University Prep - Part 1

The months leading up to university were probably the hardest months of my life. It's stressful; what do I pack, how much do I pack, will I survive without a responsible adult, will I get on with my flatmates ...the list goes on.

So, in this post is the many things which I wish someone would have told me before I came to Uni. Hopefully, this will help some of you out there who are going to Uni in September 😊

My experience may not be the same as what you’re going into as all accommodation and Universities are different. But I still hope some of it is helpful for you

Booking Accommodation

One of the main things I will advise when it comes to the daunting task of finding a place to live for the next year is to go and look at your choices. Open days are for more than just looking at your course; make sure you look at the accommodation on campus whether is cheap or expensive as prices change annually; BE OPEN MINDED. Once it came to booking day, waking up at 9 am didn’t seem as stressful as I knew exactly what I was booking and what was included in the prices etc.

After your Accommodation is booked expect paperwork – a lot of accommodations have tenancy agreements; this can include a long booklet of ‘rules’, as well as having to locate your parent's water bills and wage slips – it’s like Student finance all over again so be prepared!

Once it’s all complete and you finally have the ‘key’, don’t hesitate in finding your flatmates. I’m sure many of you have Facebook; this is where I found my flatmates six months before move-in day. When I searched for my accommodation of Facebook I added myself to the group and posted my flat number on. I anxiously waited for about two days until a lovely girl called Fatima messaged me saying ‘Hi, I think we are in the same flat’. From there we got to know each other almost talking every day, asking advice on what each of us were taking to Uni. A few weeks later Amy joined us and our flat was complete (Amy is usually late to most things).  Having theses few months getting to know each other helped so much as it broke the ice – there was no awkwardness when we finally moved in September.

Packing for University

As I knew my flatmates, we could coordinate how many saucepans we’d bring or how many plates we should have in the shared kitchen; if for some reason, you are unable to locate your flatmates don’t worry I’m here to help.

There are two ways you can go about it

1. Pack up personal belongings like clothes etc. and then find your local Ikea on the day you move in and get all the essentials on the day

2. Or if you’re like me, building up essentials (and second-hand kitchen pieces from your aunts and grandparents) over a couple of months could be a more cost effective method.

Let's say you're going with method 2. Leading up to move in day I'm sure there is a large pile of ‘Uni’ stuff lying around that you can’t even bare to look at. If your mum is anything like mine she will come home after every day giving you an update of what else she has for the pile e.g. ‘I bought you a potato peeler today’. You might be thinking why do I need this much stuff, I bet no one else has this much. Well trust me you do need these things; you're moving away for at least a year. On the other hand, it is possible that you can go overboard;

Here is a list of things that I’ve had to buy more of since I’ve been to university as well as unused things I’ve taken back home;

• Glasses – rowdy nights out or sleepy midnight strolls into the kitchen you are bound to break many cups, glasses and mugs.

• Tea Towels – As I have a laundrette on site that I have to pay for, washing adds up. You can never have enough tea towels as it saves your money! So, don’t complain when you see your parents or older siblings cramming another ten into a box.

• Bedding – It might be tempting to go and find one set of bedding which is new and beautiful to look at, but again it’s always a good idea to pack more, even if they are old sheets from home as it saves washing; especially if you spill drinks or food (important to girls who wear fake tan haha!).

• Files – Whatever your course you’re always going to have paperwork and coursework to deal with. I highly recommend organising it from the first week as when it comes to exam season you don’t want to be even more stressed with a load of papers and notes floating around that mean nothing to you.

• Clothes – you will want to bring all your clothes as you have many different occasions; going out, gym, lazy days, quick lecture etc. However, please do not bring every piece of clothing you own as you probably won’t wear it. I brought my whole wardrobe as I thought being on a fashion course I’d have to wear a different outfit every day - on moving day it wouldn’t fit in my tiny cupboards. University is so different to college and sixth form; no one cares what you wear, they are more focused on their own lives that your ‘Outfit of the Day’.

To sum it up, pack the necessities; if you end up forgetting something there will always be a shop around the corner – you're moving to a new place, not to the middle of the jungle.

I really hope this helps some of you and if you have any questions related to university please don’t hesitate to give me a message 😊

Part 2 will be up tomorrow

Hannah

x