Sneha's guide on what to take with you to university

Undergraduate student ambassador Sneha shares a useful guide on what you may need to take to university as an international student.

Deciding what to bring to university can be stressful, especially as an international student with a limited luggage allowance. I recommend packing light and considering purchasing those items that you can easily get from the UK when you move to university.

There are tons of resources available to you online which can guide you through packing your things. There are several ‘packing for university’ checklists available online, hence, use these as a starting point for packing.

The first thing that I would suggest would be to think about the amount of room that you will have available to you when you get to your accommodation, this can help you to understand how much you can bring. You can do this by searching for your accommodation photos and videos online or by taking part in a virtual tour.

The main items to probably carry with you in your luggage would be items like important documents that you may require in the UK and once you are at university, seasonal clothing and shoes, your laptop, and other valuable personal belongings.

Checklist:

• Bedroom: Some accommodations at Warwick already provide a mattress and pillows, so ensure to do your research before bringing your own bedding items. As an international student, I would suggest purchasing or pre-ordering bedding items like a duvet, pillow, and mattress covers locally from the UK.
• Bathroom: You could possibly buy most bathroom items and toiletries when you are settling into university as these items can be quite heavy for you to carry in your luggage.
• Kitchen: It is easier and reasonably cheaper to buy your kitchen items once you have moved to the UK. You could start with one frying pan, a saucepan, an oven tray, chopping board, knife, grater, wooden spoon, tin opener, cutlery and utensils, and some Tupperware.
• Academic Materials: The main items consist of a laptop, some stationery, notepads, and other materials to help with your studying. You may find it easier to purchase items like stationery and notepads when you move to the UK.
• Other personal belongings – You can consider purchasing seasonal clothing from the UK especially if you come from a warmer country, it would be easier for you to purchase winter clothing to suit the weather in the UK accordingly. Other items would include home comforts for a more homely atmosphere, medical supplies, electrical items, entertainment, and other miscellaneous items.

Overall, bear in mind that you may potentially be moving accommodations every year, which means, you will have to pack your items at the end of every year, hence, be mindful of what you bring with you to university. There are a lot of items you can easily find in the UK once you move here. As much as deciding what to take to university can be quite an overwhelming task, starting university is an exciting new adventure.

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