University is such a memorable time in people’s lives, one they will look back on with fondness as the years go by. Those first few weeks though? They can be fairly daunting, especially if moving away from home. If you’re in the planning stage about to head off to university this year, we want to reassure you that you will find your feet and it is not as scary as it seems! 

We know a thing or two about getting organised, so as a team we’ve pulled together our university essentials and top tips we wish we’d had when we were about to embark on our journey to uni. We’ve also created a FREE download of our ultimate checklist of university essentials so you can be fully prepped, packed and ready to go as you start this exciting next chapter, so make sure you read to the end to get yours! 

Top tips if you’re heading off to study this year

1. Leave your door open

This is one of the oldest university tips in the book, so we had to start with it! The reason you hear people say it so much is because it actually works, and it requires so little effort. When you’re moving into your brand new room, or you’re just getting settled, use a door stop to prop the door to your room open. You can go about your day reading or organising, but having your door open invites people to start a conversation if they have just arrived, too.

This is a great way to get to know any new flatmates and takes away the awkwardness of having to go up to them to start a conversation – just say hi if you see them walk past! 

2. Create a calm, productive workspace

As a stationery company, of course the new desk was the most important part of moving to university for us (and yes we definitely did choose our halls based on this criteria). Having a dedicated study space is such a game changer, and it is important to make it somewhere you want to sit down and work at. Grab yourself a desk pad so you can easily jot-down any to-dos, and don’t forget to add some desk accessories and maybe a print or two to make it look pretty and functional!

3. Buy an alarm clock

This one is so important that we had to include it in our top tips as well as our checklist of university essentials – buy an alarm clock! Don’t just trust the one on your phone (you will absolutely hit snooze) and make sure you get one that is really annoying to listen to so it motivates you to switch it off!

Another tip is to not keep it next to your bed – pop it on the opposite side of your room on top of your desk or drawers so you have to get out of bed to switch it off. This isn’t to say you can’t use your phone alarm, but it is always great to have this as a backup in case all else fails. You can’t miss every 9am lecture!

4. Take some reminders of home

Whilst university is super exciting, it can be hard to move away from home, family, and friends. There are lots of services where you can get hundreds of free prints sent to you where you only have to cover a small delivery fee, so have a look through your camera roll before you go and choose some favourites. You can either choose to stick these up on your wall or notice board, or you can pop them into a lovely photo album that you can look back on when you need to. 

5. Stay organised

Get on top of your planning early so then you have the rest of your time to enjoy yourself! Make sure you have your timetable and reading lists sorted – one of our absolute university essentials is an academic diary to keep track of your classes, assignments, and any extra-curriculars you decide to enrol in! The world is your oyster now, but all this new-found freedom can be overwhelming to stay on top of, so it is best to get organised straight away so you can have fun! 

6. Don’t sweat the small stuff

Try not to get too caught up in the details. You have so much freedom now that you won’t have had before, and your time is your own. Try to find little moments of mindfulness where you can, so you can regulate and centre yourself if things get too overwhelming. You could try journaling (using a wellness journal, for example) or doing a mindfulness activity like colouring. It’s good to know you have something in your toolkit that you can come back to if you’re ever having a day where things start to feel a little too much – that’s completely normal for such a big life change, by the way!

7. Know your budget

Have an idea of your finances before you start getting spend-happy, although it is very tempting with freshers’ week looming! If you’re getting a student loan or have a job, work out how much you’re going to have coming in and going out on bills each month. Try to keep track of what it is you’re spending using a budget tracker, and schedule in a monthly check-in with yourself so you can make sure you don’t run out before your next payday hits!

8. Have some recipes to fall back on

Before you head off to uni, one of our top tips is to try and have a bank of about 3-5 recipes that you can fall back on, are easy for you to make but nutritious enough to fuel your brain. They don’t have to be expensive or difficult, just have a few that you are confident you know how to make so when you’re feeling tired (or…hungover) you don’t have to think too much about what your next meal will be. And make sure you write them all down!

9. Seize every opportunity

The best piece of advice we could possibly give! University is such an amazing time of growth, learning and adventure. There will be so many unique experiences you have there that you will simply never get the opportunity to try again. It’s a safe environment for you to see what you enjoy – you could be a secret musical prodigy or sporting hero without ever having known before! See what’s on, say yes and enjoy every single moment. 

Download your FREE University Essentials Checklist

Don’t forget a thing with our ultimate university essentials checklist. As a team we have put out heads together to think of everything you could possibly need when heading to university, for study, sleep or play! Download it here!

P.S. Off to uni or know someone who is off to university? Check out our collection of University Stationery Essentials to stand out from the crowd!