The ultimate university packing list for students moving to London

Are you moving to London for university? You might be looking for a comprehensive and practical university packing list, this post should help ensure you have all the essentials for a successful and comfortable start to your academic year. 

We’ll start with a general list organised into rooms and then go on to anything extra you might have forgotten or would like to bring. Let’s get into the ultimate university packing list. 

The Ultimate University Packing List

As a student, your bedroom becomes your own private space and your sanctuary. It’s arguably the most important room to pack for when moving, so let’s start there.

Bedroom Essentials

Firstly, if you’re wondering how you’re going to fit all of your worldly possessions into your car, maybe you should consider taking a look at our affordable car or van hire. You don’t want to feel limited for space and this will take a weight off your mind.

When packing to move to London, here are the bedroom essentials to tick off:

• Mattress protector 
• Duvet
• Pillows
• Blanket
• Bin (essential!)
• Clothes hangers
• Dressing gown
• Slippers
• Small mirror (check before arrival)
• Extension lead (uni rooms never enough!)
• Laundry basket
• Small drying rack 
• Desk lamp 
• Photos or other items to help you feel at home. 

Bathroom Essentials

Next up, bathroom essentials. Packing the right items for your uni bathroom will help you achieve a little bit of much-needed comfort and TLC when you need it most.

Bathroom essentials include:

• Towel 
• Hand towel
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Soap
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Razor
• Bath mat
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Sanitary products
• Face masks/makeup etc.

If you find that you’ve overpacked and can’t convince someone else to make more space for you, consider our services for students. With Currie Easy Self Storage, you can make use of our handy space estimator so you can ensure that any extras you’ve packed but don’t have room for will still be safe. 

Kitchen Essentials

The great thing about student accommodation and sharing a kitchen is that between you and your housemates, you should be able to cover all bases when it comes to kitchen essentials.

You may want to pack the following:

• Lots of tupperware boxes
• Plates
• Bowls
• Cutlery
• Mugs
• Glasses
• Frying pan
• Saucepan
• Baking trays
• Tin and bottle openers
• Spatulas
• Cheese grater (handy for more than just grating cheese!)
• Vegetable peeler
• Sieve
• Chopping board
• Knives
• Tea towels
• Bin bags, washing up liquid, tinfoil or equivalent (you may want to wait until your first food shop so you have less to carry). 

It’s easy to overpack when it comes to kitchen essentials because you never know what’s already there. If you arrive and find that all five of your flatmates have crockery and are happy to share, consider Currie Storage for any spares. 

The First Food Shop

When moving to London, you’ll want to find an affordable local store for any essentials when you first move in. Note that this initial shop will be more expensive than the rest, so don’t panic! You can always find somewhere else once you get properly oriented. 

• Salt and pepper
• Mixed dried herbs
• Cooking oil 
• Pasta 
• Rice
• Chopped tomatoes
• Tomato puree
• Flour
• Sugar
• Bread
• Baked beans 
• Potatoes
• Onions
• Garlic
• Soy sauce
• Stock cubes
• Milk 
• Soup
• Ketchup / mayonnaise / sauces
• Tea and coffee

What have I forgotten to pack for uni? 

Don’t forget the reason you’re going to university – to study! You’ll want a comfortable bag to carry into class, a laptop and charger, notepads, pens, maybe a calculator, any books on your reading list, a diary or calendar and a portable charger. 

Freshers flu is real – you might want to create a first aid kit for yourself that contains painkillers, allergy tablets, plasters, antiseptic, burn cream, throat sweets and cough medicine. 

How many clothes do I need for university?

You might have noticed that we haven’t included clothes anywhere on this university packing list. It goes without saying that, yes, you’ll need some clothes. It can be really hard to know what clothes and how many to bring to university, especially when you’re not sure how much space you’ll have. 

If you do bring more than you need, or have space for, we offer affordable storage facilities in Richmond, Twickenham, and Isleworth. You actually need a lot less than you think. You have washing facilities so you need clothes to last you a week or two at the most, really. Here is what we recommend: 

• 7 t-shirts
• 3 jumpers
• 2 pairs of trousers
• 2 sets of pyjamas 
• A dressing gown 
• A coat or jacket
• Some trainers, comfortable flip flop type shoes and perhaps some formal shoes. 

If you’re moving to London and finalising your university packing list, we’ve got affordable storage options to consider. Plus, if you refer a friend,  you’ll receive reward vouchers as a thank-you from us. Please contact us for a quote and we’ll get back to you with the perfect solution.