Packing for university? Don’t forget these essentials

Are you packing to go away to university? I’ve compiled the ultimate list of must-haves that no university fresher should be without.

1. A laptop or tablet.
This will become your home entertainment system for watching movies on, playing music and playing games. It will be your communication device, a free way to keep in touch with friends and family at home, a link to the outside world, and a way to find out what is going on.

Oh and of course, something to do that all important uni work on.

Read: How to choose the right laptop, by ex-laptop journo and Dork Adore editor, Katie Lee.

A good laptop or tablet bag or case and a keyboard for your tablet are also worth considering.

2. A toaster
You’ll definitely need a toaster. My experience of catered university food was awful: I was once served left over pasta in a pie (no, really!). I therefore lived on sandwiches and toast for most of my education.

Alternatively, the Tefal Toast n Beans Toaster or Toast n Egg will prepare a whole meal in one go.

3. A cookbook
Because nobody should live on sandwiches and toast – unless they want scurvy.

You can pick up a copy of Hamlyn’s Student Cookbook  on Amazon for around Five Pounds.

And don’t forget the Domestic Sluttery book to help you maintain a fabulous lifestyle with half the effort.

4. A sewing kit
Somehow almost every event you go to will become a fancy dress event, so you will need to be able to create a costume out of anything.

Ehow have a great guide to putting one together. Alternaively, this Vintage Doily Travel Sewing kit is a really nice pre-made one from Dotcomgiftshop. There’s also a wide selection of travel sewing kits on Amazon.

5. A first aid kit
First, because those student nights out could take their toll and second, because if you do not need them somebody sooner or later will.

Your first aid kit should contain bandages, plasters, pain killers, contraceptives, safety pins, cold and flu remedies, antiseptic wipes and cream, anti allergy pills, rehydration/diarrhoea tablets, and hangover remedy – many of which will be needed to fight the dreaded “freshers flu”.

You can buy a first aid kit on Amazon and St John’s Ambulance kits ones from Boots, but you’ll need to add in the pills and potions yourself.

6. Photographs and reminders of home
To decorate the walls and make your space your own. Student dorms can often be very unwelcoming and dull when you arrive. Some Instagram magnets or posters of your favourite humans will perk you up, as will a lovely Blurb book or a few giant canvas pictures of your family.

Alternatively, wrapping paper can make  a good cover for notice boards and it’s an easy way to transform bare walls. Buying a set of fairy lights can cheer up a room endlessly too!

You may want to buy yourself  a white board and markers so that people can leave you messages on your door. There is nothing quite like waking up to discover something obscene written on your door underneath your name by new friends.

These are all things that I would make sure I had if I were to be a fresher at university all over again. What advice would you give? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting us @Dorkadore

Rebecca Noakes

I am a performing arts graduate with a passion for technology. I also love cats. Interning for Dork Adore.

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