University Checklist

Whether you are a student about to start uni, a parent of child who may be starting soon or sibling of someone who is off to uni in September, this blog is going to be filled with the essentials that you may need or could pass onto someone and a little guide to help you/them get started!

What are the uni essentials?

Although you may have thought of some of these ideas already, you may not have and hopefully one or two of these things will come in handy in the future.

• Note books - although you may prefer using a computer to type things up, like me, having a notebook can be really useful for quick mind maps, planning and scribbling important things down quickly. They will also come in handy incase you have any technical issues with your laptop. The last thing you’ll want is to be stuck with nothing to write notes down in during teaching sessions!
• Kitchen necessities - a good idea would be to be prepared and bring some of your own cups, cutlery, plates and bowls.
• Cook books - now don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean by buying a couple of cook books you need to turn into a 5 star chef, it’s just always a good idea to have some recipes already there for you. You may also enjoy making some new fresh healthy meals. You may also have a few days where you can’t decide what to make for dinner and it’s easy to get stuck in the habit of just making quick unhealthy meals, but with a cook book the idea’s are already there for you!
• Bed sheets, pillows and blankets - bringing your own bed sheets and pillows will definitely make your room feel much more cosy especially with blankets. Most universities won’t provide sheets and blankets so it’s always best to be prepared so you can get settled in straight away!

How to be prepared

If you are moving away from family and friends for uni it can be a very nerve racking experience but just try and remember everyone will be in the same boat as you. This also applies to anyone else starting university, even if it’s close to home! There are a couple of things you can do which may help settle your nerves slightly.

Getting to uni early will give you a good chance of becoming more familiar with what’s around you and you can even start to plan where you will need to go to ensure you’re not late!

Even though it’s easier said than done, trying to start a conversation with people around you who may be in the same classes as you or near your accommodation can be really good! Making new friends will help you feel relieved as you know you have a few people you can talk to but for others it may take a bit longer to make friends which is also absolutely fine! Just remember that everyone will be feeling the same as you, a little nervous and anxious but that's normal! Stay positive and try to enjoy yourself!