The Ultimate Student Moving Guide 2023

Going to university for the first time is exciting, but having to physically move to the university, especially if the university is a fair journey away from where you are now, can throw a shade of stress into the excitement. Compare My Move has put together a guide of everything a student needs to know about moving into university, including what to bring, how to bring it, and tips from a removals expert.

Student Packing Checklist – With Tips

This checklist will go through the essentials you will need when going to university, and offer some tips and tricks surrounding these essential items from Dave Sayce who is a removals expert and has been working in the industry for over 15 years.

Kitchen

If you’re moving into a dorm, the kitchen is likely to be a shared space, so it may be a good idea to talk to your future flatmates (if you can) about what they are bringing and what they’d be happy with sharing.

Plates and Bowls – You won’t need many plates and bowls for yourself if it’ll only be you using them, 2 of each is plenty (3 maximum). It’s also a good idea to get plates and bowls with a unique pattern if you want people to avoid using your kitchen supplies.

Glasses and Mugs – The same rule applies to glasses and mugs as it does for plates and bowls. However, if you don’t have room, charity shops and discount shops will usually sell glasses and mugs for £1 or less – meaning you can save space and not risk damaging glass on your journey.

Utensils – There are the obvious utensils that you’ll need, fork, knife, teaspoon, tablespoon, which you should take two of each. However, there are a few other utensils that you should consider when packing.

• Wooden spoon

• Spatula

• Cutting knife

• Bottle opener

• Peeler

• Kitchen Scissors

• Ladle

• Corkscrew

• Cheese grater

• Tin opener

• Pizza cutter

Kitchen Appliances – In many cases, university accommodation will supply appliances such as a kettle, toaster, and microwave, although it is still good to check. If you want to bring an additional appliance like a coffee machine, make sure to secure the appliance properly on the journey.

Living Area

Similar to the kitchen, the living area will likely be a shared space, especially in dorm rooms. This shared space is likely to be furnished with sofas, tables, cushions and even TVs in some cases. Therefore, it is unlikely you will need to bring much for your living space. However, here are a couple of things you need to keep in mind if you decide to move a few items in the living area.

Games Consoles – If you are travelling with game consoles, make sure they are secured and padded on the journey, you can use your clothes or cushions to do this. One important thing to remember when travelling with a games console is that the disc tray is empty. If a disc is left in the disc tray, it could damage both the disc and the inside of the console, even when secured and padded.

TV – If your living area doesn’t already have a TV and you want to bring one, I’d suggest placing a large towel over both the back and the front of the TV and making sure the TV is lying flat during transit.

Leads and Cables – If you are bringing electronics, you’re going to have a lot of cables and leads, which should all be removed from the electronics before transit. Make sure these leads are organised and separate from each other. I’d also recommend taking an extension cable with you, as they can be very handy if you haven’t seen the location of the plug sockets.

Bedroom

The bedroom is always going to be your main domain when in university. In most circumstances, it is the only room that isn’t shared with other people. Your bedroom will likely be pretty basic with just the necessities, a bed, a desk, a chair, and storage but it is always important to look at the inventory to make sure you know what you have.

Clothing – The amount of clothes you want to take will depend on you, and they will likely take up a good amount of space when travelling. There are two very important things to remember when packing clothes, one is that you are going to be at university during all weathers, make sure your clothes reflect this. The second thing to remember is to pack something formal – it’s difficult to know when you’ll need to attend a job interview or a special event, so be prepared.

Bedding – Bedding will take up a good amount of space in transit, but it’s worth it. As well as the actual bedding and pillows, you’ll need two sets of bedding covers to go with it. It’s also a good idea to make sure that your bedding covers have a unique design, as it can be easy to mix things up in communal washers and dryers.

Books – There will be a set list of reading you will have to do in university, and it’s a good idea to transport these books with the rest of your belongings. Alternatively, you can order the books to your apartment to save space during the move, and have your books ready and waiting.

Laptop – All of your work will likely be done on a laptop or a computer, and therefore it’s going to be very high up your checklist of things to bring. When transporting your laptop, I’d recommend having it in a rucksack or bag on your person, to make sure it isn’t crushed by anything else you are moving.

Bathroom

Whether you have an en-suite or a shared bathroom, the fixtures and fittings will remain the same, a toilet, a sink, and a shower/bath and the essentials remain the same.

Toothbrush, Toothpaste, and Toiletries – These are arguably the most essential things you’ll need to bring to university, it’s a good idea to organise these in a toiletry bag, which will minimize anyone accidentally using your toiletries if you don’t want them to.

Towels and Bathmats – I’d recommend bringing two towels and washing them regularly, similar to the bedding, it’s a good idea to have towels with unique designs to avoid losing them. If you have a shared bathroom then the bathmat will have to be shared, but bringing one anyway is always a good idea, just in case.

Toilet Roll – If you have a shared bathroom, toilet roll is likely to be shared. However, I recommend taking a pack of your own to university as backup, just in case of a household shortage.

Documents

There are also a few important documents that will be handy to have around in your new accommodation. Keep these documents in a separate folder and a safe place.

ID (Passport, Driving License) – This will be very important, not only for getting access to university bars and nightclubs but there will be many opportunities that will require an ID to register. For example, if you are registering to vote in your new constituency, you will need proof of ID.

Tenancy Agreement and Accommodation Information – I’d recommend printing out your tenancy or accommodation agreement to have on hand at all times, therefore, if you get there and something isn’t quite right, you’ll be able to reference it and bring it up straight away.

Student Loan Documents – Any funding documents that are in print should be kept with you in a safe place where you know they’ll be. This way they can be easily referenced when needed.

Moving Into University

Depending on the distance, the actual act of moving into a university can be very difficult. Dave Sayce, removals expert, has put together a few different ways you can make the move as easy as possible.

Visiting the Accommodation Beforehand

I recommend visiting where you are moving to before you move there, this way you’ll be familiar with the surrounding area and how to get there in the easiest way. When you visit the first time you can bring an initial load down with you and take advantage of student self-storage. A storage unit of 50 sq ft is a common size for students. This allows enough space to fit the contents of a small bedroom or house share.

Using a Removals Company

Depending on the distance of the move, and the amount of items you’re moving, using a removals company can be very handy. Although all removals companies will do student removals, some removals companies are known for their student removals. As you are unlikely to have to move large furniture, student removals are relatively cheaper than the average house move. Removals companies can also pack and unpack for you, making the whole trip a breeze and helping those who are unable to do physical work themselves.

Hiring a Van

If your car is too small for one trip, or you don’t have a car to transport everything, hiring a van is another option for moving into university. The price of the hire will be based on the size of the van and the distance you’ll cover, however, you will likely only need a small van when transporting a one-bedroom student apartment. For most van hire companies, you will have to have held a full license for a car for a set amount of time to be able to hire one.

When You Get To University

There are a few things that you will have to keep in mind as soon as you get to your new accommodation and things you will have to do as soon as possible. Here is a brief list of the things to do when you get to university.

Check Your Inventory – As soon as you get to your accommodation, check that everything the letting company or landlord says is there, is there. Also, make sure to check for any scrapes and dents and take lots of pictures for evidence.

Register to Vote – If you are in a new constituency then you may want to register your change of address and be able to vote. It’s always important to have your say in local and national elections.

Register With a GP – Having a GP close to your accommodation is useful, and it is often something that slips people’s minds until they get sick. If you are moving to a university in Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland from England, your new GP will supply prescriptions free of charge.

Make Your Place Your Own – For many students, university is their first taste of living alone – so decorate, move things around, and have it exactly how you want it – make this new place your own!