If you’re about to head off to university for your first year, you might be forgiven for taking everything you’ve ever owned – along with the kitchen sink. But that would be a mistake, according to students who’ve been at university a year or two.
From food containers to first aid kits, coat hangers to extension cables, here are the things you need to pack – and what you can leave at home – by the young people who really know.
Joanne Joseph, business and management, University of BristolNeed: sliders to wear around your student flat, because those kitchen floors are rank.
Don’t need: folders/ringbinders – uni work is all done online, and I’ve never needed to print anything out. All of my notes and files are saved on my laptop.
Adidas men’s sliders, £20
johnlewis.com
Classic slide, £24.99
crocs.co.uk
Pooja Pankhania, medicine, University of CambridgeNeed: doorstop. It’s great to prop your door open, especially in the first few weeks of term. It helps you to be more social because people walking past can have a chat, which is harder if you have your door shut all the time. Having your door propped open shows people you’re open to talking.
Don’t need: storage boxes. I brought lots with me but my room at uni had enough storage built into it. Try to see your room before you move into it. Bringing storage boxes ended up being unnecessary luggage that took up a lot of space.
Water hyacinth pyramid doorstop, £10
johnlewis.com
Amara Otero Salgado, politics and data science, London School of EconomicsNeed: plasters. I got so many scrapes and bruises during the course of the year, it’s always good to have plasters on hand.
Don’t need: diffuser – it was nice but I never bothered to actually use it.
Fabric plasters, £2 for a pack of 40
boots.com
Minahil Khan, economics and politics, University of BirminghamNeed: extension cable. Most university rooms only have one plug point, which is inconvenient if you need to charge your phone and laptop while keeping your lamp on.
Don’t need: every item of clothing you own – leave some at home. That way, you can pack more lightly when you go home since half your stuff is back there. You also underestimate how much you can borrow from your friends’ wardrobes!
Four-socket extension lead, £5.99
argos.co.uk
£5
waitrose.com
Kayoung Choi, psychology, Queen Mary, University of LondonNeed: hangers. Most student accommodation doesn’t come with them.
Don’t need: variety of pens, notebooks, and stationery – you do all your work online, so all you need is a laptop.
Wooden hangers, £12 for a pack of 20
dunelm.com
Pack of 20 for £11.99
amazon.co.uk
Michaela Makusha, politics and philosophy, Durham UniversityNeed: air fryer. I bought one a few months in. After a day of lectures, it’s a quick and easy way to make a meal, especially for students who don’t have a lot of space to cook.
Don’t need: printer. Your university will have printing facilities on campus, usually in the library. I’ve barely needed to print things anyway because assignment submissions are done digitally.
Ninja AF100UK air fryer, £88
johnlewis.com
6-in-1 Instant Vortex Plus air fryer, £60
argos.co.uk
Anonymous, University College London (UCL)Need: power bank – your phone needs to always be charged when you’re out so you can get home safely.
Don’t need: bundles of stationery. I do everything on my laptop, and I can access textbooks through my university’s online resources.
Belkin portable power bank, £19.99
johnlewis.com
Anker nano power bank, £49.99
amazon.co.uk
Daman Arora, computer science, Royal Holloway, University of LondonNeed: basic first aid items like plasters and painkillers.
Don’t need: a full kitchen set of dishes. Most of the time you can just eat out of the pot, or only need one plate. It’s just added weight to your luggage when you’re moving between home and university.
First aid kit, £7.99
superdrug.com
complete first aid kit, £20
boots.com
Marianne Graff, social anthropology, London School of EconomicsNeed: portable, reusable cutlery set and food containers. I made an effort to not spend as much money on food by meal prepping, so I brought cooked lunch with me from home to campus. It was super practical to have a portable cutlery set so that I didn’t have to put it in a napkin or extra plastic bag.
Don’t need: alarm clock. I just use my phone.
Life’s a Beach travel cutlery set (10% of sales go to help keep Britain’s beaches and waterways clean), £9
procook.co.uk
Sistema recycled plastic lunch box, £6.50
johnlewis.com
AnonymousNeed: vacuum storage bags to store bulky items, like a duvet or a bunch of jumpers. You attach a vacuum cleaner to an opening and suck all the air out – and your things are vacuum packed! They are dirt cheap, and fit so much in them. They’re particularly useful if you’re putting boxes into storage over summer.
Don’t need: you don’t need to buy everything before going to university. It makes life a lot easier if you buy everything once you get there, or order things to the accommodation directly. It sounds pretty obvious – but I bought a bunch of new things at home, then had to transport it all to university.
Extra large vacuum storage bags, £11.59 for a pack of two
robertdyas.co.uk
Mixed vacuum storage bags, £15 for a pack of 10
argos.co.uk
Navreen Oberai, psychology, University of GreenwichNeed: handheld steamer. A lot of student flats don’t have irons and, because there’s not usually a lot of wardrobe space, clothes often get squished and crinkled.
Don’t need: a bin, or a toilet brush if you have an en suite bathroom. The accommodation usually has all of it.
Handheld steamer 3000 Series, £37.99
philips.co.uk
£31.99
amazon.co.uk
Svenja Helmold, history and politics graduate, University of OxfordNeed: lots of photos of friends and family to decorate your room. I also think having a nice plate and mug brings some character. Tea towels are always useful. And things to keep warm: a hot-water bottle, blanket, and kettle.
Don’t need: course books and novels. They were really hefty and annoying to move from place to place. There is no need to have a huge collection even though it’s nice aesthetically – just keep a few books and circulate them with friends.
Fleece hot water bottle, £13.99
boots.com
Photo peg light string, £5
dunelm.com
Tallulah Thomas, history, University of ExeterNeed: a speaker to listen to music in your room, or for having friends around.
Don’t need: all your toiletries – you can buy everything there. But do buy hand soap, so you have that on day one!
JBL Go 4 portable speaker, £39.99
johnlewis.com
Bluetooth speaker, Anker Soundcore, £31.99
amazon.co.uk
AnonymousNeed: pack of cards. It’s a fun way to make new friends and bond with people; it’s portable and doesn’t occupy much space.
Don’t need: blankets and throws/quilts. While you’re staying in halls you can use the heating for no extra cost.
Waddingtons playing cards, £1.99
ryman.co.uk
£3
groceries.asda.com
Lizzie Caird, geography, University of CambridgeNeed: fancy dress outfit. Never underestimate how many fancy dress parties there will be, especially in first year – it’s best to be prepared.
Don’t need: multiple saucepans. You genuinely only need one saucepan for boiling things, and one wok-style pan for everything else.
Smiffys super trooper fancy dress costume, £42.99
amazon.co.uk
Smiffys teddy boy costume, £16.04
amazon.co.uk
Dulcie Jervis, English Literature, University of ExeterNeed: big drying rack, especially when you move out of halls.
Don’t need: tons of shoes/jackets/bags – they take up so much space and you only really end up wearing/using one all of the time.
Compact concertina airer, £34.99
lakeland.co.uk
White delux 3-tier airer, £14
dunelm.com
Lia Keane, Modern Languages graduate, University of OxfordNeed: controversially, I would say you do need to bring pens and paper! Everyone works in different ways and I made all my lecture and class notes by hand, sometimes copying them up later.
Don’t need: too many pillows, blankets, cushions etc. Even though it makes your room feel cosy, they are such a pain to carry.
Pukka A4 notepad, £5.99
ryman.co.uk
Ballpoint black pens, £9.99
ryman.co.uk