Quick Guide to Packing for your Uni Room

When getting ready to go to university, one of the most exciting / stressful things (apart from your course, of course…) is deciding what you need (or more likely, want) for your new university room. With this room being the space that you will be studying, socialising and relaxing in, you’d want it to be a place where you’d actually enjoy spending time. To achieve this, your room should achieve two things: it should be functional and aesthetic – there’s no point having a room that looks like it’s going to explode from all of the random items you’ve packed into it, but sitting in a beautiful room full of posters, fairy lights and nothing else isn’t great either.

But what to do if you don’t know what you should bring? As always, I’ve compiled a short but sweet guide below outlining exactly this, mixed in with some tips on how to decorate your room to make it a place you want to exist in.

1. Don’t forget the essentials

Don’t just pack clothes. Bring seasonal clothes! From experience, I can tell you that actively deciding I’d get away with just a raincoat during the winter is not the best decision. It’s the UK, so it’s definitely going to get cold – prepare for the worst case (eg sub-zero temperatures, hail and snow). Boots are also helpful, as well as trainers with good grip.

Bedding essentials such as clean sheets, a pillow and duvet (Warwick accommodation does provide them, but ones from home are usually comfier and can make your new bed seem more familiar) are useful too.

Laptop bags are also a must – especially if you intend to study in more places than just your room. Padded cases are usually the best and are something to place your laptop on if you don’t feel like putting it down on an outside table. USB sticks are also handy for backing your work up and carrying it around in case you want to work on the library computers.

Finally, make a list of toiletries you need to bring (including face and hair care). Stock up on any products you don’t think you’d find when living in Coventry – especially if it reminds you of your home face / hair care routine.

2. Legal Documents

Ensure you bring at least two forms of identification – you might need these when getting your student ID and if applying for jobs. Your personal insurance number, bank account details and any medical documents should be packed into an ‘Important Document File’ to prevent anything important getting lost.

3. Organisation

This defines the time before your room begins morphing into a mismatched heap of random items thrown in any direction. Having a messy room can be stressful and can affect your academic and social life too – so it’s best to stop this from happening before it begins. Clothes hangers, closet and drawer organisers are a must – they keep everything in place while allowing you to customise your room. Choosing a similar pattern or colour for all these organisers can help you create a colour scheme for your room – giving it an organised mood overall. Under-the-bed organisers and boxes are also a good shout – especially due to the large amount of space under the accommodation beds.

Having a dustpan, brush and bin are also needed to prevent dust from building up and will stop you leaving wrappers around your room.

4. Home Comforts and Something Extra

Taking a couple of small items from your home bedroom is a great idea if you think you may feel homesick- such as a couple of picture frames, a favourite book or a couple of cushions. This will allow you to associate your new bedroom with home and should help if you are feeling a bit out of place. Some extra items you could buy to add some atmosphere to your room though are always great – adding the new to the old! Fairy lights are always a good idea, plants are easy on the eyes and some studies suggest they help you concentrate better and wall art really helps you personalise your room according to your tastes (just make sure you’re allowed to post things on your accommodation walls first).

If you were anything like me, hopefully you feel slightly more prepared about what to pack and how you make your room your own!

If you’d like any more tips, please let me know and I’d be happy to help. Until next time xx