My Uni Essentials

I've seen a few people on social media asking about uni essentials, and I know that a list would've really helped me this time last year, so I thought I'd create one. This isn't an extensive list, and it includes the things I found really useful over the last year, but there may be some things on it that you won't need. Also, I was living in student accommodation, so not everything on this list will be as relevant if you're living at home.

(Don't look at how long this list is and start worrying - I've just tried to include lots of things that people might've forgotten, so you probably won't need to bring them all)

Stationery

• Pens and pencils
• Ruler
• Lever arch files
• File dividers
• Popper wallets (I used these to carry a few pieces of paper and notes to lectures instead of carrying a whole file)
• Plastic wallets/sleeves/punched pockets
• Lined and plain paper
• Calculator (check if your course needs a specific type, e.g. scientific calculator)
• Rubber (eraser)
• Highlighters
• Coloured pens, feltips, fineliners, ect (this made my revision look a bit prettier)
• Pencil case
• Stapler and staples
• Hole punch
• Post-it notes (I stick these to sections in textbooks with little notes to remember)  
• Flash cards
• Scissors
• Pencil case
• Blue/white tack (I mostly used these for sticking photos around my room)
• Dairy (I got mine from Waterstones and you can see it in the picture above)
• USB/hard drive
• Textbooks (any you already have that might be relevant to your uni course, as well as new textbooks - I got most of mine from the library so don't worry about buying them all)
• Sticky tape

Bedroom

• Laptop/computer/tablet (my laptop was 100% essential for me this year as I was living quite far away from the library so I did most of my work in my flat)
• Phone
• Chargers (e.g. for your phone, laptop, etc)
• Diffuser and/or room spray (to keep your bedroom smelling fresh and homely)
• Slippers (these are super cosy but mainly for avoiding crumbs ect on kitchen floors)
• Desk lamp (it's worth checking if your student accommodation already has one, because most of them don't, and they're really useful for when you're doing uni work or just to give a warm glow to your room)
• Whiteboard and pens (check if your room has one - if not, lots of shops sell small ones that are really cheap. They're great for writing timetables, to-do lists, work and important dates... and your friends/family can leave little messages on it when they visit)
• Coat hangers (this is something I forgot to bring enough of at first)
• Clock
• Something for relaxing like books, DVDs, game consoles, etc
• Door stop (this was a must for me as it meant that even when my flatmates were in their rooms a lot, it felt less lonely and that th
• Photos (there are loads of apps which can send you printed copies of your photos to make your room more personalised - I use 'FreePrints')
• Extension lead
• Duvet and cover
• Pillows and pillowcases
• Cushions
• Bedsheets
• Mattress protector
• Blankets
• Dressing gown
• Mirror (check to see if there is already one in the room)
• A range of clothes (pyjamas, clothes for different weather and seasons, coat, more formal or dressy clothes, etc)
• Gloves, hat, scarf
• Fancy dress clothes (sometimes freshers events can be themed, and it's good to have an outfit for any last minute Halloween plans)
• Gym clothes
• Clothes needed for hobbies (e.g. I took my dance outfits/shoes)
• Range of shoes (e.g. casual, smart, sporty)
• Laundry basket
• Airer
• Small sewing kit (I didn't use mine this year, but I think it's always good to have just in case)
• Bin (some student accommodations will have one in each bedroom, but not all)
• Printer and ink (I found this useful as I was living quite far from the library)

Bathroom

• Towels (bath towels, hand towels, etc)
• Soap
• Shower gel
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Face wash
• Makeup/hand wipes
• Moisturiser
• Deodorant
• Perfume/aftershave/body spray
• Hair brush
• Comb
• Hair dryer
• Hair straighteners, curlers, etc
• Nail files/cutters
• Toiletries bag
• Flip flops/sliders (I didn't share a bathroom last year but I know people who did and they would probably recommend flip flops ect for walking to/from showers)
• Shower cap
• Fake tan
• Exfoliating gloves
• Shower puff/sponge
• Shower mat
• Cleaning products (e.g. disinfectant spray)

Kitchen

It's worth finding out if you'll be sharing kitchen utensils with who you're living with - often people decide that they don't each need things like a blender, scissors, bottle and tin opener, etc.

• Tea and/or coffee (always an essential for me)
• Cutlery (knives, forks, spoons)
• Vegetable knife
• Bread knife
• Crockery (bowls, plates, mugs)
• Glasses
• Chopping board
• Colander
• Blender (great for making smoothies)
• Frying pan
• Saucepan
• Wok
• Serving spoon
• Spatula
• Baking tray
• Oven gloves
• Tea towels
• Bottle opener
• Tin opener
• Scissors
• Food bags
• Clips for food bags
• Cling film and/or tin foil
• Plastic containers/tubs
• Bin bags
• Sponges and cloths
• Washing up liquid
• Disinfectant spray
• Washing powder/laundry detergent
• Fabric conditioner
• Dishwasher tablets (check to see if your accommodation has a dishwasher)

Other

• Batteries
• UniDays app (this is fab for loads of discounts, and they update them all the time so don't be disheartened if they're not for the shops you like! Sometimes you can get this app if you're in college/sixth form too)
• Railcard (student railcards are often discounted and very useful for travelling to/from home)
• Important documents (passport, student finance documents, driving licence, course acceptance letter, national insurance details, etc)
• Ironing board (check if your accommodation already has one as most of them do)
• Travel mug/cup (at first I was buying a drink every day to take to a lecture until I quickly realised how expensive that was; mine is a Sara Miller one but there are so many you can get, in a range of prices)
• Snacks
• Hand cream (washing dishes can leave your hands feeling quite dry)
• Lighter (very important for lighting birthday candles!)
• Umbrella
• Tweezers
• Plasters
• Water bottle (I use a BRITA filter water bottle which I LOVE)
• A map of the university campus (I printed one off from the university website)
• Taxi app
• Bag to carry uni equipment in (to lectures, seminars, labs, etc)
• A pack of playing cards
• Board games
• Keys
• Money in cash

I hope this list has helped some of you, and let me know if I've forgotten anything important! Good luck at uni :)