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The Freshers’ Guide to Packing for University: What to Put in the Moving Van

8 July 2022 | Author AvatarAndy Moody

When people think of uni, the first thing that might pop into their head is the social life and amazing friends they made during this significant time of their lives.

University life has almost become synonymous with hanging out at coffee shops, playing games in parks and going to pubs after lectures, besides exams and studying in libraries. Therefore, the last two years probably were some of the most alienating times for many.

The pandemic has disrupted all of our lives in many different ways. University students, however, were hit especially hard. Many had to self-isolate in their residence halls while being away from home for the first time, only seeing their lecturers and friends in online classes, and unable to enjoy campus life.

With Covid-19 slowly receding as the vaccination programmes are rolling through, universities are slowly reopening, too. And with many now returning to their lecture halls and campuses, a new group of freshers is also arriving for the very first time.

Whether this is your first time on campus or you are finally returning, you are probably ready to start packing and wondering what to take to uni, and it can be quite surprising (and daunting!) how many things there are to think of!

This extensive fresher’s guide will provide you with a helpful university checklist of all the items you should take to university besides your laptop, pen and paper.

What to Take To Uni

Essential documents

First of all, you should never forget your university essentials; these will ensure you have access to your residence, lectures, and online portals. They’ll also assist you with opening bank accounts or other necessary steps to fully enrol you in your uni:

Healthcare items

Personal care items are also on top of this list because you cannot perform at your best if you are not looking after yourself well:

Clothing

You would be surprised how many different types of clothing you will need for all the events at your campus. On top of that, always make sure you have enough sets of each, so you don’t have the embarrassing moment of wearing the same shirt with the coffee stain from yesterday again because you didn’t have time to wash it:

Electronics

While you probably won’t need to bring your own printer with you, as most halls or libraries usually have plenty to choose from and to use for free, there are other handy electrical items to take to university:

Kitchen items

Your student accommodation might have catered halls where you won’t have to worry about cooking too much. Others will offer a communal kitchen, or you might even be sharing a flat with fellow students. Either way, some items should never be communal, as it is a matter of hygiene and maintenance to keep them to yourself.

On top of that, you don’t want to have someone else with sticky fingers not return your personal belongings to the communal kitchen either! Therefore these things are just really nice to have for yourself to take to uni:

Home comforts

And last but not least, certain items are incredibly convenient to have, will make your space a lot more personal and save you a lot of trouble in the long run. On top of that, these items will make you feel homey and bring that extra little bit of comfort to your new life at uni:

Most students also save money to buy a TV licence or afford a cleaning service to make their lives easier (and tidier).

Transporting Your Items

If you would like to take some of your old room’s furniture with you to uni, your parent’s car might not be big enough to take all of the above items plus your old bedside table or favourite chair. In this case, looking into different transport options with some extra storage might be handy to get your stuff to uni.

You might have a friend or family member that could lend you a van if you are lucky. If so, the exciting trip to uni can be arranged within a few minutes by organising quick and easy temporary car insurance via GoShorty!

If your parents can’t drop you and the van off at uni, or you want to start your independence early, you can even get temporary learner driver insurance and have yourself covered for the ride in no time.

Conclusion

Receiving an acceptance letter and going to uni for the first time or returning to campus is an exciting time in every young adult’s life.

With a few items already packed and ready to take with you, you save money by not having to buy them last minute and potentially for a higher price than at your local convenience store. And, by having your personal belongings with you, you will also have peace of mind and a piece of home to take with you.

Packing and transporting everything you want to take to university can be tricky; therefore, arranging transport and the necessary insurance ahead of time is definitely advisable. But even if you are keeping it to the last minute, thanks to GoShorty, this is not something on top of your priority list when getting ready for your new chapter in life.