Hey Guys,
I hope you’re all doing well! I’m aware that lots of you are heading back to uni and some of you are about to start your first year! I thought it would be fitting to give you a list of essentials, with links included so that you can order any last minute bits and pieces! I’m in my third year and I reckon I have some alright-ish advice to give, although I am no guru and I still have lots to learn – even during my last few terms!
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First of all – check out my post all about how to revise properly, it will help you get organised before you start and that way you’ll have all of your stationery on point by day one! Also, have a look at this post if you want to hear about what university has taught me so far!
BEDDING
Get yourself something nice but also something cheap. You never know what the washing machines will be like and whether or not your bedding will return to you fit for a barbie doll rather than a human. I buy most of my bedding from Asda as it’s great quality, the designs are lovely and it’s very affordable. It also means you get to personalise your room a little bit! Sometimes, bedding can be reversible and these are the best to buy in my opinion, as you get two for the price of one!
LAUNDRY BASKETS/HAMPERS
Depending on how much floor space you have, a laundry basket can be a total life saver! If you don’t have much space, lots of the hampers can hang on the back of your door (if you dont have a hook, dont worry I have the perfect solution for you next). The reason I’ve included a hamper is because whilst your in halls, people tend to just walk in whenever and you might not want your underwear all over the floor when they do! It also makes it so much easier when you want to set a wash going as you have all of your dirty clothes in one place! My boyfriend and I bought one from Wilko and they have such an affordable range I’ve included a few for you to have a look at.
COMMAND STRIPS & HOOKS
When I first moved into halls, I was so keen to get some fairy lights up but I didn’t have anything that would make them stick other than blue tak, which annoyingly leaves marks behind. That’s when I discovered these amazing little strips and hooks! You can hang fairy lights or canvas art and you can stick posters and prints to your walls with no marks left behind! I even use them at home! They’re cheap and easy to get hold of either through Amazon or Wilko – I would highly recommend! You can get them in lots of different sizes depending on what you need to use them for. If you’re looking for hooks, I’d suggest getting the transparent ones as they’re pretty much invisibile so they’re perfect for tacking lights to your wall! Also, like I mentioned previously, you can use the hooks to hang things on the back of your door like coats/jackets and laundry baskets!
P.S. I’ve just seen that you can get ceiling ones too!
FAUX PLANTS
I absolutely LOVE these! My boyfriend and I have been sharing a house for our second and third year and we have a plant in every corner! The great thing about faux plants is that you don’t have to bother watering them, they just sit pretty all the time – regardless of the time of year or lighting. It’s also really nice to have a pop of green in every room as it makes the space feel much brighter! When I was in halls, we had the dingiest rooms ever so brightening up the space with faux plants really helped. They’re very easy to place too as they don’t take up much room (depending on the size of the plant but usually they’re quite small) and you can sit them on any surface! There are so many options these days however I’d suggest looking in IKEA or Primark as they have such amazing prices and they’re always bringing out new products. I sometimes find really nice ones in Homesense too so keep a look out there!
STORAGE
Depending on where you’re living, you may or may not have a lot of storage space. When I was in halls, we had some drawers under our desks, space under our beds and a wardrobe. I just about managed, however I’m the kind of person that has lots of things, so it was tricky! Now that I have my own space, I own a lot more storage! The first thing I did was buy lots of boxes and baskets to keep my surfaces clear. The great thing about boxes is that you can fill them with whatever you want and then stack them to save on even more space – plus you can get some really pretty ones too! I also used copper/gold baskets for anything that I needed quick acccess to – they work so well! I buy most of my boxes from homesense but seeing as they don’t sell online, I’ve found some alternatives for you!
MIRRORS
Most of us had mirrors in our rooms however they were horrendous. You know the kind that are attached to wardrobe doors and sometimes make you look twice the size you are? Yep, lucky us! They’re also a nightmare for doing your makeup, as you can’t necessarily sit in front of your wardrobe to do it in the first place. Myself and most of my friends used these little ones instead! You can actually see what you’re doing which is always a bonus, hey? Plus they barely take up any space. Highly recommend grabbing one!
HANGERS
What’s the point of a wardrobe with no hangers? Usually, halls don’t supply things like this so it’s always best to bring your own. I bought a whole load of new ones for uni because I knew I would end up taking advantage of the student discounts and buying a lot more clothes! Plus, if you can’t be bothered to iron, at least hang your clothes up so the creases can drop out. I buy mine from Wilko and Homesense!
DOOR STOPS
Believe it or not you’ll be needing one of these. I shared my flat with 5 other people and after a while we all started propping our doors open so we could chat to eachother whilst we were doing things in our rooms. The annoying (but necessary) thing about most uni hall doors is that they are fire doors, so will swing shut automatically because they’re so heavy. This was a nightmare when we were trying to get things in and out of our rooms (washing etc.) plus, some flats have doors that automatically lock and this is where door stops come in very handy!
P.S. For any Game of Thrones fans out there I just found some that say “Hodor” & “Hold the Door” on them (if you don’t get the reference, just accept that it’s a touchy subject)
CARDS
I didn’t realise how much we would be using these, particularly during freshers. There’s bound to be a lot of drinking games and cards are usually involved so have a pack prepared just incase. Most of the packs end up getting sticky and ruined so it doesn’t hurt to have a few between you all. They’re also pretty good at breaking the ice with other flats in your block. During our first week, we visited the flat next to us and thank GOD we brought cards because the awkward silence definitely wouldn’t have been as entertaining. If you’re not into drinking, I’d still have a pack on you as they’ll stop you all getting bored on those rainy evenings in! Oddly enough, one of the best places to look for card games is in charity shops and as someone that works in one, I can vouch for that!
PORTABLE SPEAKERS
I can’t tell you how handy these are. First of all, when you’re at pre drinks and you don’t want to sit in silence, always have one available. I mean how else are you going to get wrecked without some tunes in the background, am I right? They’re also great for having in your room to drown out whatever is going on outside. I was lucky enough to have a flat mate directly opposite me that loved having his music full volume at all times – YAY! They’re also handy if you all want to watch a film in someone’s room or something!
CANDLES
Okay so some halls don’t allow these but some do. As long as you’re careful and you don’t set off the fire alarms then you should be fine! I buy nearly all of mine in Homesense but there’s some great ones available in other stores too! I’d recommend using tea lights too as they’re so cheap and they work just as well! They were so helpful for getting rid of the smell of cooking and also for disguising the smell of my delightful flat mate’s past-times that used to float through the vents into my room- love my life x
FAIRY LIGHTS
If your room is looking pretty dull and you need something to brighten it up, definitely opt for fairy lights. These are game changers I tell you! As soon as we put them up in our rooms, everything looked so much better! They’re also perfect for when you want to chill in the evenings but you don’t want all the lights on (we had bright white lights that reminded me of hospitals). Strongly recommend grabbing some! You can get so many different styles and designs that it’s worth having a look because you might be able to get hold of some that match your interior – if you’re a nerd like me…
TOWELS
Don’t take your lovely ones from home. Get something cheap that will get you through the year that you don’t mind getting ruined (might not happen but you never know). One night, my boyfriend and I came home to find our mate using our shower, washing his pink hair dye out after a night dressed as a fairy (like I said you never know).
I hope this has been helpeful for some of you! I just thought that I would’ve benefited from reading some posts like this before I started uni as I took so much uneccessary stuff with me as well as forgetting important bits and pieces! Can you think of any other university bedroom essentials? Let me know in the comments! I’ve put links to all of my social media down below and I’d love it if you would give me a follow – come and say hi!
N xxxx
