Moving in

Ok, so you’re about to, or you already have just moved in. Mum and dad have said their goodbyes. And there you are. In your new room. All by yourself. Just you, yourself… and you. You realise how crazy it is. To be living by yourself!

Say hi to your second home

Ok, wipe those tears off boy! Let’s get to work. Here’s a quick checklist of things you need to do ASAP!

Unpack. Get your room in order. Try to make it homely. This is where you’re going to live for the next year. Get over it. It’s going to be great, because you’re going to be open-minded, try new things, make some brand new mates, and make the most of these awesome years ahead.

This is called a shopping basket

Ok, let’s get some fresh air. Buy teabags… and some groceries. Whilst it can seem quite tempting to blow your student loan on expensive chai lattes, toast and eggs at the local café, it’s time to realise that actually… you’re broke! And your money will quickly go on just surviving. If you’re staying in halls, you really are paying a fortune for the liberty of being close to campus. Whilst I think it’s so worth it, you need to find ways of saving money on other things. So, find a Morrisons or a Lidl (allow Tesco or dare I say it… Sainsburys! They’re pricey.) And use the below list of things you need to buy one day 1!

1. Lota – if you don’t know what this is, stop reading this. I can smell you from here!

2. Teabags. Or instant coffee. Whatever you prefer.

3. Milk

4. Sugar

5. Pasta

6. Rice

7. Spices. Yup, you’re going to learn to cook really basic stuff! DO NOT, I repeat, do not blow your money on eating out every day. You will be broke!

8. Tinned tomatoes

9. Some chicken – 500g, in small pieces

10. Some beef mince – done twice (just say those words, the butcher will know what you mean)

11. Peppers

12. Some veg

13. Air freshener

14. Toothpaste

15. Bog roll

16. Other toiletries

17. Cereal

18. Some stickers – to label what food is yours

19. Snacks

20. Notepad, pens, highlighters, sticky notes/tabs, stationery!

21. Fruit – yeah, that’s right. Live on the wild side!

22. Laundry detergent

23. Bed linen, pillow cases etc…

24. Bread

25. Butter

26. Eggs

27. Re-usable water bottle

Get to know the local area as well. Grab a bus into the city centre. Find out where the local train station is. Walk to campus, see how long it takes. There might also be stuff going on at campus. Check it out. Get familiar with the uni grounds, where your lectures will be etc… Say hello to your flat mates as well. Make them a cuppa with your new teabags! Remember, a kettle is something you put water in. You then press the button, wait and boom! Hot water.

Not this type of kettle!

Pretty cool right?