The Ultimate Guide on What To Bring to University

As a recent graduate and having already finished University/ College and gone through three bedrooms and three houses, I think it is safe to say, I know exactly what to bring to University/ College. This is for both my UK and more students; i’ve included every single thing you need for staying in halls, dorm rooms and houses. Here is the ultimate university packing list for 2024.

This post lists absolutely EVERY SINGLE THING you need to pack for university; all the crucial bits and bobs that will get you through your few years there.

PS. I do have a few posts of absolutely non-essential essentials that’ll make your life so much easier! In this post I give 22 ESSENTIAL Uni Items that Will Save Your Life and here are 21 Things a Fresher Should Bring to Uni (on top of these items!)

This post is all about what to bring to university.

What to Bring to University

Now I know how stressful university packing can be so I have provided you this list in bitesized chunks – wooh!

I’ve broken the guide down into the following:

You can click on each section to navigate easily throughout the guide.

• Absolute What to Bring To University Essentials
• Bedding
• Furniture
• Organisers
• Decorations
• Kitchen Essentials
• Bathroom Essentials
• Cleaning Essentials
• University/ Study Essentials.

University Packing List Absolute Essentials

This list is going to comprise of items that I highly recommend you take with you to University. These items made life so much easier for me and my friends and made my space feel more homely and comfortable.

1. Mattress Topper – A What To Bring to University MUST HAVE!

Now, the mattress provided to you by your university/ landlord is probably over a decade or so old. That means at least 10 or so people have slept in that bed for a year before you. Therefore, your bed is gonna be springy. I strongly suggest buying a mattress topper because it helps to increase your comfort whilst sleeping.

2. Mattress Protector

Most places provide you with a mattress protector however, I recommend buying your own because you have no idea who used that mattress protector before you.

3. A Heater/ Fan

Sometimes in halls and student housing, the people you are sharing a space with will not want the heating on or let’s face it, your heaters are probably broken anyway and your windows do not even open fully. Therefore a heater and fan system is perfect just to heat up and cool down your room.

4. Kettle

Most places provide kettles however, some do not. Double check with your housing if they do. A lot of the times the kettles have definitely seen better days so it could be worth you and your housemates chipping in and buying a kettle. Also, if you are really lazy and cannot be asked going to a fro the kitchen, it’s nice to have a kettle in your room (high-key tea addict right here.)

5. Thermoflask!

I struggle with the actual name of these; I believe they are called thermoflasks. These bottles are multi-functional, keeping your cold drinks cold and your hot drinks hot. This means you do not have to make constant trips to the kitchen in the night and you can also save money on hot drinks during your lectures.

6. 6ft Extension Cord

Pretty self explanatory, these are, however the amount of people that forget them is insane! Grab yourself two and stick them in the places you need them so you won’t have to worry about running out of sockets!

7. Black Out Curtains

You’re getting in from a night out at 5am and really, really want to sleep in. However, the curtains/ blinds provided (if any) are so see-through they might aswell not even be there. I highly recommend investing in some black out curtains or at least some black out stick tabs that you can stick onto the blinds provided.

The ones listed come in so many colours and are at a really good price point- definitely check them out!

8. Wardrobe Organiser

Student wardrobes are tiny so you need to be creative to maximise your space. These organisers were a lifesaver for me and practically doubled my wardrobe space. These come in three colours and can fit so much in them. If you have limited storage, these are for you!

What to Bring to University: Bedding

Now I have already discussed the importance of a mattress topper and a mattress protector but you also need the rest of your bed coverings.

9. This 2 Pillow Pack

Investing in some good pillows is always a shout. Do not take the ones you have at home because what are you gonna sleep on when you go back?

10. The Duvet of Dreams

The thicker the duvet cover, the better, right? This will get you through the cold winter nights and chilly mornings. This may make it so you don’t want to leave your bed but they are soooo worth it!

11. These Crisp and Fun Duvet Covers that will fit any theme

Save yourself from unpacking your bedroom only to find that your pastel blue bed sheets clash with the gross yellow walls of the university dorm halls. Therefore, it really is crucial (to save yourself annoyance) to get some neutral bedsheets. I love buying mine from places like Asda and Primark so have a look out when you next go food shopping for some great cheap bedding. These ones from Amazon are stunning and give off a luxurious vibe.

12. This Soft Throw Blanket

These Bourina throw blankets are my favourite on Amazon! They come in so many different colours, they’re huge, look great on your bed and are super warm. As with the throw, pillows are one of the best way to spruce up your bedroom. You can definitely also get some nice blankets from Primark, Dunelm, B&M etc.

13. This Bed Shelf

For all of us lazy bones who love to keep everything in reach, these hang off of the bed shelves are amazing. These are also great if you do not have a bed side table and don’t like having your phone in your bed when you sleep.

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Want more University posts?

• Check out everything University and studying HERE
• 15 Things Every Fresher Should Know Before Starting University
• Here you will find great productivity tips!
• The BEST Stationery list for students is right HERE
• Click here for the BEST backpacks for students!
• 22 Absolutely Essentials Things You NEED To Take To University!

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What to Bring to University: Furniture

Usually your university will provide you with a bed, a basic desk with the most uncomfortable desk chair ever and a wardrobe. Therefore, it is up to you to furnish the rest of your room.

14. This Shoe Rack

It is so annoying having shoes wherever you step therefore, have them all in one place with this shoe rack. This makes finding the pair of shoes you want easier and is a great organisational tool.

15. Cube Storage System

These are great pieces of furniture for your rooms. You can get them from Ikea but they also do great ones online. This is great to have beside your bed to store things on top of and its also a great place to organise and hide your junk 😉 These are also considerably cheaper than a traditional drawer system and they look way cooler.

16. Floor Lamp

I love having lamps in my space as opposed to the overhead light. This one linked is so trendy and cool, and it’s just under £30! It’s quite different to your usual floor lamp and will add a nice ambiance to your room. If you are thinking about what to bring to university lighting wise, let this be your one thing!

17. A Comfortable Desk Chair

Now these are very spenny so please only get one if you can afford it!

The chairs provided are always grossly uncomfortable. Investing in a chair that you can take with you for wherever you move to during your university years (and beyond!) is optimal. You would like a chair that is both comfortable and stylish; that allows you to sit there for hours studying and fits in with each room.

I absolutely love this chair. You can prop a pillow up in it for even more comfort and style.

The great thing about investing in a chair like this is that the price is justifiable as after you leave university you can use it for your (potential) work from home job OR you can sell it on!

18. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

‘Holy cow, mirrors are so expensive’ is something i thought when i was buying my mirror for university. Who knew a piece of breakable glass would be over £50? Not me.

Ultimately you want to save space in your rooms so having one that hangs over the door is a fab idea. This one doubles up as a jewellery organiser and comes in multiple colours so it is definitely justifying it’s price.

Again, this is another piece of furniture you can keep with you throughout your university years and beyond.

What to Bring to University: Organisers

A few things have been mentioned above such as, wardrobe organisers, shoe racks and those awesome bed bags.

19. Fabric Storage Bins

If you know me, you know how I SWEAR by the storage containers! These fabric ones come in a range of colours, sizes, and textures, you cannot go wrong with them. They are also collapsible so they are easy to store and the price point is great, too!

The few that I have linked will look great both in the cube storage, in your bathroom or just sitting out in your room!

20. Plastic Storage Bins

Plastic storage bins are useful for so many things such as, under the bed storage, storing things you are not yet using such as winter jackets, cleaning supplies and different semester work. They are also really useful to pack all of your things in whilst moving. They are definitely something you should get as they are super sturdy and will last years.

21. These Stationary/ Makeup Organisers

If you look at our desk organisation ideas, you’ll see how good these bad boys are in action! They are multi-fuctional and you can store loads of little bits in them! Coming in multiple sizes these organisers fit in almost drawer, too.

22. Makeup Storage

If you do not have one of these make-up organisers, you need to get one ASAP! They are amazing. The great thing about these, especially for university students, is that you can just grab the case and go! With everything already organised, put it in your bag and you are good to go, whether that be to someone else space to get ready or home for the weekend!

23. Wardrobe Expandable Hangers

These hangers will save you so much room and allow you to maintain your shopping addiction! Each hanger basically holds around 5-6 pieces of clothing, allowing you to never run out of space.

24. Shower Caddy

Shower caddy’s are great to just grab and head to the bathroom with every morning and evening. It means no one uses your stuff and everything you need is in one place, easily accessible. The plastic option is my personal favourite. I bought the pack of two and used one for my toiletries and the other for cleaning supplies!

25. En- suite/ Shared Bathroom Shelving

I shared a bathroom throughout university and having one of these so all of us had our own shelf was great. If you have an ensuite, you can have a shelf for cleaning supplies, one for toiletries and another for spares. You can also use this behind your bedroom door and fill it with snacks and drinks.

What to Bring to University: Decorations

The best way to make your room your own is to decorate it with things that remind you of home and make you happy. Here are a few things that I loved and would love to decorate my uni room with.

If you would like more university room decor ideas check out my post here for 20+ room ideas you need to see before you decorate your uni room!

26. Fairy Light Photo Hangers

Are you even a girl at university if you don’t have twinkling fairy lights? Yeah I think not. These ones are so cool because you can stick your photos on them.

You can even start the year off with no photos and as they year goes on you can add pics to it.

27. Fairy light Wall

We had one of these in our living room during my third year of university and they were so cool. The majority of them can change colours and have different light settings. if you are not into heavy decoration then these are perfect just to stick up and they still look like you’ve put in a lot of effort.

28. Tapestry

Most people get their tapestries from Amazon purely because they are cheaper on Amazon. Just make sure to check with your housemates if you have the same ones because trust me, its highly likely. The ones linked above are so gorgeous! If you can spend a bit more, Redbubble do great tapestries.

29. LED Projector Light

These have been all over tiktok this summer and omg, I need one. Can you just imagine walking into your room, turning this bad boy on and being transported to another galaxy?

Also, these are so frickin good for house parties – highly recommend!!

30. Some Plants

I recommend buying some succulents that do not need as much attention because chances are you will forget to water them and they may not have enough sunlight. Also if you go away for a few weeks on Christmas or Spring Break chances are you’ll come back to a dead plant.

31. Area Rugs

My third year university carpet was so thin and manky I had to buy a carpet and I don’t regret it at all. This rug made my space feel more like my own.

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Want more University posts?

• Check out everything University and studying HERE
• Here you will find great productivity tips!
• The BEST Stationery list for students is right HERE
• Click here for the BEST backpacks for students!

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What to Bring to University Kitchen Essentials

Most of the time your housing should provide you with a kettle and a toaster but not much else. You can also expect some people’s left over pots and pans but I really would not use those.

32. Kitchenware Kits

Before i get into all the separate items you can buy, whilst I was browsing on Amazon looking for things, I came across kits you can buy which may work out cheaper for you instead of buying things separately. They are definitely worth a look at.

33. Cutlery Set

Most supermarkets will do sets of cutlery comprising of knives, forks, spoons, bowls and plates. These are super good deals but please only get around 2-4 of each item because let me tell you now, you do not need 6 bowls.

34. Mug Set

I am a mug hoarder so I had about 6 mugs and I don’t regret it. I recommend having about 2/3 mugs therefore there is always one that is clean and ready for your coffee. These ones on Amazon are super cute but you can deffo get cheaper ones elsewhere 🙂

35. Pot, Pan and Oven Dish Set

The prices for pots and pans really make purchasing the whole kit worth it- it’ll only be a couple of pounds more and you get a whole bunch of extra things.

36. Cooking Utensils

I would always recommending purchasing your own utensils. Whilst it is great to share some things like a can opener etc, when you have utensils you use on the daily its best to have your own. Save yourself from washing other people’s dishes and use yours!

37. Cheese Grater

Yes, a CHEESE GRATER! I capitalised this because of it’s importance lol. You can get these for suuuuper cheap at your supermarket! But you can also get this nifty one from amazon, it is super convenient and compact that you can grate your cheese directly into the pot attached!

38. Tupperware for Meal Prep/ Leftovers

Tupperware is great for leftovers, lunches, and freezing food for meal planning. You can also use these to store herbs and spices, flour and sugar. You can never have too many tuperware containers.

39. Thermo Mugs!

We spoke about thermoflask bottles, but here we have the mugs! These are good to take with you – hot drinks on the go! This one is great because you can also use it for cold drinks, too <3

What to Bring to University: Bathroom Must Haves

40. Towels

It’s a great idea to have more than one body and one face/ hand towel. What’s even better is to have towels that match that way you don’t mix them up with anyone else.

41. Laundry Basket

How cool is this hamper? It comes with three compartments, meaning you never have to sort out and separate your clothes before washing them again. This will save you so much time and money as you can be conscious of your wash load.

42. Shower Shoes

Some uni accommodation bathrooms are so so dirty and no one wants to be catching athlete’s foot. These also come in a bunch of colours and sizes, perfect for gross conditions.

43. A Dressing Gown/ Robe

I had this dressing gown throughout my time at university and I’m pretty sure it never left my body lol. This specific robe comes in a bunch of different colours and lengths.

What to Bring to University: Cleaning Essentials

44. Laundry Detergent

Make sure to get a big one so it can last you for most of the year.

45. Fabric Softener

Again make sure to get a big fabric softener so it can last. This Comfort one is one of my favourites- it makes your clothes super soft and doesn’t give you the itch that some softeners do as it is hypoallergenic.

46. Washing Up Liquid

Another great thing to bulk buy as the prices of fairy liquid has really shot up recently. This lemon one is my absolute favourite – yummy yum.

47. Dish sponge and scrubber

These sponges are a true life-saver. It can be so gross washing up other plates and pots, touching other wet food (vom). Eliminate that and grab yourself some of these bad boys.

These come in a pack of three, so you can even use one for the shower, one for the kitchen and have one spare!

48. Toilet Brush Cleaner Set

A very important what to bring to university essential: a toilet brush! These silicone ones are way more hygienic and this one is very compact.

49. Anti-Bacterial Wipes

These you can get for about a pound or two from the supermarket.

50. Small Bin and Bin Liners

51. Air Freshener Wall Plug In

I love plug-ins- they are a great replacement for candles, which are not allowed in many student and rented accomodations. This one from Febreze smells lovely and fresh.

What to Bring to University Study Essentials

I have already written a post on must have desk organisers for university so definitely check that out. However, I thought I would also add a few more things that will make studying and going to lectures easier.

52. A Stylist Bag

This stylist tote bag comes with thick straps to protect your shoulder but also multiple compartments and a zip for safety.

The colour options are also great!

53. A Good Backpack

You are going to be carrying your laptop, your books, your water, food, notes, stationary and more every single day. Therefore, it is so important you invest in a great bag that has multiple compartments and supports your back. This one is great because it comes in multiple colours and fits just about anything.

54. A Laptop That is Light and will Last!

I had a heavy ass laptop during my first year and I could not take it anywhere. It was then I invested in my Macbook Pro and I have not looked back since. I have taken it with me to every lecture, every library trip and 3 years later she is still running as smooth as ever.

However, if Apple is not your thing. I know that HP do amazing light and super efficient laptops you can check out. Overall, this is an absolute must for your university packing list!

55. A Spare Phone Charger

‘Sorry, I have the iphone 15’. Well with this handy dandy bad boy you don’t have to worry about never having the wrong charger.

There are 2 in this pack and each has a iphone charger, usb c, and usb b port!

56. An Amazon Alexa

If you are umming and ahhing over wha to bring to university tech wise, let this be the thing (besides your laptop lol). I cannot tell you how much I loved and continue to love my Alexa. She used to wake me up *gently* for lecturers, played me podcasts and helped me get to sleep at night by playing rain noises.

Sometimes when I was studying I used my Alexa to ask basic chemistry questions; she’s a great study companion! Also the speaker on the Alexa is amazing. Overall, making the Alexa an ultimate university room essential.

57. Bluetooth/ Wireless Earphones

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Phew! I told you this list was extensive! I hope you stayed with me until the end as now you know exactly what to bring to university! I will be updating this list every few months so make sure to check back when you can.

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Want more University posts?

• Check out everything University and studying HERE
• Here you will find great productivity tips!
• The BEST Stationery list for students is right HERE
• Click here for the BEST backpacks for students!

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