What to pack for university?

Tyriq Baker

Music BMus(Hons) - Third Year

Hello, my name is Tyriq, and I am a third year Music student. I play three instruments (piano, clarinet and bassoon), and I am a music composer of classical music, electronic music, and pretty much anything that interests me.

Preparing for university

As you get ready to start university, you’re probably thinking about what you will want to take with you.

It’s tricky to know what you’ll need, so it’s worth checking what your accommodation providers may have supplied in shared spaces such as kitchens.

Luckily for you, I have also compiled a list of things you to get you started. You don’t need to buy everything brand new, you can just bring things that you already have at home, if you can.

There’s a lot to bring, but remember, we also have shops in Huddersfield and some places have extra student discounts at the start of term, or you may find flatmates have things you can share.

You could split up your packing list by room, or by things you’ll be doing such as cooking, washing, cleaning etc, to help make it a bit more manageable.

Schwann building — A photo of the Schwann Building at the University of Huddersfield.

Kitchen

• Cutlery - knives, forks, spoons etc
• Bowls and dishes
• Cups and mugs
• Measuring jugs
• Saucepans
• Dish-drainer
• Washing-up bowl - this might be provided
• Paper towels
• Plastic containers, for storing leftovers
• Oven tray and oven gloves
• Cheese grater
• Pizza cutter
• Spatula
• Scissors
• Can opener
• Thermal flask, so you can take a coffee to lectures and save buying one
• Sieve
• Clips - to seal opened packets of food
• Tea towels
• Chopping board

What to pack blog - fruit — When you think about packing, I would recommend buying food that can go off easily, such as fruit, once you get to the university accommodation.

Laundry

• Drying rack (a cheaper alternative to using the driers at your accommodation)
• Colour catcher sheets (if you are paying for washing, you may not want to be so fussy about how you wash and mix your loads)
• Washing tablets
• Ironing board and iron
• Door hanger for clothing

Cleaning

• Broom
• Mop
• Cloths, dusters
• Cleaning products for bathroom, kitchen and polish

What to pack blog - shopping — This is some of the stuff I have packed ready to take up to university. It is useful to pack things in spare cardboard boxes that you have.

Things for your own Room

• Pillows and pillow cases
• Sheets, duvet and duvet covers
• A plant. I consider this quite important. It helps to clear the air in your room, and also is a nice natural decoration to have. I currently have an Aloe Vera plant, which is in its Aloe Vera producing state.
• Lamp
• Books
• Tech stuff, such as a games console, a camera etc. Since I’m a musician, I am taking up some speakers and a digital piano with me.
• Shoe rack - if you have a lot of shoes, this is good to keep things compartmentalised in your room. There may be space under your bed though, which you can also use.
• Scented candle - you may want this to freshen your room. Some scented candles come with medical benefits also, so may be worth looking into further.

What to pack blog - Huddersfield — The view from Castle Hill in Huddersfield

Everyday - things that you would pack in your bag to take to uni

• Stationery
• Study folders/dividers
• Notepad
• Laptop
• Phone charger
• Wallet

Care products

• Hair gel/ shampoo
• Shower gel
• Cream
• Deodorant
• Soap bar
• Flannel
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Towel
• Comb

Bathroom

• Cleaning gloves
• Soap dispenser (automatic)
• Wipes
• Air freshener
• Cotton buds
• Shaver

What to pack blog - woods — There are lots of nice spaces to go for a walk and do some running, so bring your exercise clothes.

With food, I will leave that up to you as what you would like to pack - there’s no point me putting down what I would take, as it may be quite different, but you can do a big shop when you arrive and you'll find some advice about managing a budget in Rachel’s blog.

In Huddersfield, there is large Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Lidl, Tesco, Aldi and an Iceland, among other stores, within walking distance in the town centre.

When packing clothes, consider temperature and weather changes and whether you will need running or gym wear, or swimwear. There's a gym based on campus, so you might want to use that between lectures.

And there you have it, a list of things that you can consider when packing - hopefully this will give you a good start, and help you feel ready to join us!

If you have any questions about starting university, you can chat students on UniBuddy here.

All articles by Tyriq

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