What To Take To Uni Checklist: All the Uni Essentials
As lockdowns have ended, students are finally getting offline and going back to classes. For many students going for the first time, you’ll need a uni checklist to make sure you’ve got all your uni essentials before leaving home! We’ve put together this uni checklist guide to make sure you’ve got everything ready before you go!
Why Do I Need a Uni Checklist?
Moving to uni is an exciting experience. Meeting new people, living on your own for the first time, starting your lectures! It can be very easy to get caught up in all the emotions of leaving home that you might leave something behind in your uni packing!
Having a uni checklist for all your uni essentials is so important to make sure you’re bringing everything that you need to university when you move. Even if you’re not a fresher anymore, it’s still worth having a uni checklist to make sure you don’t forget anything, especially after a summer-long break!
This is why we’ve put together our uni checklist to help you get your move to uni under control and relieve some of the stress for both you and your parents!
What Shouldn’t Be on Your Uni Checklist?
Contrary to what others might say, it really doesn’t take a trip to Wilko or IKEA to get all your uni essentials packed and ready. Especially if you’re moving in university halls, you won’t need to worry about furniture and just the uni essentials will do. So, save yourself (and your parents) some stress and avoid taking:
- Large kitchen appliances (like a fridge)
- Printer (they’ll have one at uni)
- Secondary school textbooks
- Pets
The Complete Uni Checklist
Here we’ve compiled a complete uni checklist with all the uni essentials that you should take when going to study either for the first time or in your second or third years. We’ve even included what you need to do with your utilities if you’re not moving into halls!
Important Documents
Making sure you’ve got all your paperwork is so vitally important when it comes to moving. Make a folder where you can store all your essential documents so you can easily access them in one place and store it somewhere where you know you won’t lose it.
- Passport
- Driver’s licence
- University admissions letter
- Student finance documents
- Insurance
- Discount cards
Clothes
After documents, making sure you’ve got something to wear each day is probably the most important to pack up. You’ll need at least a good few changes of clothes and you should also work out how the washing system at your uni works before you go.
- Jeans
- Trousers
- T-shirts
- Shirts
- Dresses
- Shirts
- Socks
- Underwear
- Jumpers
- Pyjamas
- Gloves
- Hats
- Shoes
- Trainers
Remember you’ll be moving in the Autumn when term begins and it will get colder as you approach Christmas. Remember to be well prepared with warm clothing for the winter months.
Bedroom
You’ve probably already had a look at your bedroom already and know the size and what facilities you’ve been provided for. This being the case, you should make sure you make your room as comfortable and home-like as possible.
- Duvet
- Bedclothes
- Mattress protector
- Washing basket or bag
- Bin
- Clock
- Mirror
- Photos
Kitchen
It is very likely that you’ll be sharing a kitchen space with other people when you move into either halls or with your new flatmates. Kitchen possessions usually end up being shared, but you should still keep a track of what is yours.
- Cutlery
- Bowls
- Plates
- Mug
- Glasses
- Knife
- Tupperwares
- Spatula
- Ladle
- Prongs
- Vegetable peeler
- Cheese grater
- Whisk
- Baking tray
- Baking paper
- Clingfilm
- Tinfoil
- Teatowel
- Frying pan
- Pot
- Saucepan
Bathroom
Unless you’re lucky enough to get an ensuite to yourself, you’ll also share bathroom facilities as well.
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Soap
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Toilet paper
- Razors
- Shaving cream
- Sanitary products
- Medicine
- Comb
- Hairbrush
- Plasters
Electricals
You also mustn’t forget your electronics before you leave for uni! You’ll need these for both study and entertainment while living away from home.
- Phone
- Laptop
- Headphones
- External hard drive
- Portable speakers
- Chargers
- Cables
- Batteries
Remember to get your TV Licence! You’ll need to get a TV licence when moving to uni and you want to watch live broadcasts and the BBC. Since you’re moving to a different address, you won’t be able to use the licence at your normal home. Unfortunately there aren’t discounts offered for students either but you can get refunds.
To find out more, check out our TV Licence guide!
Stationery
Of course a lot of uni is about having fun, but you’re also there to study for your future. This means you have to be well supplied with stationery to make sure you can do your work effectively.
- Pens
- Pencils
- Highlighters
- Rubbers
- Ruler
- Ring binders
- Writing pads
- Calculator
- Textbooks
- Scissors
Utilities
If you’re moving into university halls, you might not need to worry about your utilities as much since they might be included in your rent contract with the university. However, if you’re moving to your own place with roommates, you’ll need to sort out your utilities and broadband.
What Uni Essential Tips Do I Need for Freshers? Going to uni for the first time will usually have you full of pre-freshers nerves. Especially if this is also your first time living away from home, freshers week can be real time for fun. Here are some tips for getting started with your new uni life:
- Unpack early
- Make friends
- Go to freshers events
- Join some societies
- Keep a budget
How Do I Pack for Uni?
Packing for uni can be a bit daunting. It literally means packing up much of your life thus far and taking it to another part of the country. If you’ve got a lot of things, you might be feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things you need to take, but don’t worry! Here’s are our best tips for packing for uni:
- Break Down the Packing
Breaking down the packing is vital for making things easier for yourself. Make sure you pack the items you need but use less first and then move onto things you use more regularly so at least you have everything covered. Break the packing down per room with moving boxes clearly labelled. - Get People To Help
Get your family to help you out with packing to reduce the stress of doing it all yourself. This can also be handy so you don’t forget anything that you might leave behind because you’ve been worrying about something else. More hands helping you out will also make the packing much quicker. - Claim a Packing Area
Giving yourself a space to get your packing done is a good idea to make sure everything is organised. If you’re easily distracted, it might be a good idea so you can concentrate better. - Roll Your Clothes
When you’re packing your clothes up, a useful trick to make sure they are unwrinked and easier to pack is to roll them up. With your clothes rolled up, you also have more space to fit them into your boxes. - Separate Heavy and Light
Remember to separate your heavy items from your light items to make sure nothing gets squished when packing. This will also make it easier to load and unload the car. You should also remember to pack your heavier items in smaller boxes to make them easier to carry. - Load the Car Correctly
When loading up the car, start putting your heavier boxes on the floor and furthest away from the boot door. Then fill up the space from the floor to the car ceiling so you maximise all the space your boot has!
When Should I Start Packing for Uni?
You should start packing at least 3 weeks before your move. You should be at the very least organising your move and planning out the logistics of getting all of your belongings from your home to your uni accommodation. It’s also important to start earlier so as to avoid needing to make emergency last minute purchases!
How Do I Move My Uni Essentials?
Moving to uni isn’t the same as moving house. You don’t need to book removal companies or hire a great big van. Most of what you’re taking can probably fit in the back of your or your parents’ car. This can make the uni move a lot cheaper since you will only need to pay for fuel.
What If I Don’t Have a Car?
If you’ve managed to organise your move effectively and have suitcases and boxes that can either be easily transported or wheeled about, you can use public transport to reach your uni accomodation.
You should remember to watch for peak hours as trains and buses might be too busy to fit you and everything else on! The other option is doing a car or van hire just so you can move everything to your new term-time home.
Should I Include Food on My Uni Checklist?
It is generally a good idea to bring some food along with your uni essentials. Although if you don’t know exactly how big your fridge will be or what cupboard space there is, you should buy some food essentials to take the stress out of it when you arrive.
You should consider buying some of the basics like:
- Milk
- Bread
- Pasta
- Beans
- Ready meals
