what to pack |
So you’ve got your place, you know where you’ll be living, and you’ve had your final goodbye blowout. Now comes the tricky bit – what the Alan Bennett do you pack? Well, calm yourself, take a seat and we’ll tell you. Before we start though, two simple rules:
1. Don’t bring anything that you mind being lost/stolen/broken/vomited on/used as a sex toy by your room mate, or that you can’t physically lift.
2. The words ‘practical’ and ‘economical’ should be etched onto your brain. You’ll have plenty else to do other than marvel over your collection of priceless, hand-carved-by-hobbits Lord of the Rings figurines.
Now that’s out of the way, here are some of the things you might find handy. They’re only guidelines – this isn’t a Scouting expedition, after all. If in doubt, check with the university’s accommodation office about what might be provided in halls, or with the landlord if you’re going into private housing. Oh, and don’t go crazy buying everything brand new – beg, borrow and buy second-hand. And learn to love Poundstretcher.
1. Don’t bring anything that you mind being lost/stolen/broken/vomited on/used as a sex toy by your room mate, or that you can’t physically lift.
2. The words ‘practical’ and ‘economical’ should be etched onto your brain. You’ll have plenty else to do other than marvel over your collection of priceless, hand-carved-by-hobbits Lord of the Rings figurines.
Now that’s out of the way, here are some of the things you might find handy. They’re only guidelines – this isn’t a Scouting expedition, after all. If in doubt, check with the university’s accommodation office about what might be provided in halls, or with the landlord if you’re going into private housing. Oh, and don’t go crazy buying everything brand new – beg, borrow and buy second-hand. And learn to love Poundstretcher.
- Bare essentials
- Cooking stuff
- Stuff to help you study
- For when you're not studying
- To keep you clean
- Odds and ends
- For international students
- What to buy the moment you arrive
BARE ESSENTIALS
- Condoms: Whatever your sexuality, your religion, your promises to your mum or your past pulling record, chances are you’ll be in a situation where condoms could be a lifesaver. Even if it’s just a balloon shortage during a water fight.
- Passport photos: for NUS cards, college ID cards, student travel passes and a plethora of other unexpected bureaucratic guff.
- Alarm clock (with snooze button, naturally): Lectures have an irritating tendency to happen in the morning.
- Mobile phone: Face it, everyone’s got one, and if you want a social life that consists of more than a few scrawled notes under your door, you need one too.
- Clothes: For obvious reasons. Estimate how often you’ll do laundry. Then double it. Bring that many.
COOKING STUFF
Things you'll need:
Things you'll need:
- Kettle: Not only for the kitchen. If you’ve got a sink in your room, you’re all set for making a brew in the nude. If you like that sort of thing, that is…
- Cutlery: Hardcore budgeters make the most of the free plastic cutlery in the M&S ready-to-eat section.
- Plates & bowls: Try and get the kind that are oven or microwave-happy.
- Mugs & glasses: For drinking out of and, in extreme circumstances only, makeshift ashtrays.
- Pans: At least one frying, at least one sauce.
- A decent knife: For cutting veggies, not coercing your flatmates into doing the washing up.
- Toaster: You can always use the grill on the oven, and in a real toast emergency, the gas flame on the stove for that, er, smoky BBQ flavour.
- Toasted sandwich maker: A meal in five minutes.
- Colander: That pasta ain’t gonna drain itself.
- Tin-opener & corkscrew: Beans and wine, what more does a culinary feast need?
- Fish slice/spatula & wooden spoon
- Vegetable peeler
- Microwave egg-poachers and anything else that belongs in the Innovations catalogue.
STUFF TO HELP YOU STUDY
You’re here to work, (some of the time, at least), so make sure you’ve got the necessary gear. Your department or faculty will probably send you a list of course-specific essentials, much of which you’ll be able to pick up a discount in the SU or campus-store. If you look to town, go armed with your NUS card and shop around.
You’re here to work, (some of the time, at least), so make sure you’ve got the necessary gear. Your department or faculty will probably send you a list of course-specific essentials, much of which you’ll be able to pick up a discount in the SU or campus-store. If you look to town, go armed with your NUS card and shop around.
- Books: Buy a select few from the set-texts, and get the rest second-hand - try www.sellstudentstuff.com
- Stationery: Pens, pencils, paper clips, a stapler, a hole punch and the like wouldn’t go amiss. Some kind of wall planner/diary/post-it notes or the like may be handy for keeping track of those pesky deadlines. Files, folders & binders.
- Desk lamp
- A4 pads & notebooks
- Laptop & printer: No one likes working in the computer room while ‘Smeggy Kev’ is downloading Dutch hardcore. Desktops are a bad idea – can you carry them to the library? We think not. Some universities have laptop lending or rental schemes to make it easier on the pocket. Speaking of which, get it insured – aside from the possibility of theft, your keyboard doesn’t respond to coffee in the same way you do.
FOR WHEN YOU'RE NOT STUDYING
It's not all work, work, work. You're going to need something to do in your downtime, and while a 52" plasma screen home cinema system may be overkill, there's a handful of gadgets and gizmos that will be invaluable for killing time between lectures.
It's not all work, work, work. You're going to need something to do in your downtime, and while a 52" plasma screen home cinema system may be overkill, there's a handful of gadgets and gizmos that will be invaluable for killing time between lectures.
- Radio/iPod: Plus a modest but respectable collection of tunes. Celine Dion will get you nowhere.
- Deck of Cards: From strip poker to lonely games of patience while staring out of rain-streaked windows.
- Board games: Great ice-breakers and fantastic when you run out of conversation.
- Camera: These are supposed to be the best years of your life. You might want to remember what they looked like.
- TV: It's heavy, daytime programming's rubbish, it will suck up your time, and most SU's will have a TV room.
- Games Console: Again, time-suckage is the issue. And Playstations are burglar-magnets.
TO KEEP YOU CLEAN
While the entire Elizabeth Arden back catalogue is overdoing it, you don't wanna go out smelling like a badger.
While the entire Elizabeth Arden back catalogue is overdoing it, you don't wanna go out smelling like a badger.
- Toothbrush & Toothpaste: Astonishingly easy to forget. The nation's dentists weep.
- Towels: Drying yourself with a t-shirt is really only acceptable after PE lessons.
- Shampoo & soap/shower gel: Don’t leave them in the shower room, there are plenty of others with light fingers and clean hair.
- Razor: Strangely, this one’s usually safe to leave in the shower.
- Make-up: If you’re a girl or want to look like one.
- Deodorant: Believe us, your ‘natural musk’ isn’t going to do you any favours.
ODDS AND ENDS
There’s plenty of things that you might not think you need, but which will make life, the universe and everything a much smoother ride.
There’s plenty of things that you might not think you need, but which will make life, the universe and everything a much smoother ride.
- Paracetemol: You’re gonna need it.
- Plasters
- Pins or Whitetack: Accommodation offices get pretty shirty about blutack wrecking their lovely walls. Whitetack is just as bad, but most haven’t realised that yet.
- Clothes horse: Launderette tumble dryers are notoriously slapdash and can quickly gobble your pennies up.
- Extension leads/adaptors: Your room will not have enough plug sockets, we guarantee it.
- Duvet cover: Check with the accommodation office whether your halls provide bedding. Even if they offer the full set-up, the cover will invariably look as though someone died in your bed.
- Double duvet: If you’ve got enough duvet to cover two people, it’s more likely that it will be covering two people. QED.
- Sleeping bag: For when friends visit.
- Photos, mum’s recipes, childhood teddy, etc.: If you’ve got something comforting to remind you of home, it’s less likely you’ll be crying into your cornflakes.
FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
If you’re coming from overseas, your requirements will be different and you may not be able to bring as much gear as you’d like. International students often have the advantage of using university storage facilities over the holidays, though, so hoarding when you get here isn’t so much of an issue. Don’t forget the following.
If you’re coming from overseas, your requirements will be different and you may not be able to bring as much gear as you’d like. International students often have the advantage of using university storage facilities over the holidays, though, so hoarding when you get here isn’t so much of an issue. Don’t forget the following.
- Electrical socket adaptors: If you’ve brought electrical goods, you want them for more than ornamental purposes.
- Visas, copy of birth certificate, passport, other photo ID, travel documents and foreign exchange.
- International phone card: For cheap calls home. Local post offices should be able to provide phonecards, or sign up to an online international phonecard, like www.ekit.com.
- Maps & guidebooks: So you get a handle on the place before you step out the door.
WHAT TO BUY THE MOMENT YOU ARRIVE
The day you arrive, you’re going to need to hit the supermarket for a few basic provisions. Check out the check-list for the store-cupboard essentials.
The day you arrive, you’re going to need to hit the supermarket for a few basic provisions. Check out the check-list for the store-cupboard essentials.
- Pasta: Quick, easy, adaptable and nutritious. Stuff the Atkins Diet.
- Pasta sauce: Spaghetti just doesn’t cut it unaccompanied.
- Milk: The cow’s gift to humankind.
- Butter: The other gift.
- Cheese: Damn, those cows are generous.
- Bread: Go for long-life.
- Coffee/tea
- Cereal
- Washing up liquid & dishcloth
- Beans: Doesn’t mean Heinz. Go economy.
- Soup: A meal in a mug.
- Biscuits: Be careful though – addiction isn’t pretty.
- Eggs, bacon, sausage: For the traditional student hangover fry-up.
- Laundry powder or liquid: forget the individually wrapped pouches – they're twice the price for fractionally more convenience. Just go for anything that's on a two-for-one offer.