Blog: What to pack/not pack for your year in Halls!

To help prepare you for the big move, one of our residents has written a list of all the essentials you will need as well as everything you won’t need for your year in halls! 

I have then split the following packing list into sections of different essentials. A lot of the items that I have put on the lists below are not essential, they are just items that I took to university/bought there. As you will be able to see I was a big over packer! From my experience last year, I packed all of that I could not live without into the car first and then if I had any leftover space, I added stuff that wasn’t as important but that I wanted to take. 

One thing that didn’t cross my mind until the end of year is that everything you take to halls you have to bring back home! Even if your second-year house contract starts at the end of your halls contract, you will still have to take your stuff home at the end of your university experience. I learnt this the hard way and started bringing stuff I didn’t need home when I went back home at Easter.

Even if you forget something, remember that there are lots of shops in Liverpool! 

Take a look at the items you can’t bring to Halls here. 

Important things:

• Passport/driver’s license – an essential for Welcome Week

Other things to consider/make your you have sorted before you go:

• Student finance – so that you get your loan payments on time. Find out more about student finance and bursary/grants here.
• If you’re getting a student bank account, if you have time try to get that sorted before you go. I remember when I sorted mine, I had to go into the bank with ID and the bank cards were sent to my home address. 
• If you’re planning on using the trains, I’d recommend getting a railcard to save some money on rail fares. 

Electricals:

• Laptop, headphones, chargers (there is no need to bring extension leads as the room has enough plug sockets) and batteries if needed.

Kitchen:

As you will need lots of different items, it’s worth waiting to see what your flatmates bring and whether they want to buy these items together:

• Plates and bowls (I bought a dinner set as it comes with 4 bowls, plates and small plates – so I could have back up if any of them broke. However not everyone wants to get 4 of everything so I’d say just try and have at least two). Suggestion: wait to see what your flatmates have and see if you can buy a set together and split the cost?)
• Cutlery set – knives, forks, spoons, and teaspoons, scissors, tin opener, bottle opener, kitchen tongs, wooden spoon
• Mugs and glasses – I took 4 but would recommend just taking 2 to start with

• Tupperware- very handy for food storage and freezing food 

• Chopping board
• Frying pan, saucepan with a lid, baking/roasting tray – you only really need one of each
• Sieve, measuring jug, grater, oven gloves, tea towels (I took 3)

• Water bottle

• Washing up liquid, sponges, cling film, kitchen foil - can all be bought with your flatmates when you arrive

Bedroom:

• Duvet and pillows 
• Duvet cover and pillowcases – I had two sets of each for when I was washing one
• Blanket - I used to take mine into the kitchen for when we used to watch TV together as a flat, definitely not essential!
• Mattress protector
• Mattress topper – not at all essential but I found it made my bed a lot comfier
• Coat hangers
• I didn’t take a laundry basket as I didn’t think I’d have enough space (I took a lot of stuff!) but if you do think you will have enough space then do so. Instead, I had Ikea bags for my lights and darks – I found it easy to take them to the circuit laundry that way
  

• Bedside lamp
• I brought a lot of decorations with me to make my room fill more homely, such as fake plants (a lot of them!), battery operated fairy lights (electrically powered fairy lights are not permitted)

Bathroom:

• Hand towels, bath towel – again I took two for when I was washing one
• Bath mat
• Toiletries – e.g. toothbrush, shower gel, medicines etc

• Toilet roll (you don’t need a toilet brush as new one is provided)
• Hairbrush, hair dryer, straighteners, curlers, hair bobbles, clips, etc
• Makeup and remover

Clothes:

• T-shirts, trousers, jumpers, coats, pjs, etc
• Pants and socks
• Dressing gown
• Trainers – also a pair of sliders/crocs … don’t know what I would’ve done without my crocs at halls!!
• Bags- handbags, rucksacks

Other random bits and pieces:

• Pictures – I loved having pictures of my family and friends up around my room, push pins if you have a cork board. Remember that you need be careful to not leave marks on the walls when decorating your room.

• Stationary – stapler, sellotape, scissors, pens, calculator, notepads, ringbinder, post-it notes, etc

I’m sure there will be things that I’ve missed off my lists above, but I’d use it as a rough guide and then tailor it to what you think you will need whilst you are there. Remember, you can always get a lot of stuff once you’re at university, especially if your limited on car space. Food, toiletries, etc you can get from the supermarket once you arrive there. You can also get stuff from around the house e.g. if you have spare mugs at home, you can bring them to save you having to buy new ones.

In terms of the actual accommodation itself, I thought I had a lot of storage. In the kitchen we had spacious cupboards which I used for plates, pans and cupboard food.

For packing my stuff up into the car, I packed most of my stuff into big IKEA bags. I found that way much better than using boxes as everything could be squashed into the car.

My best bit of advice for moving in day is to go into the kitchen and speak to your new flat mates and go out somewhere together in the evenings. Remember if you are feeling nervous or anxious, lots of others will be in the same boat as you. You will all be there to support each other and hopefully make friends for life!

Wishing you all the best of luck for your transition into your next stages, and don’t forget your crocs!!