If you’re reading this it probably means you’ve decided to call Manchester your home next year, so first of all, congrats! Great choice. Now that big decision is out of the way, it’s time to think about the next one…What on earth do I need to pack for Uni?! Well just your luck – I’ve decided to put together a list of the absolute essentials, and I’ve even thrown in a few of my top tips and tricks to help you out…Let’s begin with them:
Tips and Tricks
- Don’t leave packing until the last minute – it takes longer than you think!
- Check what your halls provide first – you don’t want to end up with double of everything.
- Chances are your new bedroom won’t be too big, and your storage space won’t be either. Pack sensibly and remember you’ll be moving out again in June so it’s not really that long.
- Buy second hand! I found all my cutlery and crockery in charity shops which saved me SO much money, and my second hand John Lewis finds were far better quality than I would have ever got otherwise.
Okay, now onto the actual packing list! I’m not going to be talking about the obvious things like clothes, toiletries or your phone – hopefully you know to bring them anyway. This is more for the extras which are just as important but may not immediately come to mind…
Important Documents
- ID! You won’t get very far in Freshers week without this one. It’s also a good idea to print out spare copies of your passport or driver’s license to have handy in your room.
- Student discount cards e.g Railcard
- Details of accommodation and contract
- University acceptance letter
- (You may not end up needing to show these last two to anyone, but it’s still useful to have physical copies of them).
Electronics
- Chargers! It’s surprising how many people forget them.
- Extension cable – this one is more useful than you would think.
- Headphones
- USB memory stick
- Speakers
Stationary
- Books and notepads can be pretty bulky, so try and get what you can at Uni.
- Planner – oh my goodness my life would have fallen apart without this one of these. Highly recommend!
- Don’t spend too much money on pens and stationary – you’ll go pens like nobody’s business so buy in bulk or buy cheap.
- I saved all my stationary buying until mid/late September, meaning I was able to buy all my folders and notepads on sale after the mad ‘back to school’ rush was over. Just a money saving tip!
Kitchen Supplies
- See what you’re able to share with housemates. They may be willing to share pots, pans etc and this will save money and space.
- Scissors
- Pizza cutter – you might find this becomes pretty regularly used…
- Tupperware
- Oven gloves
- Tea Towels
- Bottle openers and tin openers
Bedroom
- Hangers
- Laundry basket
- Small first aid kit full of plasters, paracetamol and the likes, just in case.
- Fun room decor. Make the place your own! For room inspo, read Nana’s blog here or watch Lydia’s room tour video.
Miscellaneous
- Umbrella. Trust me you’ll need one in Manchester.
- If you have room to bring a bike up, do! It makes travelling so much cheaper and quicker.
- Pack of cards
- Small sewing kit
- A weekend or ‘home’ bag
- A reusable water bottle
- SHOWER SHOES. Trust me…just pack shower shoes.
Hopefully this gives you a good overview on some of the University essentials without being too overwhelming! And if you do forget anything, don’t stress too much. I forgot all my bedding on my first day and had to spend the afternoon running around Primark, so we’ve all been there…
And, if you’re international student reading this, my fellow content ambassador Malaika has some additional packing tips just for you! Take a look.