A Straightforward Guide for Students Moving to their First University Accommodation This September

A Straightforward Guide for Students Moving to their First University Accommodation This September

Having secured a place at university in the autumn, students have much to look forward to. The summer months can feel like one last hurrah, a chance to make lifelong memories with school friends before everyone goes their separate ways. For many, it’s a time to wave goodbye to childhood fun and irresponsibility before independence, consequence, knuckling down, and being on one’s own—for, likely, the very first time.

It’s a safe assumption that the very last thing on a student’s mind in July and August is what preparation they need to do before they embark on the biggest academic and personal challenge of their lives thus far. However, decisions still have to be made.

The more you do during the summer holidays, the easier the transition will be come September. Sure, the practicalities of packing up your life and moving from what you’ve always considered to be safe and secure may seem less appealing than dreaming about your impending move to a whole new world, one that’s filled with rich possibilities of what you could be, but the reality is that guaranteeing a seamless move to university is as much about being pragmatic as it is having a fanciful optimism about the life that awaits you.

Keep reading below to discover a straightforward moving guide for students moving to university this September. From the practical planning of the move to how to make your new accommodation homey, here’s an overview of essential moving information that’ll make the whole experience easier and less stressful.

First things first, start making decisions.

You won’t be moving anywhere without making a handful of essential decisions. What do you need to bring with you? What’s essential, desirable, and unnecessary? How much space will you have? You may want to bring home gym equipment, HD TV, or Xbox, but there are things that you’ll need more of, like spare bedding, coat hangers, and your own pots, pans, plates, and cups.

Be sure to pack identification like your driving licence, your car’s paperwork, if you have one, and any prescription medicines. Try to take medicine for at least a few months.

Don’t forget those little comforts that make all the difference, too. A clothes horse, a couple of dry, clean towels, soft blankets and comfy cushions, a desk lamp, or even a succulent or house plant can give your university accommodation some life.

Try to make decisions well in advance of moving so that you’re not under any stress or in a hurry to cram everything in a suitcase and cardboard boxes on the day before you move.

Anything that you don’t want, or need can be left at home or put into student self-storage for safekeeping.

Focus on what you need, not what you want.

All university accommodations are designed to be functional. Not luxurious. Space will be limited. Your room will likely only be large enough for a bed, desk, wardrobe, and some floor space for a clothes maiden or hamper. If you’re really lucky, you might have an ensuite, but unless you’ve been specifically told this, don’t count on one. You’ll have some kitchen cupboard and fridge space, but that’s about it.

So, with space at a premium, it’s important that you pack what you want, not what you need. Making the most of any available space is paramount. Space-saving storage ideas like stacked canvas shelving and drawer storage can make all the difference.

Don’t make the mistake of bringing too much stuff. No one wants to feel like their university home is a hoarder’s paradise with little room to move or breadth! Instead, use self-storage to store some belongings that you don’t need on a daily basis. You can always swap belongings in and out of storage as and when you want or need them.

But in the first instance, just have what you need, not what you want. You’d be amazed at how much better you’ll feel with a Feng Shui-inspired, orderly room and not a dumping ground for everything you own!

Keep your clothes organised.

As a student, you may not need a three-piece suit, cufflinks, or Versace shirt (unless you plan to attend a ball or a whole host of social soirees, that is), but you’ll likely need enough clothes to cover the interchangeable British weather.

Now, you’ll have a wardrobe complete with enough storage space to hang your clothes, but what about seasonal wear? Well, there’s nothing stopping you from placing items in plastic boxes and using a self-storage unit close by to store them—along with your other stuff—but if you want to take as many clothes as possible with you, it’s probably a good idea to keep them organised in your room.

It’s likely that you’ll have more casual clothes than shirts and ties—you will be a student after all—so maximising storage space will be paramount. Don’t forget that shoe storage hangers can be used to store more than just shoes! Fabric hanging shelving is a great idea. Most have deep sections, making it easy to pile t-shirts, jumpers, hoodies, jeans, or just about any other item of clothing.

Also, consider investing in an over-the-door airer or retractable washing line to dry your clothes. There’s no guarantee that any communal areas will have the space needed to dry your clothes week-in and week-out.

If you don’t keep your clothes organised, you may well find yourself wading through piles of dirty laundry scattered across your floor every day!

If you still find yourself struggling for space to store your clothing, don’t forget that you can use the space within a self-storage unit too!

Organising your bathroom

You might be one of the lucky students to have an ensuite; if you do, great! Just don’t forget to keep it organised. Hanging a caddy is a great way to prevent bathroom clutter and potential accidents. If you have a shared bathroom, a caddy makes it easy to bring shampoo, shower gel, etc. to and from the bathroom.

Traditional, round laundry baskets may take up too much room. Instead, why not invest in a narrow laundry basket and use hooks to hang it from the side of your wardrobe?

Finally, you can store any bathroom essentials that you don’t immediately need—even excess cleaning fluids and bleach—in a self-storage facility and pop in to pick them up as and when you need them. It may seem a little strange to store cleaning fluid and a fresh shower curtain in storage, but trust us, you’ll be grateful you have access to them—and they’ll save you money on your student loan!

Make sure your desk is neat and tidy.

One of the keys to being productive is to keep your work area neat and tidy. Not many people, if any, feel comfortable enough to work whilst being swamped by folders, paper, pens, and pencils, post-It notes, chunky textbooks, a bulky printer, and a whole host of pointless nick-nacks that serve no purpose.

A well-ordered environment is one of the keys to a well-ordered mind. You may be someone who thrives in organised chaos, but what happens when you absolutely need to find something and find yourself tossing pens, pencils, and reams of paper on the floor from your desk? Hardly a productive circumstance!

Investing in desk shelving is a good idea. So too is a narrow set of drawers that can slide under your desk with room to spare. This way, you’ll be able to keep your study materials in order.

If you want a desk lamp, save space by getting one that clips onto the side of your desk. Make sure that any power wires for your laptop, iPad, phone, etc. are tucked down the side of your desk. You don’t want to trip, fall, and injure yourself!

If you had any spare electronic equipment or study materials, there’s nothing stopping you from storing them in a self-storage unit; after all, you won’t immediately need them, right?

The space under the bed

Any storage space under the bed can be invaluable. Not only is it out of sight, but it also allows you to store bedding, blankets, clothing, small electronics—pretty much anything you want—without taking up valuable square footage!

If you don’t have any under-bed storage space, why not buy some vacuum-packed bags to store your belongings? Sucking the air out will condense the space you need to store items and prevent dust and moisture from getting into your belongings and, in the worst-case scenario, wreaking havoc! Once vacuum-packed, just pop your belongings under the bed, and job done!

Students also tend to use a variety of caddies to store items. From TV remotes to mobile phones, toiletries to cleaning equipment, you’d be surprised to discover just how useful caddies are, freeing up clutter and giving you more surface space.

Don’t make this great adventure any more stressful than it needs to be!

For many young people, embarking on a university degree is the greatest challenge that they’ve faced in their young lives. But with challenge comes opportunity and excitement.

With so many emotions swirling around inside your brain, it’s important to make the transition to university life as seamless and straightforward as possible. This involves a bit of planning.

Follow this straightforward guide, and you’ll get off on the right foot when you start your university education this September. Oh, and don’t forget, self-storage for students can help you make that transition to university student life so much easier!