What to bring to uni (and what to leave at home)
Wondering what to bring to uni? Here are some tips from someone who’s been there and figured it out—our President, Anna . . .
When I started at uni, I had no idea what to bring. When I got here, I realised I didn't need half the stuff I'd brought, and I'd overlooked some useful essentials. So, as you're probably deciding what to pack right now, I thought I'd help by sharing what I recommend you bring with you.
If you pack smart, it should fit in a small car. If you have room for more, good for you. If not, just bring the essentials and figure the other stuff out once you arrive. You can always borrow from housemates or buy things once you're here.
The essentials
Clothes. Don't bring your entire wardrobe; you won't have room for it. Just bring a few outfits and a coat. Make sure you've got stuff for warm days, cold days, and wet days because the weather's all over the place right now. And don't forget clothes hangers.
Bedding. All you need is a duvet, pillows, and two sets of bed linen (so you can wash and rotate them)
Toiletries, toothbrush, and towels
Laptop, phone, and chargers
Any medication you need
ID and passport. You'll probably get asked for ID a lot, especially if you're going to bars and nightclubs or buying alcohol. You'll also need it to apply for jobs and access some NTU and NTSU services. And you can't quickly nip home to get it if you realise you've forgotten it. So, don't come to uni without it—it's essential.
Basic kitchen set
It's easy to overdo it with kitchen stuff, so go easy, as you won't have room for a full-on set-up in your shared kitchen. Plus, the more you bring, the more you'll have to wash up.
Here's a basic kit that should give you everything you need without taking up too much space. I've bolded the essentials. Everything else is nice to have, but you can probably borrow it from a housemate for occasional use.
Cutlery - knife, fork, dessert spoon, teaspoon (x2 of each)
Crockery - small plate, large plate, bowl, cup/mug, drinking glass (x2 of each)
Pans - a frying pan or wok, frying pan, small saucepan, large saucepan, veg steamer, baking tray
Chopping knives (a decent chef's knife and a small paring knife are all you need.)
Chopping board
Tupperware (for leftovers, packed lunches, and keeping things in the fridge)
Scissors, can open, bottle opener, and corkscrew
Spatula / wooden spoon
Oil and seasoning
Oven gloves and tea towels
Colander
Cheese grater
Measuring jug
Potato masher
Cling film and foil
Desirable non-essentials
You don't need any of these things, but they can make a big difference to your comfort and happiness levels, so bring them if you can:
Table lamp. (Room lighting is never quite right, and a lamp is helpful for studying.)
Doorstop. (So you can prop open your door and meet people in the first few days instead of locking yourself away.)
Extension lead(s) .(Because plug sockets are rarely in the right place, and there's never enough of them.)
Sleep mask. (A simple way to improve your sleep.)
Bluetooth speaker
Boardgames. (A great way to get your housemates off their phones so you can get to know each other.)
Mattress Topper. (You might get lucky with your mattress, but don't count on it.)
Posters, pictures, and photos from home (and blue tack). (Rented rooms can feel a bit mid when you first move in. Bringing some simple set dressing is an easy way to make your new room feel like home.)
Stuff to buy when you get here (or bring it if you have room)
Small bin. (If you bring things from this section with you, put them inside the bin to save space.)
Cleaning stuff. In no particular order: toilet brush (yea, you're going to have to clean your own toilet now :/), toilet roll, bleach, multipurpose surface cleaner, cloths, bin liners, laundry detergent (and fabric softener if you want to get fancy)
Food for the first couple of days
That's all you need to get off to a good start. Now let's talk about what not to bring...
Things to leave at home
Car. If you're a driver based at City Campus, you'll have little need for a car. Parking on City Campus is limited and can be expensive. Plus, if you have a car, you will become the designated taxi driver for your house, which can get annoying after a while, so it's best to leave it at home.
However, a car can be handy if you study at Clifton or Brack and don't live on campus. Limited on-campus parking is available, but you'll have to pay for it (you can arrange it through NTU).
Anything expensive, unnecessary, and hard to replace. Sure, you want your laptop and phone with you, but things can and do get broken, and most other expensive items (like jewellery) are a liability rather than a creature comfort. Leave them at home (at least initially), and make sure you insure any valuables you bring with you.
As a general rule, if in doubt, leave it at home. If you find you can't live without something once you're here, you can always grab it later.
Right now, it's probably hard to imagine what being at uni will be like. But remember this: what makes NTU great isn't what you bring with you; it's what you'll find when you get here. Make an effort to experience new things and get to know people, and you'll discover that the stuff you did or didn't pack doesn't matter so much.
Okay, this ended up being way longer than I expected, so let's leave it here.
If you want to know more about what your Students' Union has to offer you, take a look at our socials:
P.S. We asked current students for advice on starting at NTU, so here's something to think about when you get here: "Explore the city… it's full of hidden gems."
