Moving to University (from abroad) – A Packing Guide

University Packing Guide

If you are starting uni in September, you´re probably already feeling extremely excited and anxious at the same time. Moving away from home, leaving behind your family, friends and starting life as a student can be very daunting. You most likely won´t know anyone else who will be going to the same university, be wondering what on earth to pack or which accommodation to go for (find out more about accommodation in Aberdeen here). This post will be a university packing guide that will hopefully help you with that first big challenge.

To Bring or Not To Bring – That is the Question!

I wish I had had someone to give me some advice before I went, because I definitely made a few mistakes when it came to packing. As I was in exactly the same situation two years ago, I´ll try and shed some light on what I did and what I would recommend you do differently. Hopefully that way you can avoid making the same mistakes as I did…

I was very lucky in the sense that my mum flew over with me. I was really glad to have her by my side and help me settle into my new home. Having my mum with me meant having an extra suitcase which was excellent. I know of a few people who brought all their stuff in one, but I´d say most people had two suitcases with them.
When it comes to what things to bring, you´ll still need to be fairly selective though. Not only is there not that much space in your suitcase but bear in mind that if you are staying in halls then you won´t have loads of space in your room either.

Decide on things you´ll buy when you arrive at university…

If you are flying or travelling a long way, bedding, sheets, kitchen and bathroom stuff is inevitably going to be something that you´ll have to get when you arrive. However, there are a lot of shops (Primark, Morrisons, ASDA, Sainsbury´s etc.) that sell duvets, kitchen equipment etc. for students at that time.

Don´t forget to check out my lists of University Bedroom/Bathroom Essentials and University Kitchen Essentials, as well as my list of Student Store Cupboard Essentials before you go for your first big food shop!

Don´t forget – as most people will need to go out and buy some bedroom and kitchen essentials, it could be one of the first things you do together with your new flatmates! The perfect bonding experience! Check out more ways to bond with your flatmates here.

So, let´s get into it then essential packing guide!

University Packing Guide

1) Important Documents

Firstly, don´t forget to bring some IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS with you.:

• passport/ID card
• driver´s licence (even if you are not planning on driving, take your licence as form of ID, that way you don´t need to carry your passport with you which is a worse thing to lose)
• tenancy agreement (as proof that you have booked a room, but this will also double as proof of address for the bank)
• university acceptance letter
• any other documents required for you to open a student bank account (check the bank´s website for more information on this)
• cash (and some change for a bus /taxi from the airport or to the shops, and to get you started until you have opened a bank account)
• medical insurance cards
• prescription medicines (and a photocopy of the prescription, to give to your new doctor once you register there. I would recommend getting any medicines, contact lenses etc. that you need before you go to uni, so that that is not the first thing you need to worry about when you arrive. I, for example, get contact lenses on a six-month basis, so I just always get a new pack when I´m at home. That way I don´t have to go to the hassle of getting them in Aberdeen).

2) Clothes

When it comes to clothes, try and think about where you are going and what kind of clothes you´ll need. I, for one, knew that I could leave my shorts and t-shirts at home! XD
You might also want to think about if there is anything you won´t need immediately and can get when you are there, for example, I
didn´t take winter boots or a scarf with me and just decided that that would be something I´d have to buy when I was at uni.

Here are a few clothing items that I think are a must wherever you go:

• Socks and underwear!
• 2 pairs of pyjamas
• 2-3 pairs of trousers/jeans
• Some short and long-sleeved tops
• Jumpers
• Comfy trousers/joggers
• Stuff you´ll want to wear to slouch around the flat
• Slippers
• Sports/gym clothes
• Shoes (I´d recommend: 1 pair of sneakers, 1 pair of trainers, 1 pair of water-proof boots (for winter and those rainy days in the UK)).
• Swimming costume/trunks (if you are wanting to use the pool at the gym)
• something to wear on a night out
• Something formal you could wear to an interview (if you are wanting to look for a part-time job, if you aren´t I´d probably not bother bringing any, I had something but never wore it so it just took up unnecessary space in my wardrobe)
• Jacket/coat
• Raincoat
  
  Clothing items you might want to buy if you don´t have space to bring them from home:
  
• Winter coat
• Boots for Winter
• Hat, gloves, scarf
• Dressing gown

3) Electronic devices

Probably these things are the easiest to remember, because let´s face it; our phone is pretty much stuck to us at all times anyway…. But, just in case someone needs a reminder of the most important things, here they are:

• Adapters (if the plugs are not the same)
• Phone
• Laptop
• Chargers (Phone, Laptop, Speakers etc.)
• Headphones
• Speakers
• Hair dryer, straightener etc.

4) Home comforts/miscellaneous

Don´t forget that you might also want to take a few comforts with you from home, for example, pictures of your friends and family, your favourite book or the teddy that has been on your bed since you were a child. Don´t be embarrassed, trust me, everyone brings something like that!

I might be weird this way, but I also took a pile of stationary with me. I am very particular about what I like, especially when it comes to paper. The only type of notepad you can get in the UK has lines, but I much prefer using checked paper! So, I brought (and still bring!) my own paper from home…

Another thing I brought with me from home was my badminton racket, as I knew I wanted to join the badminton club and start playing again when I came to uni.

So here´s just a few examples of other things you might want to take with you:

• Stationary
• Books
• Fotos
• Small toolkit and/or sewing kit
• Games (useful for getting to know your flatmates)
• Umbrella (again, this will depend on where you are going. On the Scottish East coast, it is so windy your umbrella just ends up turning inside out anyway. I don´t think I have used my umbrella more than twice…)

I really hope you find this guide useful. Or perhaps it has at least given you somewhere to start in terms of your packing list. Please let me know if there is something important that I have forgotten to mention on this list!

Don´t forget to check out some of my other posts:

– 10 Things To Do Before You Start University
– 10 Tips for Moving Into University Halls
– 5 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Coming To Aberdeen
– A Guide To Student Accommodation in Aberdeen
– 12 Things To Do After You Have Arrived At University

University Packing Guide