What to pack for coming to UCL
12 August 2022
We asked three of our students - Sammara, Ujj and Lydia – to give us their advice on what to pack for coming to university.
Essentials:
- Important documents – ID/ passport/ driving license, UCL Acceptance letter, insurance documents, student finance documents, bank card
- Electricals – laptop, phone, chargers, headphones, extension lead (with surge protection)
- Kitchen essentials (unless you’re buying them once you arrive!)
- Cutlery and crockery – don’t go overboard, you probably only need enough for you and perhaps a spare for when you’re cooking for a friend
- Good quality sharp knife
- One or two pots and pans – if you’re sharing a kitchen with others, remember you’ll also be sharing your storage space
- A baking tray
- A chopping board
- A tea towel
- A couple of utensils e.g. a big spoon and a spatula
- For things like can openers and bottle openers, consider buying these once you’ve arrived as someone else might have brought one which you could share
- Bedroom essentials – lots of different options for these including having them delivered by
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- A laundry basket
- Some coat hangers
- Maybe a houseplant, a photo of family or friends, or another home touch
- Bathroom essentials
- Toiletries
- Towel
- Clothes - don’t bring your whole wardrobe as you might not have as much storage space as at home.
- The usual essentials - underwear, pyjamas, slippers or house shoes, jeans, tops, a couple of nice outfits for going ‘out out’.
- Bear in mind it's a good idea to bring enough of the essentials to last roughly a week so you don’t have to do laundry too often - no one has time for that!
- Bring warm clothes for winter as it can get very cold or if you’re coming from somewhere hotter you could buy them here! Think layers, jumpers, a warm coat, a waterproof, hat, scarf, gloves, thick socks, etc.
- Not technically ‘clothes’ but we recommend bringing an umbrella!
Sammara's tips:
In my first ever move, I brought my whole library with me which took 2, very heavy, boxes. I don’t know why I did this. Perhaps I thought they would keep me company in my new room or maybe that all of UCL’s many libraries would run out of books for me... I learnt my lesson and now have a simple philosophy: pack light, be ready to move and explore your new surroundings.
Lydia's recommendations:
Have a think about the things which make you happiest or any hobbies you enjoy which you would like to continue during your time at uni. For me, it's running and I have found great joy in getting involved with UCL’s running club. Here are my running essentials…
- Running shoes
- Sportswear including a waterproof jacket - we are in the UK after all!
- Running backpack
I am an art student so here are a few of my course-specific highlights:
- Paint brushes and oil paint
- Sketchbook
- Palette
- Canvas
- Camera
- Painting overalls
Ujj's advice:
If you’re into sports, remember your equipment like rackets or bats as most sports trials and taster sessions are in the first few weeks. If you’re more into e-sports, you could bring your Xbox/PlayStation/Nintendo Switch. You might also want to bring a first aid kit with things like blister plasters!
What not to bring
- Kitchen - Kettle, toaster, microwave, fridge – these are already provided in your kitchen or hall
- Pets
- Portable heaters, candles, incense stickes and oil lamps, mains-powered fairly lights, humidifiers, weapons, fireworks, BBQs
- Large furniture such as bed, desk, table, etc – these are already provided for you in your bedroom
For more information about coming to uni, check out the Journey to Joining 911±¬ÁÏÍøebpage.
Hope your packing goes smoothly and have a great year at 911±¬ÁÏÍø!