When I first started packing a year ago to move into halls, I had absolutely no idea what I'd need or want to take with me. I searched all over the Internet for recommended packing lists to get ideas, and thankfully a few did come in handy. Looking back, I took far too much stuff to halls, so much in fact I had to do a trip to IKEA to buy another set of draws. Did I use everything I took with me? Hell no. I always fall into the trap of "I'll take this in case I need it", knowing damn well that'll never happen. It's probably because I'm a hoarder and just love being surrounded by all my things. So what is it I couldn't live without at uni?
- Netflix - After about two weeks of living away from home, I realised I suddenly had more free time than I've ever had before in my life. It didn't help that I was determined to survive the year without a job, which often meant I'd spent entire weekends on my own in the flat, with nothing but Netflix for company. I didn't need to get out of bed or anything, it was bliss. I found new TV series to get hooked on, like RuPaul (I know, I don't ever shut up about RuPaul!) and watched endless films until I got fed up of them (Ella Enchanted, anyone?). Life without Netflix in halls, to me, is unimaginable. It certainly filled a lot of my spare time, and the time I was meant to be working...
- My F.R.I.E.N.D.S boxset - A gift from my ex on my birthday last year, but similarly to Netflix, this one was handy at filling up all the free time and late nights I had nothing better to do with. However, the boxset also provided me with a challenge. I aimed to watch every single episode before moving out of halls, meaning I had to spam watch it until I'd completed the challenge. I did, by the way. F.R.I.E.N.D.S is easily my favourite show of all time, but at uni it seemed even more relevant; a bunch of young people trying to make their way in live on their own, exactly the same as what we were trying to do.
- My iPad Mini - Easily one of the best purchases I've ever made. When I got into uni, I just knew that my poor old laptop, as faithful as it is, would have no chance of surviving being lugged around to lectures. So I decided to splash out on an iPad. Not only did it come in handy for watching Netflix on the go, but it was also pretty useful for scrolling through Facebook in lectures when I was bored, and talking to all my friends in the room. But seriously, it was really useful for taking notes, especially after downloading 'Pages' for £6.99, and when my dad bought me a detachable keyboard for it for my birthday. It's definitely worth considering getting a decent laptop or tablet for lectures, especially for finding all the reading material and powerpoints online.
- Super Noodles - Ah, the staple diet of the uni student. Cheap and cheerful, plus you can get them in loads of flavours. (Bacon is lush.) I ate far too many packets of these, and their counterparts, the pasta sachets, to the point that I thought I might turn into a noodle. Money is always pretty tight at uni, especially when there's drinking and shopping to factor into your expenses, so we're always looking for ways to eat well for less. I'm not too sure super noodles serve as 'eating well', but I survived a year eating them a good 5 times a week. (I'm definitely cutting down on the noodles this year.)
- Antibacterial wipes - These are a god send. Not only are they easy to use, but they're pretty cheap as well. They will come in handy, especially in the kitchen, because I can guarantee you will end up living with some messy people. I definitely did, from meat packets being left on the side, to random sauce stains everywhere. We had sauce up the fridges, down the wall, on the windows, I swear to god, you name it, there was sauce on it. And let's not even talk about whatever was crusted onto the inside of the microwave. I very rarely used the microwave at uni, out of fear of what the hell had previously gone in it. Antibacterial wipes will make using the kitchen much less of a stomach churning adventure.
- Photos - When I first moved into my little uni room, it felt a little bit like a prison cell. Because all the rooms are so uniformed and plain, I had to make the room feel homely to help me settle in. I'd bought with me pictures of family and friends from home, and blue-tacked them all over the noticeboard next to my bed. Next to that I had my poster of Florence Welch, and by the end of the year, I'd added more recent uni photos too. I also used bunting and loads of pillows to make the room feel snug, and well, mine. (This is my room last year, I loved how I decorated it so much, it was so cosy.)
- My 'Blates' - I bought quite possibly the worlds flattest plates with me to uni, so I couldn't have any meal which involved sauce because it just poured straight onto the table. So after another trip to IKEA, I came back with deep plates, which looked like the love-child of a bowl and a plate. I affectionately called them 'blates' all year, and were perfect for pretty much every single meal. (And yes, I did go on the IKEA website to find exactly the same one I have to use the picture...)
- My fan heater - I was unlucky when I first moved into halls, because my room was the most freezing cold room in the entire flat. I spent the first week avoiding my room, and shivering my way through the night, because my heating was completely broken. I was semi-convinced I was living in an igloo. Thankfully, my mum bought me a really cheap little fan heater, which warmed the room up really quickly. I had it on literally all the time, I'm a sucker for a warm room, and it helped me to to survive a pretty damn cold winter in Winchester.
So there it is, my little words of wisdom and advice for anyone starting uni this year. I took so much more to uni than that with me, and as I said, I definitely did not use it all. But these things helped me to survive my first year, and are partly why I enjoyed it so much.
Much love ♥
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