The essential guide to putting your house in order

You can make a home away from home at university – as long as you know what to take and what to leave behind

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Leaving home is tough and starting university is terrifying. Deciding what to take with you is impossible. The tendency is to empty the contents of your teenage bedroom into your parents’ car and off you go.

“I was so stressed,” remembers Jessica Roberts, a mathematical studies student going into her final year at the University of Leeds. “I get stressed packing for a holiday, so packing for university was bad. I was scared I was going to be badly prepared.”

Jessica took far too much stuff. “I seriously overpacked. But I don’t regret it. It’s important to me that a space feels mine, so I took ornamental things, like jewellery boxes and posters. My parents complained about the amount of stuff I had. They didn’t understand.”

It is important to make the space your own. You will be living in that bedroom for nine months. I remember being disappointed by my room in halls. It felt tiny. The bed was narrow. There weren’t enough hangers in the wardrobe. The walls were painted a miserable colour and the carpet was badly stained. I lay down on the bed to find that the duvet provided was thin and lumpy and the pillow the size of a sponge. Take your own pillow, or perhaps two. Cosy bedding is a must. Take a rug or a colourful throw to brighten the place up. Photos of family and friends are good for decorating the room.

You don’t need to panic if you forget something. You can always buy it there. Jessica remembers that there was only one thing missing from her new bedroom in halls. “I arrived to find there was no full-length mirror,” she says. It was a disaster. I immediately went out and bought one from Argos for 20 quid. I still have it. I even took it on my Erasmus year to France.” The one thing that Jessica thinks may have been unnecessary was taking all her A-level notes and books. “You can find everything you need on the internet now,” she says.

If you are staying in self-catering accommodation, it is important that you have the right cooking equipment. Paul Burch, a second-year student at the University of Edinburgh, says that you can’t overemphasise the importance of decent cooking implements. “I came laden with chopping boards, plates and knives,” he says. “I originally thought my mum was exaggerating the need, but when my flatmates turned up with, in some cases, only a knife and a fork, I ate my words.” Kitchen items that are particularly useful are tea towels, cheese grater, potato peeler, potato masher, oven gloves, a good-quality cutting knife, and, of course, a corkscrew. Having a recipe book may also be a good idea.

While Jessica admits she probably took too much, it made her feel better about the transition. “I like to be prepared. Some people don’t mind winging it, but for me, being prepared made me feel more settled,” she says. On the other hand, Paul’s advice to new students is you need much less than you think, particularly clothes. “One of the great things about uni is that everyone is poor, or at least, a lot of people are, and so there is very little pressure to constantly be wearing different clothing,” he says. “About 50 per cent of what I brought clothing-wise, I ended up not using. It’s OK to wear the same hoody for a week; no one cares, because mostly, they’re doing the same.”

You don’t need much in the way of formal clothing, he says. “I remember bringing smart clothes for formals. They turned out not to be needed. I only needed smart clothes once, for a black-tie party a friend had at the end of the year.”

Apart from casual everyday clothing, you will undoubtedly need some sort of fancy-dress costume. Face paints can be a surprisingly indispensable item.

Remember to take your bank details, cheque book and paying-in book. One tip is to register for internet banking. First, this makes life incredibly easy and you will be able tell exactly how much debt you are in. Second, and I speak from experience here, it means you will no longer receive paper statements, so your mum will be unable to open them and snoop at your finances.

Get a 16-25 Railcard if you will be travelling to and from university by train. You get a third off all fares, which is important when it comes to booking your train home at the end of term when you have £20 left in your account.

You don’t need to be embarrassed about the amount of stuff you are taking. People turn up with huge quantities of belongings. “Raid the house for anything you don’t want to have to buy once you’re there, because money will be short,” Paul says.

He recommends taking a first-aid kit. “The accidents that happen in the first year are bizarre, and more than once, we ended up with someone bleeding in |our kitchen!”

He also suggests taking a lot of paracetamol to help with the pain the morning after a heavy night’s drinking. For those who suffer from particularly bad hangovers, try Resolve, an Alka Seltzer-style medication especially for hangovers. Other items in the first-aid kit include plasters, antiseptic cream, blister plasters (for girls with new shoes), cold/flu remedy, because everybody suffers from freshers’ flu, anti-allergy tablets, throat lozenges and any prescription medicines you need.

Other useful items to pack include a permanent marker to mark what is yours in the fridge, plastic wallets, which are useful when you are jogging through the rain to hand in an essay, and a calculator. Take an extension lead. Other minor but handy things are air freshener, dry shampoo and condoms. If you wear prescription glasses and have a spare pair, take them, as well as a copy of your prescription.

Most students go to university with a laptop. However, all universities provide 24-hour computer labs, so if you don’t have one, you won’t be at a disadvantage. Having a printer is not essential; you can simply buy printer credit at the university and use the university’s printers. A USB stick, however, is a must. When your computer crashes and you are trying to print your essay at the last minute, you will be grateful you have one.

Ultimately, try not to get too worried about what to take. If |you start freaking out too much, remember everyone is in the same boat.

DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT...

Dressing gown

Extension lead

Flip-flops for communal showers

Internet bank account

Laundry bag

Matches/candles

Paracetamol

Permanent marker

Pillows/cushions

Plastic wallets

Pyjamas

Recipe book

Rug/throw

Sewing kit with safety pins

Slippers

Tea towels

Umbrella

USB stick

Watch

16-25 Railcard

Flip-flops for communal showers