University essentials every student needs

To say moving to a new city and starting university is overwhelming would be an understatement! With all the stress and excitement it’s easy to forget some of the hundreds of things that need taking to uni, so I’ve come up with a list of my top five most important items I think every student needs in their rooms.

Pizza tray

As much as we tell ourselves when we’re at uni we’re gonna eat healthily and go to the gym, sometimes our busy schedules can get the better of us and before you know it you’ve had takeout pizza twice in a week.

To try and cut back on your spending (and also your calorie intake) invest in a good pizza tray for £3 in Wilkos. Frozen pizzas are in my opinion not only just as good as a takeaway pizza, they’re a good 20% of the price so you can’t go wrong!

Clothes horse

When at uni, the cost of washing and drying your clothes can quickly add up. To help reduce this cost but still maintain good levels of hygiene, I’d recommend cutting down on your use of dryers to save a few pounds.

Not only is this better for the environment, if you invest in a small clothes horse you can hang your clothes out to dry in your room and they should be dry within a day.

Quick tip: I still use a dryer after washing my bed sheets and towels as these are a tad too big to hang out to dry in my ‘cosy’ room

Mattress topper

If like me you opted for halls at least for your first year, you’ll know first hand the mattresses could be comfier. After a few weeks of restless nights I decided to invest in a mattress topper. Not only do they transform your bed from it feeling like you’re sleeping on a rock to a cloud of happiness, they’re very affordable too!

I got my mattress topper on Amazon for £20 (double size) and it’s definitely been my best investment yet, and if you’re a bit short of the pennies like me, try cutting down on takeaways/going out and you’ll have that £20 spare in no time.

Shower Caddy

Of all my recommendations I think this is the one that is most forgotten, as I myself only remembered to get one once I’d already moved into my room! Buying a little shower caddy, particularly ones that can hook over your shower and ‘float’ is a must for me, as it ensures you’ve got all your essentials in the shower without cluttering up the limited floor space.

Extension leads

I don’t know about you guys, but if I’m not glued to my phone then I’m at least on my laptop scrolling away. All that scrolling uses a lot of battery power, so investing in a few extension leads is a must for me as not only do I have all my chargers for my tech bits, I’ve also got other essentials like my hairdryer. Just a little tip, make sure you check in your tenancy agreement that extension leads are allowed in your room as you don’t want to get fined, or at least told off.

Quick tip: Ikea sell two packs of extension leads for £5 (you’re welcome)

Please note: This content was created prior to Coronavirus, and some things might be different due to current laws and restrictions. Please refer to Government advice and the University of Lincoln for the latest information. https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus and https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/coronavirus/