As thousands of students prepare for university life and freshers' week, second and third-year students have shared insights on essential items for halls and what can be left at home. The advice aims to help new students manage their budgets and avoid accumulating unnecessary belongings.
Key recommendations include bringing a good mattress topper, as student accommodation can be basic. The Silentnight Airmax 1000 topper, priced at £32 for a single, was suggested as a comfortable and washable budget option. Students also advised bringing lamps due to often limited lighting in halls, with a £30 desk light from John Lewis mentioned, alongside affordable options from Ikea.
For kitchen essentials, a budget-friendly toastie maker from George at Asda, costing £11, was recommended. However, students cautioned against bringing multiple duplicate items, suggesting new housemates communicate beforehand to avoid having several kettles but no toaster. The Kenwood Ripple kettle from John Lewis was identified as a good budget buy that can boil a single cup to save energy.
To maximise space, students suggested over-the-door hooks, underbed storage bags like Dunelm's £14 striped bag, and baskets or folding crates. An extension cable was also highlighted as a necessary item due to limited plug sockets. For campus life, the stainless steel Ion8 water bottle was noted as a good value alternative to more expensive brands.
Conversely, students advised against packing excessive non-essentials. Examples included one student's regret over bringing many tins of beans despite living near supermarkets, another's unused smoothie maker, and throw cushions that often ended up on the floor.