The 10 Items You Don’t Want To Forget When Packing For Uni
This post is a sponsored post in partnership with John Lewis.
Freshers is just around the corner.
Are you starting university this September? Now that results day has been and gone you’re probably starting to get excited about moving to your new uni city and decorating your new bedroom.
If you’ve already started thinking about packing and what you’ll need to buy, we’ve put together a handy list of things you might forget to pack but will definitely want to add to your list to make your life at uni 10x easier.
Plus, if you’re trying to stick to a budget John Lewis is giving students 10% off home and tech this September to help you save some money on those uni essentials.
So, if you’re wondering what you need to pack and don’t want to forget anything check out our top 10 must-haves for moving to uni below!
1. A mattress protector- £12.50
Want the comfiest sleep every night? We hate to break it to you, but your uni bed might not be the most comfortable thing in the world. But that’s ok, as with a mattress protector you can make any mattress feel brand new. Plus, it can help to protect your mattress from any accidental damage to help make sure you get your deposit back when you move out at the end of the year.
Get a student discount at John Lewis
2. A speaker for your pre-drinks- £87.99
You’ll probably end up hosting pre-drinks at your flat during freshers week and no one wants to listen to music from a quiet laptop speaker.
Investing in a portable speaker means you’ll always be able to listen to your favourite songs— whether it’s for pre-drinks, getting ready on your own or doing a home workout (you just might want to check your flatmates are ok with hearing your favourite hype playlist too).
This JBL speaker is a great option as it comes with 12 hours of rechargeable battery life and it’s waterproof, so if someone accidentally knocks a drink over during pres you don’t need to panic.
Get a student discount at John Lewis
3. More than one saucepan- £28
No one likes washing up and when you’re living with housemates, your communal kitchen can get messy really quickly. If you like to leave your pan to soak in the sink after cooking, you’ll probably find that the next time you go to use it there are plenty of other dirty dishes piling up on top of it which can be pretty gross to clean up.
Avoid passive-aggressive comments in the group chat about the mess in the kitchen and make sure you have more than one pan to cook with. This way you’ll always have a clean one on hand and won’t have to wash up as soon as you’ve finished cooking.
Luckily you can buy a three-pack non-stick set from John Lewis for just £28 which will honestly be a lifesaver when it comes to navigating your student kitchen.
Get a student discount at John Lewis
4. Headphones for blocking out noise- £73.99
You might end up living with noisy housemates, which means you’ll want to invest in a good pair of headphones to block out any unwanted noise. Plus, if you’re walking to uni, working out or trying to concentrate when studying— headphones will be a lifesaver.
The Sony WH-CH720 noise-cancelling headphones are a great affordable option for students and you’ll get up to 35 hours of battery life from a single charge, which means you don’t have to worry about them dying on you during a busy day.
Get a student discount at John Lewis
5. Toastie machine for quick lunches- £36.99
As a student you might not be a pro in the kitchen, but if you want to make quick and tasty lunches a toastie machine is a game changer.
This Breville Ultimate Deep Fill toastie maker will allow you to stuff your toasties with as many fillings as possible and it comes with easy to clean non-stick plates, so you’ll be able to quickly wash and use your toastie maker as often as you want.
You just might want to keep it tucked away in your kitchen cupboard so your housemates won’t have free reign of it!
Get a student discount at John Lewis
6. Clothes Airer for laundry days- £32
This might sound like a boring one but when you’re living on your own you will have to do your own laundry. Although your halls will most likely have communal facilities and they might have dryers— you’ll soon find it’s much easier and cheaper to hang your washing up to dry in your own flat or bedroom.
A clothes airer is probably not something you’re thinking of at the top of your list of priorities, but it’s one of those things that you need to own as an adult and will use for years to come, so don’t forget to buy one thinking that your flatmates will lend you theirs.
Get a student discount at John Lewis
7. An air fryer for endless meal options- £88
If you hate cooking or don’t know a lot of recipes, an air fryer will be your best friend in uni. From quick and easy meals to giving you a way to cook without having to use the communal facilities, it’s a great idea to invest in one before uni starts.
This Ninja air fryer comes with roast, dehydrate, reheat and air frying settings which means you can use it for a wide range of meals and snacks.
So, whether you want to reheat last night’s pizza or cook the perfect crispy roast potatoes you can do it all from one machine and won’t have to wait your turn in the kitchen when your flatmates are using the hob or oven.
Get a student discount at John Lewis
8. A printer to save money on printing credits- £54.99
A lot of unis will ask you to submit a physical copy of your assignments as well as a digital copy, and lecturers might often ask you to print out your own resources to bring to classes.
While your uni will have printers you can use, you’ll have to pay for printing credits which can really add up. You can solve this issue by having your own printer in your room, which is ideal for everything from annotating worksheets or decorating your bedroom with your favourite photos.
This HP printer can connect wirelessly, which means you can easily print things straight from your phone which is great if you want to print out slideshows, journals or worksheets to make notes and put on your noticeboard to help you revise.
Get a student discount at John Lewis
9. Extension leads for all your devices- £27.99
Extension leads are a commonly forgotten item when moving into uni, but it’s something you’ll definitely need. Uni rooms aren’t often generous with the amount of plug sockets, and you’ll soon find you probably have a lot of things you’ll want to have plugged in at the same time.
Let’s say you have a laptop, monitor, phone, headphones, desk lamp, hairdryer and a Playstation and you want them all plugged in at once but only have 4 plug sockets— an extension lead will sort this out for you.
This power strip from John Lewis allows you to plug 5 devices in at once and control them via an app, so you can easily switch things on and off and set charging schedules.
Get a student discount at John Lewis
10. A leak-proof water bottle- £12
You’ll want to make sure you’re staying hydrated throughout the day at uni, especially as you might find yourself doing a lot of walking across campus every day.
While your uni will have shops where you can grab a drink before lectures, you’ll soon find that it adds up to buy one every day. Most unis will have fountains or refillable water bottle points across campus, so if you bring your bottle with you to lectures each day you should be able to easily fill it up.
Plus, with this leak-proof bottle you’ll have peace of mind that you won’t have any accidents when you’re walking around.
Get a student discount at John Lewis
Hopefully, this has given you an idea of the things you’ll want to add to your packing list and invest in before thee new term begins. Don’t forget to use your 10% student discount off home & tech at John Lewis this freshers to help you save some money on essentials to kit out your new flat!
This post is a sponsored post in partnership with John Lewis
