We asked ChatGPT to write a uni packing list and you defo shouldn’t use it

Packing for uni is a deeply traumatising task. It used to take me 3-5 working days, multiple seasons of Bridgerton and a caffeine overdose. Could ChatGPT write a uni packing list to make the process any easier? Not really.

We asked ChatGPT to write us a uni packing list, and the results were as weird as you’d expect. The AI software forgot tampons and textbooks, but included dehumidifiers and inflatable dinosaurs (yes, seriously).

Not all of ChatGPT’s suggestions are useless – you definitely will want a fork to eat takeaways with, and surface cleaner to remove the grease marks left by that takeaway. But some of the items, like an air fryer and coffee machine, are so unnecessarily bougie for uni that they’re surely for rich Russell Group students only.

Here’s the full uni packing list that ChatGPT wrote. You might not find it helpful, but you will definitely find it funny.

Electronics

• Phone and Charger – Your lifeline to the outside world.
• Extension Leads – Because one socket is never enough.
• Virtual Reality Headset – For escaping reality when university gets too real.
• Headphones – To drown out your flatmates’ questionable music choices.
• Laser Pointer – For annoying friends and pretending to be a cat.
• Speakers – For impromptu dance parties and blasting your favourite tunes.

Yes, because laser pointers and virtual reality headsets are obviously in the same tier of essentialness as your phone charger.

Important Documents

• ID (Passport/Driver’s License) – To prove you’re a real person and not a figment of someone’s imagination.
• University Admission Letter – Evidence that you’re not just wandering around campus aimlessly.
• Student Finance Documents – Proof that you’ve signed up for a lifetime of debt.
• Accommodation Contract – Your golden ticket to your new shoebox.

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• Bank Account Details – For staring at your dwindling balance in despair.
• NHS Medical Card – For when you catch the inevitable freshers’ flu.
• Insurance Documents – Just in case your cooking results in a small fire.
• National Insurance Number – For those mythical part-time jobs.
• Passport Photos – Handy for scaring away unwanted acquaintances.

I didn’t realise that universities still sent physical admission letters, let alone that you’re supposed to show up to Freshers’ Week with one? I’m pretty certain the only physical paperwork I brought with me to uni was my driver’s license so that I could buy £4.00 bottles of rosé in Aldi.

Recreational Items

Board games might be a tad more portable than a karaoke machine.

• Books – For when you feel like pretending to be intellectual.
• Fake Moustaches – For disguises and adding a touch of mystery to your life.
• Rubik’s Cube – For procrastination and showing off your problem-solving skills.
• Board Games – Ice breakers for making new friends.
• Portable Karaoke Machine – For belting out tunes and annoying your neighbours.
• Sports Equipment – To stay active and impress people.

Warning: you may struggle to fit the portable karaoke machine in your car alongside the fridge and chocolate fountain. You may also find that fake moustaches have been neither cool nor funny since 2010.

Academic Supplies

• Laptop/Tablet – Your gateway to procrastination and occasional studying.
• Chargers – Keep your devices alive, just like your hopes and dreams.
• USB Drive/External Hard Drive – For the essays you’ll definitely back up this time.
• Notebooks – For doodling while pretending to take notes.
• Stationery (Pens, Pencils, Highlighters, Post-it Notes) – For organising your chaotic life.
• Backpack – For carrying books, snacks, and existential dread.
• Desk Organiser – Because pretending to be organised is half the battle.

I think describing Gen Z’s “hopes and dreams” as “alive” might be a bit over optimistic. I wouldn’t bother bringing a lot of the stuff on this list. I haven’t used an external hard drive since I was ten and I’m not going to start again at uni.  I’m also not entirely sure what a desk organiser is. It sounds like a knick knack I’d buy in Ikea because it was a pretty colour then never use.

Bedroom Items

• Duvet and Pillows – For comfort during your daily post-lecture nap.
• Duvet Cover, Pillowcases, and Bed Sheets – Clean bedding, happy life.
• Mattress Protector – Shields against spilled drinks and snack crumbs.
• Dehumidifier – To combat the perpetual dampness of student housing.

I didn’t realise that mattress protectors were supposed to protect the mattresses from spills. I thought they were supposed to protect students from the indescribable horrors of ancient uni halls mattresses. Also, who the hell under the age of 40 owns a dehumidifier?

Clothing

• Everyday Clothes – Jeans, t-shirts, and that one fancy outfit you’ll never wear.
• Smart Clothes (for formal events) – For the rare occasions you need to look presentable.
• Gym Clothes – For the gym membership you’ll use once.
• Seasonal Wear (Coat, Gloves, Hat) – Because UK weather is unpredictable.
• Sleepwear – For those 3am fire drills.
• Underwear and Socks – Bring enough to avoid laundry for weeks.
• Comfortable Shoes – For endless walks to lectures and the pub.
• Laundry Basket/Bag – For your growing pile of dirty clothes.

ChatGPT doesn’t seem to have been made aware that students do actually have a life outside using it to write their essays. You’ll probably want a pair of slightly cooler jeans or a generic black mini dress to wear on nights out.

ChatGPT does not understand how essential Urban Outfitters clubbing tops are to uni life

I would also imagine you’d need some kind of coat all year round. The UK weather isn’t quite that unpredictable.

Bathroom Supplies

• Toothbrush and Toothpaste – Fresh breath equals new friends.
• Shampoo and Conditioner – Because greasy hair isn’t a good look.
• Body Wash/Soap – Stay clean and avoid becoming a biohazard.
• Shaving Supplies – For when you finally notice that beard.
• Hairbrush/Comb – To tame your bedhead.
• Hair Dryer – Doubles as a makeshift heater.
• Towels (Face, Hand, Bath) – For all your drying needs.
• Shower Caddy – Your portable bathroom organiser.

If only making friends was as simple as using toothpaste and exhaling over people. I’m a little bit concerned about what ChatGPT read on the internet that made it think a hair dryer could also be used as a portable heater. Also, what room in a uni hall has a bath?

Medical Supplies

• Painkillers – For fresher’s flu and post-party headaches.
• Cold and Flu Remedies – Because freshers’ flu is basically a rite of passage.
• Photos of Family and Friends – For those moments of homesickness.

Why is ChatGPT so obsessed with fresher’s flu? I think that’s the third time it’s expressed concerns about it?

Cooking Supplies

• Cooking Utensils (Spatula, Wooden Spoon, Ladle) – Essential tools for your culinary experiments.
• Cutlery (Forks, Knives, Spoons) – Eating with your hands gets old quickly.
• Plates and Bowls – Your canvas for student cuisine.
• Glasses and Mugs – For your beverage needs, mostly coffee.
• Tupperware – Because leftovers are life.

You might also want a pan or oven tray to do your cooking in, but ChatGPT seems to have forgotten about that.

Small Appliances

A coffee machine may not be essential but it will certainly make you popular.

• Kettle – For tea, coffee, and instant noodles.
• Toaster – Because toast is a student’s best friend.
• Microwave (if not provided) – For when the kitchen feels like a distant land.
• Fridge (optional, if not provided) – For secret snack stashes.
• Coffee Machine (if not provided) – For those all-nighters and to feel like a fancy barista.
• Chocolate Fountain – Because who doesn’t love a chocolate waterfall?
• Air Fryer – Because you can totally become a gourmet chef in a dorm room.

Does ChatGPT know that you’re supposed to bring stuff to use in the kitchen, not a whole kitchen? If your uni kitchen doesn’t have a fridge in, just go home. I also wouldn’t include an air fryer on a list of uni essentials, as much as homemade chips do slap.

Cleaning Supplies

• Washing Up Liquid – Essential for turning dirty dishes into clean ones.
• Sponges and Clothes – Your allies in the war against grime.
• Dustpan and Brush – For the crumbs that escape your mouth.
• Laundry Detergent – To avoid smelling like a gym bag.
• Bin Bags – For containing your ever-growing pile of rubbish.

I would advise not using clothes to clean your bathroom with. Unless they’re the clothes of somebody who has really, really wronged you.

Personal Items

• Posters/Wall Art – To cover up those mysterious stains.
• Fairy Lights – Instant room coziness.
• Teddy Bear – For cuddles and emotional support during stressful times.
• Plants – Because you need something else to accidentally kill.
• Inflatable Dinosaur – Perfect for spontaneous Jurassic Park reenactments.

Yes, because who doesn’t take an inflatable dinosaur to uni?

I’m not shaming ChatGPT for the teddy bear, because it’s just good taste to have that on your uni packing list.

Final Tips

• Label Your Items: Or risk your flatmates “borrowing” them indefinitely.
• Check What’s Provided: So you don’t end up with three kettles.
• Pack Light: The less you bring, the less you have to lug around later.

Enjoy your uni adventure! Remember, it’s all part of the experience. Stay weird and have fun!

“Stay weird” is definitely appropriate advice, considering some of the items on ChatGPT’s uni packing list.  “Pack light” might be a bit of a challenge, what with all the dehumidifiers and inflatable dinosaurs ChatGPT told you to bring.

Related articles recommended by this author:

• The 10 least essential things on the Urban Outfitters uni ‘essentials’ list 2024
• A rundown of the most middle-class things on the John Lewis uni ‘essentials’ list 2024
• Um, AliExpress has made a back-to-uni list and it couldn’t be weirder