Commuting or moving here, you'll definitely need some of these.
Starting to pack for university? You've probably got a whole list of things to bring with you, but even the most organised could forget some of these things.
Before you pack anything, check ARU’s list of what is provided and the usual things to bring here.
Remember to bring the essentials...
- Family photo or a couple of posters to make it feel like home. Everyone misses their families and friends, fight the homesickness and personalise your space
- An umbrella – this is England, you will get rained on
- A camera – either a digital camera or your phone – you won’t want to forget your Freshers memories (plus if you share them with us, you could win prizes!)
- Fancy dress clothes for our awesome nights out
- Door wedge - an open door will make it much easier to make friends with your new housemates
- An ‘all seasons’ 3-in-1 duvet – to keep you at the right temperature all year round (and it’ll save you loads of money off your heating bill)
- Pack of cards
- A bottle opener
- Alarm clock – it's really awkward if you're late for your first lectures
- A travel mug – a necessity for the tea/coffee lovers. Why not bring it to a Meet Up to get to know new people?
- Headphones
- If you’re sporty, bring your gym clothes and get active with some of our societies
- Cold/flu remedies – Freshers flu is coming, be prepared
- Paracetamol – exam stress can cause headaches (and so can too much alcohol)
- Baking recipes – even if you don't cook much, you will get the urge to bake at some point during your university experience, even if it’s just to avoid something else - invite your new friends to bake.. or just eat the cake, you'll love it
- A comfy backpack for getting all your stuff around uni
- Driving license, passport or some form of ID
- Clothes hangers – these won't be provided and your floordrobe won't stay tidy for long
- Tupperware (plastic tubs for storing leftovers) – remember to put your name on them so you don't get them mixed up
- Packet foods – for those times when real cooking is just too much hassle
- A bicycle – this may be harder to bring but cycling is a great way to get to/from uni and a big part of living in a City. There’s plenty of places to put your bike around uni, but you’ll also need a lock (you can buy these from us!)
- Pyjamas or a dressing gown
- Emergency toilet roll – never.get.caught.out. Keep a secret roll for those desperate times
- A screwdriver – you won’t need it much but if you’re popping to IKEA to buy furniture, it'll come in handy.
Remember, there are shops here so don’t worry if you forget something or don’t have the space to pack it all.
We run a SUpermarket Bus each week and trips to IKEA if you need to buy anything – find the dates here.