What to pack for university

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The ultimate packing guide for new university students

Friday, 5 September, 2025

A time of nerves and excitement. The countdown to move-in weekend is on. With just a week until the newest BSU cohort descend onto campus accommodation, we’ve compiled the ultimate packing guide, for all the dos and don’ts when it comes to moving to university.

Each student room contains basic furniture including a bed, desk, chairs, mirrors, towel rails and waste bins, as well as communal utilities in shared kitchens like a microwave and toaster. But why not add some personal flair? Make your new room into your new home. You may want to think about bringing items such as:

Kitchen

• Unique cutlery. It’s easy to lose items in a communal kitchen, so getting cutlery that is brightly coloured or has a fun pattern means it’s easier to keep hold of.
• Bowls, plates and mugs that don’t contain sentimental value. Accidents can happen, so it’s worth buying crockery that can easily be replaced and won’t cause any personal upset.
• Lots of tea towels and/or kitchen roll. Anything to make cleaning up quick and easy will definitely come in useful.

Bathroom

• A shower mat. Keeps your bathroom floor from getting soaked and can also provide a fun pop of colour.
• A shower caddy. If you are moving into accommodation with a shared bathroom, a shower caddy can be really useful for carrying toiletries to and from your room, as well as being a great organisational tool.
• A medicine box. Freshers flu is no myth! A box with some basic supplies like plasters, paracetamol and vitamin c tablets is always reassuring to have on hand.

Bedroom

• A duvet, pillows and sheets. Make your bed feels as comfortable as possible, adding blankets can make it extra cosy. For an extra tip, try to bring more than one set of sheets. It will make washing less stressful when you don’t have to wash, tumble dry put everything back on your bed in the same day.
• A mattress topper! These start at about £20 on Amazon. It’s easier to attend those 9am lectures after a good night’s sleep.
• University rooms will often come with a pin board for you to decorate. Putting up photos, postcards and fairy lights can make a space feel very homely.

Desk area

• A desk lamp. Some universities provide this already, but it’s worth bringing some alternative softer lighting than the existing ceiling light.
• Stationary. This can vary from course to course, but pens and paper will never go a miss.
• Storage containers. Ones that can fit into drawers or underneath your desk provide extra hidden storage for all the bits and bobs you might accumulate over the year.

We look forward to meeting all of our new starters this September as they embark on this new and exciting journey. For further packing inspiration, you can check out our ‘what to pack’ video on TikTok, or for advice on what not to bring, you can also look at our 'what to pack' information page on our website.