The summer holiday is coming to an end and it is time to prepare for your new life at university. I am sure that many people have told you your 4 years at university are going to be the best years of your life. However, they are only the best if you prepare for them well.
For those who have to leave home and come to a different city, live in a new room, you need to prepare and bring with you a lot of things. But the question of what to bring and what not to bring is not easy to answer at all. Read on for the list of some of the most important things that you need to prepare and take to them as you enter a new chapter of your life at university. Keep in mind that these items are for reference only. You can choose whether to bring an item or not depending on whether you think you will really need it or not.
Here is the list of the most important things that you need to prepare and take to the university
- Important documents including passports, driver license, university admission acceptance letter and some of your passport photos
Take with you all of the documents you need to register for classes. Most of the universities nowadays offer online class registrations. However, just bring your school certificates and reports in case you need them. You’ll need your driver license to register for a new bank account if you need one account from a local bank in the new city. It will also save you time and money to have some of your passport photos with you.
- First aid kit
When you come to a different city with a different environment, having to work on everything on your own, it is easier for you to get sick. In this case, just bring some of the Panadol, Nurofen and some band-aids. You will never know when you are going to need them.
- Cooking utensil, cutlery and crockery
If space allows, you should bring with you some essential kitchenware and cooking utensils that can help you survive the first few days without making a trip to a supermarket.
- Some bed sheets
Of course, bed sheets are heavy and bulky, which you can always buy some new sheets at the department stores. However, bringing some bed sheets from home will allow you to decorate your new room to have a familiar and comfortable feeling. They will make you feel that you are at your home, preventing you from the homesickness, which will come to your at some point, especially during the first days at the new university.
- Laptop, mobile phone and possibly printer with ink and games console
Inevitably, you will need your mobile phone for communication and laptop for studying and entertainment. If you can carry a few extra appliances such as the printer with ink and game console, do bring them. It will be a waste of money to buy a printer which you just use for 3 years and then throw it away, right?
- Extension cable or suitable adapter
You will never know if your room has enough plug sockets for all of your gears and equipment, right? Or it would be quite inconvenient if the plug sockets are too far away. An extension cable will come in handy in both of the situations.
- Party items
Bringing along your favourite party items such as board game and your favourite costume is also a good idea. It will surely make the friend making process easier with your flatmates.
- Diaries and important stationeries such as notebooks and pens
You can choose to buy them later on or bring some from home. Still, do bring some pens and notebooks in case you don’t have time to buy them when you arrive at the university. In addition, they will not take a lot of space in your luggage.
- Clothes
Don’t pack your whole wardrobe!!! You can always buy new clothes where you live. Still, there are some essential clothes that you should bring with you. Pack a few sets of clothes which you are comfortable when wearing. And of course some smart clothes in case you need to attend formal meetings such as the fresher’s ball.
And don’t forget about your underwear and socks. Just prepare enough so that you can have something to wear even if you haven’t wash your clothes for a week.
- Bathroom essentials
Bring with your some of your bath towels, toothbrushes and bathroom essentials that you often use at home. Once again, you can always buy them when you arrive to the new accommodation. But what if you don’t have time to buy bathroom essentials on the first day? Are you willing to postpone your bath time till the next day?
Here are some final tips that can help you prepare all of the things that you would need for the upcoming university year:
- First of all, you need to plan for what you are going to bring to the university. You should write the list of what you need into a piece of paper. This will ensure that you will not miss out on anything. Also before you take your trip, you can go over the list again to double check.
- Don’t panic if you forget anything at home. There would certainly be some shops around your university, which you can make short distance trips to buy them. And you can also order things online as well.
- Think about the items that you are going to share with your roommates or flatmates. For example, you can bring a printer and your flatmate will have a scanner.
- Sometimes, it is better to come to your new place, look out for what you have and start buying things you would need. It could be cheaper and more convenient. However, it is always better to prepare everything that you would need.
There are some of the things that you should always prepare and bring along with you to your trip to a new city. As long as you come prepared, you will be able to quickly settle down to your room, start your life at the university quickly and save yourself a lot of time on buying the stuff that you need later on.
I hope the list above, along with some of the tips that help you plan and prepare your personal items better, the chore of preparing will never be a challenging task for you.