THE FRESHER'S SURVIVAL GUIDE # 1 | WHAT TO PACK?!

If like me you're a bit of a worrier, then you'll know how stressful life changes can be and how scary they may seem. I've decided to write a series of posts to help all you freshers to be, get ready for going away to uni and hopefully give you some comfort that it really isn't all that scary but instead a great experience. I'm starting my final year at uni this October and I always feel like people who are actually still experiencing what you're going into, are often the ones you trust and believe the most, so hopefully I can help with my experiences.

Firstly, I thought it would be handy to talk about what to pack. When you're away at uni you do have a huge amount of new freedom and independence, but obviously this also means a whole lot of responsibility, you need to make sure you've packed everything, for every occasion and for every possibility.

I cannot pack light and obviously as a beauty blogger, I'm obsessed with beauty products, which definitely doesn't allow you to pack light... Wouldn't it be so much easier if we were boys? they don't need half as much as us girls do! 

What to pack?

I'm sure you could get by with a lot less but if you want to make sure that you have everything you need and to avoid having to get buses or any other public transport all over a new place that you're not familiar with you may want to pack for every possible situation. I had a Tesco Express right next to my accommodation which was really handy as I only had to walk down from my block, through the reception and I was pretty much already there. However, as it was only a small Tesco, it didn't stock everything or much in the way of utensils, plates, etc. The nearest town was about a 15 minute walk away from my accommodation, however, it wasn't the nicest area so I didn't really like walking around there much, especially alone so I made sure that I stocked up on most things that I would need when I was at home. 

Kitchen Supplies 

Before uni, I luckily already knew how to cook the basics. It's a good idea to know the basics of how things work, especially the oven and how to boil pasta and rice as these can be good bases for your meals. Most of the people that I lived with were on the same level as me and we all helped each other out if we needed some advice, so don't worry if you're not the best cook, you're all in the same boat! One of my flat mates had absolutely no idea how to make anything and even had to ask me how you put a pizza in the oven, so we all tried to help him out and by the end of the year he was able to boil his own pasta, add a sauce AND put pizza and wedges in the oven! It's definitely a good idea to get a little student cook book or something, as you do quickly get bored of every meal being pasta and you welcome the change! You can also look up recipes online. One of my flat mates and I used to type into google, 'what to cook with chicken' etc and lots of easy ideas would come up.

I can be a bit of an awkward person and sometimes didn't like cooking with other people and worried what they might think of what I'm eating or how I'm eating it, but honestly that's silly and you really don't need to worry. Everyone has different tastes but no one will care about what you're cooking, if anything they'll be jealous if you're actually cooking something interesting and they're on their sixth pizza of the week! 

Okay... so what do you need to pack to ensure you can cook?

Appliances

1. Toaster
2. Kettle
3. Radio

Some places provide both a toaster and a kettle, however mine didn't, so we all chipped in to buy a toaster, which obviously between 8 of you doesn't cost you much at all. One of my flatmates brought a kettle with him which we all shared. If you're fine with people sharing your stuff then feel free to bring them with you, however kitchen space is often limited so you may find it a better idea to wait until you get there and do what we need, so you all buy a new toaster or kettle and share between you all. 

Another great idea is to buy a small radio between you all, which also won't cost you much once the price is divided between you all. It brightens up the environment and also is a great idea for when you have 'flat parties' or 'pre drinks.' 

Equipment

1.Plates & bowls
2.Cups/glasses/mugs
3.Cutlery

I brought 2 big plates, 2 small plates and 2 bowls from our set we have at home as you don't need a full family set as this will just encourage you not to wash up. If you bring 2, you can be a little lazy with washing up or you may have a guest over who wont want to share your plate with you!

Everyone who I lived with thought I was a little strange that I would fill up 2 glasses every time I had a drink, however when you're doing work in your room, you don't always want to be coming out to get a refill of your drink, so I was glad to always have a spare. 

I did buy a full set of cutlery, 4 forks, 4 knives, 4 spoons and 4 teaspoons. This is handy as they don't take up much room, as they came in a round holder, like a pen holder and it's handy in case you lose one or two. 

4. A big sauce pan and a little sauce pan 

5. Frying pan 

6. A couple of big stirring spoons, wooden or any other spatula

7. Flat baking tray (for chips or any other quick dinner)

8. Deep Baking tray (Incase you get a little more advanced and decide to cook some meat or bake potatoes etc).

9. Tin opener

10. Vegetable peeler

11. Bottle opener (VERY ESSENTIAL & your flatmates will love you)

12. Cheese grater

13. microwaveable bowl 

14. measuring jug (You probably wont often need this)

15. Chopping knife

16. Chopping board (VERY ESSENTIAL, you wouldn't want to use the side board once you've all used the kitchen and discovered that people are not clean and tidy)!

17. Scissors

18.Tea Towels (a few if you're not going to do your washing often)

19. Cling film & Kitchen foil

20. Plastic tubs for leftovers

21. Sandwhich bags

22. Plastic drink bottle, to take out with you instead of having to buy drinks out all of the time.

I didn't use these but you may also want:

1. Pizza cutter

2. Colander

3. Sieve

4. Whisk

Other

1.ANTI-BACTERIAL SPRAY!!! (HUGE necessity, it's more than likely that at least a few of the people you live with will be very messy!).
2.Sponges for washing up (I would advise to keep yours in your cupboard as that's what I did and my sponges remained clean and smelling of washing up liquid, while every other sponge had turned brown and horrible. 
3.Washing up liquid (Mine smelt strongly of mint and tee tree which was a good extra as it made everything feel even cleaner in a not so clean environment, so nice smells are a must)!
4.Basic recipe book
5.Shot glasses! 
6.You may want to bring some cheap plastic cups for when friends come over for pre-drinks, without glasses. 

Food Basics

As money is always an issue, while you're a poor student at uni, I'd recommend making the most of whatever your parents feel like offering you. Most will probably be so worried about whether you're going to survive on your own that they will be happy to buy you lots of food to take with you. Any quick and easy foods are great, like soups, beans, crackers, fruits... (obviously not together)! I found that the milkshake powders that you can buy are really handy, as they're quick and easy and fill you up when you're a little hungry. 

Bedroom Supplies

1.Bedding, sheets, duvet/quilt/covers 
2.Pillows & cases
3.Mattress protector 

Some of this may already be provided so it may be worth checking. I was provided with a mattress protector, but brought the rest of the bedding with me.

4. Alarm clock (Or just use your phone)

5. Desk Lamp

6. Bin & Bin bags, or just large carrier bags (I had a bin provided)

7. Pins (I had a pin board, so needed a lot of pins for photos, uni posters and work etc as we were not allowed to put anything on the walls). 

8. Photos and familiar items to make you feel more at home.

Laundry Items & Other Cleaning products

1.Clothes wash basket/bag and clothes airer (to save paying for tumble drying all the time)!

2. Washing detergent/liquid/powder

3. Clothes hangers (May be provided but likely to not have enough)

4. Spare sponges, clothes, dusting clothes

5. Anti-bacterial spray

6. General polish sprays/glass cleaner/bathroom sprays (Very handy for room inspections)!

7. Toilet cleaner

8. Air freshener 

Stationary 

1.Lots of note pads

2.Folders/ring binders

3.Lots of pens, pencils, coloured pens...

4.HIGHLIGHTERS (I can't tell you how many I've gone through in my 2 years)

5.Sticky notes

6.Revision flash cards

7. Permanent markers (useful for marking what's yours in the kitchen etc)

8. Hole punch

9. Stapler/staples

10.scissors

Other - Fun stuff

1.Alcohol

2.Dressing up items (Normal themes are, school disco, beach party, Military,pyjama...)

3.Face paint

4.Pack of cards 

5. Any other board game that can be turned into a drinking game, or if you're not so cool, like me, I played monopoly with my boyfriend and another couple and drank tea... either way.

6.TV, Xbox & games (One of my flat mates brought hers and we spent hours playing, I would never normally play but when you're at uni it's a great way to bond with everyone and play together)

7. Gym wear

8. Swimwear

Other - Boring stuff

1.GOOD Ear plugs(I lived next door to an idiot who literally played music for the whole town to hear and then decided drums were a good idea...at all hours)! 

2. Medicines for freshers flu! (I didn't suffer luckily! But most do)

3. Sewing kit

4. Passport/ID

5.Passport size photo

6.Offer letters from your uni and any other details

7.Printer & Ink (not necessary but library printer costs can add up)!

8. Winter coat, scarf, gloves (Depending on where you are, it can get freezing when you least expect it). 
9.Painkillers

I hope that's helped, in case you were struggling with packing, obviously you'll also need the basics, like toiletries, clothes, make-up etc, but they were just too obvious to include.