room and they are always in really inconvenient places so an extension cable will help you out a lot – especially to plug in all of those lovely lights!

Painkillers and medication

Freshers’ Week will be so much fun but it will also probably hit you quite hard and Freshers’ Flu mixed with a hangover is not a good time. Remember to back plenty of painkillers and vitamins to keep you going throughout the week and stop you missing out on any of the cool activities.

Pins

This completely slipped my mind when I was packing for uni and I ended up buying really rubbish and overpriced ones from the corner shop. Most uni rooms in halls have a pin board in them and you get given loaaaaaads of stuff in Freshers’ Week to put up in your room. Please don’t put a pin through your free condom though…

And finally – don’t bring your A-Level work

Just don’t bother. I took so much of my A-Level work to uni and didn’t look at it once. It took up lots of space in my tiny room as well. Not worth it.

Are you starting uni this year? Once you’ve got your 2022 packing list ready, follow us on Instagram @thetab_ for all your university gossip, news and top memes

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