Don't leave home without: The Fresher Essentials

If you're preparing to fly the nest for the first time and your mum is anything like mine, she'll already have bought you a duplicate of everything that currently sits in your home. You may be wondering why all this is necessary, but soon it'll all become clear. Except perhaps why you need not one, but two different salad serving sets. That never does make sense.

Here's what I deem as fresher essentials, for the "first time away from home"er:

1. A baking tray
Yes, everyone will have one, but they're pretty easy to scorch/melt/inflict irreparable damage on, so, better safe than sorry.

2. A first aid kit
Sure, you'll feel like a total nerd having a homemade kit in your drawer, but you'll be grateful for the industrial sized pack of paracetamol after particularly heavy nights of *ehem* 'studying'.

3. Bulk buying non-perishable food
Foods that you can store in a cupboard, use at will, and feel safe in the knowledge that the use by date is no less than five years away is super handy to have, but it can be quite expensive to buy, so nick it from your parents while you can. Don't listen to what anyone else says, you can never have too many tins of baked beans.

4. A mattress protector
Your halls won't provide one but you will absolutely not want to sleep on a bed without a protector. Not to put you off or anything, but how often do you think these mattresses get replaced? (I think one of my friends said they had three on their mattress at one point).

5. Stationery
You are there to go to lectures, after all.

6. Laundry stuff
Because your mum is X amount of miles away and she can't do it for you. Make sure you bring a laundry basket, a clothes horse and any other washing material you may need. My mum packed me an iron. I think I used it about once in my entire three years. Ain't nobody got time for that.

7. Extension leads
Because plug sockets are either non-existent or in the weirdest, most unhelpful of places.

8. Clothes hangers
Because unlike a hotel, hangers for your clothes are not supplied. Half my clothes had to be folded because I forgot hangers. It was a dark time.

9. Things that remind you of home
Like photos, mementos, posters or general knick-knacks that you can plaster all over your bare, magnolia coated walls (using Blu-Tack that'll forever leave a mark).

10. A printer
An expensive addition but potentially more helpful in the long run. Especially when you want to print off notes or presentation slides and the university library wants to charge you five pence per sheet for the privilege.

And don't forget, if you're bringing along a television set, be sure to buy a TV license, otherwise you could land yourself in hot water.
~ Eleanor xo

*If in doubt, pack your mum in your suitcase too. She'll know what to do.