What I brought to university

This article was written by Business & Digital Marketing BSc(Hons) student Emily.

As you get ready for university, packing is a big deal. Figuring out what to bring can be tough, especially when you're trying to fit everything in your car.

Sure, you've probably heard about the usual stuff, like bedding and toiletries, but I want to share some things I found super handy during my first year at university, as well as some things I definitely could have benefitted from. These are based on my personal experiences from my first year at university, living in a shared room in Glasney Student Village.

Kitchen Essentials

In Glasney, you get to choose your owner drawers, cupboards, freezer and fridge shelves when you arrive. Here are some of the most useful kitchen items that you shouldn’t forget!

• Different coloured chopping boards
• Your own tea towels (at least 3)
• Small casserole dish
• Medium-sized frying pan (be conscious that storage isn’t huge)
• Small and large saucepan
• 1 big and 1 small oven tray
• Tin opener
• Cheese grater
• Colander
• Tongs / wooden spoon
• Measuring jug
• Sieve
• Tupperware (one for your packed lunches and some for putting leftover food in for another day)
• Freezer bags 
• Cling film and tin foil (most flats have communal shelves and they take it in turns to purchase things like foil, oil, cling film, washing up liquid, sponges, etc.)

Try getting utensils and crockery with unique patterns, so you can easily spot what's yours. This comes in handy if you're too tired to clean up after dinner and leave dishes out to dry overnight. Also, wait until you move in to buy kitchen drawer organisers, as some drawers in Glasney flats might be an awkward size.

Bedroom Essentials

• A safe to lock away your passport and money etc.
• Mattress protector
• Heated blanket - it gets very cold during the winter (Argos do good ones!)
• Small drying rack (tumble driers can be expensive, but you don’t have much space in your bedrooms, so make sure it's small enough and can fold away)
• Clothes hangers - you don’t get these when you move in
• Bathroom bin
• Extension cable
• Batteries
• Screwdrivers
• Laundry basket
• Hair dryer

Bathroom Essentials

• Toilet Roll (don’t get caught out on the first day)
• Bathroom mat (the bathroom floor gets very wet)
• Shower mat
• Painkillers
• Nail scissors and nail file
• Toilet bleach
• Mould wipes / spray - Cornwall can be cold and damp, so make sure you always have a mould remover of some sorts – IT’S A NECESSITY!!

Clothing Advice

• Wooly hat
• Warm coat
• Evening attire for society events
• Swimwear (for after April)
• Slippers
• Crocs / sandals for communal areas
• Sunglasses
• At least 30 pairs of socks and pants
• Dressing gown (always useful if you’re sharing a room)

Study Items

• Laptop case
• Headphones!
• Post-it notes / small whiteboard
• Weekly diary of some sorts (LIFESAVER!)
• Memory stick

Other Bits and Pieces

• Passport / driving licence / ID
• Rucksack / bag
• Shopping bags
• Laundry pods
• Water bottle
• Pasta / rice / frozen mixed veg / chicken kievs / beans / breakfast bars
• Milk and teabags for moving in day (always a good ice breaker to offer someone a cup of tea when you’re moving into the student accommodation for the first time)