What to pack when moving into uni halls | UCBloggers

August 2022

Blog | What to pack when moving into uni halls

By Amber Soames

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Read time: approx 4 mins

It’s that time of year when uni students are getting ready and packing to move into halls.

I’ve made a list of some things I bought that I definitely couldn’t have lived without, but I’ve also made a list of stuff that I bought but didn’t even use!

Necessities:

A laundry bag – most halls have some kind of laundry room (University College Birmingham uses circuit laundry) and trust me, doing your washing without a big bag is impossible.
Batteries – something most people don’t think of, including myself. But I needed them two weeks into uni!
A bedside table – most halls don’t provide a bedside table and if you’re like me, you’ll want a place to put a lamp, your phone and a drink! I just went to Homebase and picked up a small one for £20.
Antibacterial wipes – Wilko sell really cheap antibac wipes which are perfect for cleaning surfaces and even your toilet! They make cleaning so much quicker and easier.
Coat hangers – may seem obvious but forgotten by many!
Decor – photographs, fairy lights or a cool lamp. Uni will feel much more homely if you decorate your room a little.
16-25 Railcard – if you’re going to be travelling on the train a lot, a railcard is great. 30% off all train journeys!
Full length mirror – this one may seem a bit extra but if you’re like me and like a full length mirror then bring one because most uni rooms don’t have one.
A year planner – I bought one for the wall and stuck it to my pin board. It was about £5 off Amazon. You’re suddenly going to have a lot of plans and a lot of deadlines, so I really recommend this.
Extension leads – buy like four because there are never enough plug sockets!
Clothes horse – don’t bother with tumble dryers because they are expensive and rubbish!
Microwavable bowls – the microwave will be your new best friend.

Of course there are way more things you need, but this is some stuff I forgot and had to buy after I had moved in.

Did you know?
University College Birmingham partners with UniKitOut, a one-stop shop for student essentials. They offer big discounts on student bed packs, student kitchen packs, student bathroom and towel packs, student combo packs, electricals, accessories and much more. They will even deliver directly to your halls, so everything is waiting for you upon your arrival. Use code UCB10 to receive your 10% discount when you order one of the kits on their website.

Visit UniKitOut

Don’t bother buying:

Expensive kitchenware – your flatmates are going to use your stuff, things are going to get broken and things are going to go missing. Save yourself the money and buy cheap!
Mini fridge – I always see these on uni checklists but don’t bother because most halls don’t allow them.
Toilet brush – the uni will provide a brand new one.
Torch – for some reason I brought a torch? Haven’t used it.
Candles – will get confiscated.
Four of everything – just take one bowl, plate etc., two at most if you have a guest. You won’t get much kitchen space and it’ll just mean you’ll leave everything dirty until you have nothing left!

Hope this helps!