So you’ve got your place at Imperial sorted (hooray!) and you’re going to be leaving home. Good times, but what do you need to take with you?
The answer lies within the mega ‘what to take to uni’ checklist that you’ve found right here
You will not be need to take everything on this list with you, please bring what you think is essential. There’s a lot of stuff listed – all of which has been suggested by current and former Wilkinsonians. The result is a packing list of anything and everything you might find handy. Don’t worry – if you do forget anything vital, you can always buy another when you get here.
Also, if you’re travelling far to get to Imperial and can’t bring along all of these things, you can get them when you arrive or alternatively you can order them online via Uni Kit Out which offer packs and they’ll be in your room on move-in day. Please note only packages from Uni Kit Out can be received before you move in.
Summary
- Things you won’t need
- Things you aren’t allowed
- Bedroom
- All the clothes you’ll need!
- Laundry items
- Personal items
- Stationary stuff for uni
- Documents
- Electronic items
- Miscellaneous
- Kitchen
Things you won’t need
- A car. There will be nowhere to park it at uni. And everywhere else will cost you a fortune in pound coins, day and night.
Things that aren’t allowed
- Electric fires
- Pets – no, you cannot take your kitten, dog, budgie or hamster to halls with you.
- Gas and liquid fuel heaters
- Candles
- Rice cookers
- Pressure cookers
- Deep fat fryers
- One cup Coffee/Tea makers
- Hookah pipes / e-cigarettes
- Refrigerator
- TV – televisions are already provided in most common areas. If you intend to bring your own TV for your room you will need a TV license
Bedroom
Bedding
- Duvet
- Bottom sheets x 2
- Duvet/quilt covers x 2 sets
- Pillows x 2 (or only one if you prefer)
- Pillow cases x 4
- Warm blanket/fleece throw
- Underblanket/mattress protector
- Bath towels and hand towels x 2
Other bedroom items
- Family photos
- Alarm clock or clock radio
- Posters (please use white tack)
- Coffee mug
All the clothes you’ll need!
Main clothes
- Normal, casual clothing – jeans, shorts, t-shirts, blouses/shirts (both long and short sleeve for layering and coping with changing seasons).
- Lightweight jumpers or cardigans for autumn days
- Fleece type jumpers or warmer cotton sweatshirts – much, much easier to wash & dry than knitted ones – for colder winter days.
- Underwear and socks (plenty of these)
- Comfortable waterproof shoes
- Trainers (even if you aren’t sporty these are useful)
- ‘Going out’ clothes for pubs/clubs/parties
- Hat/scarf/gloves – many students pack for uni in September, while it is still relatively warm, and forget that it will be cold by the end of their first term!
- Winter coat (warm, waterproof type)
- Rain jacket (thin nylon type you can stuff in a corner of your bag).
- Pyjamas/nightshirt/dressing gown and slippers
- At least one very warm jumper to pull on when working at your desk mid-winter/late at night.
- Smart shoes/heels
- Clothing suitable for formal dinners,
- Purse/wallet
Other
- Swimwear and swim goggles
- Swim towel
- Gym and sports clothes if you’ll being visiting Ethos the imperial sports centre (£40 for your whole stay at Imperial)
- Trainers
- Warm joggers (useful even if you aren’t sporty)
- Keyring
- Watch
- Clothes Hangers
Laundry items
- Washing powder/fabric softener (buy when you get there!)
Personal items
Bathroom kit
- Prescription glasses
- Contact lenses plus cleaning fluid etc
- Copy of prescription
- Spare pair of glasses
- Brace/retainer and accessories
- Everyday moisturiser
- Skincare wash
- Lip balm
- Shower gel, shampoo, soap,
- Shaving cream, razors etc
- Toothbrush / toothpaste
- Hairbrush, comb etc
- Tampons/sanitary towels
- Contraceptives
- Make-up and make-up remover
First aid items
- Painkillers
- Antiseptic cream
- Cold/flu remedy
- Throat lozenges
- Nail scissors
- Tweezers
- Plasters
Stationery stuff for uni
You can buy everything on this list from the Union shop when you get here!
- Push-pins
- Pack of cheap copy paper for printing
- A4 file paper / notebooks with tear out sheets
- Jotter or reporter pad
- Pen drive/memory stick
- Pens
- Pencils
- Highlighters
- Permanent all-surface markers
A bag for your stuff. We recommend getting an everyday student bag for carting all your stuff around campus; something like a backpack will do fine. Comfortable, Waterproof, strong and durable are strongly advised also try to make sure that its big enough and strong enough to hold several large textbooks, folders, notepads, a water bottle and so on.
- Ruler
- Eraser
- Sharpener
- Tippex
- Pencil case
- Pen pot (a coffee mug or flower pot will do)
- White Tack or Blu Tack
- Scissors
- Sellotape
- Hole puncher
- Stapler/staples
- Paper clips
- Post-it notes or flag markers
- A4 ring binders
- Lever-arch folders
- Hole-reinforcers
- Paper/plastic wallets
- Envelopes
- Stamps
- Calculator
- Student planner/diary
- Calendar
Documents
- Passport photos. Take at least four, and keep some on you. Also scan some on to your computer to get quick reproductions for less (especially for ID that doesn’t really matter)
- Passport
- Driving licence (useful ID for night’s out)
- National Insurance number
- NHS number(you get that after you register at the health centre located in princes garden
- Details of your health insurance (overseas students)
- Details of your vaccination history (make sure you have up-to-date vaccinations, especially for meningitis and measles, BEFORE you arrive and that you get a flu shot in the autumn term)
- Insurance documents
- Confirmation letters of your scholarship or bursary if appropriate
- Any information from your LEA, the SLC (Student Loans Company) or Student Finance Direct for home/EU students
- Your unconditional offer from the university
- Any documents regarding your accommodation
Opening a Bank account
- Cheque book
- Bank debit card
- Paying-in book
- Bank or building society details
- Travel discount cards (16-25 Railcard etc). Great for cheap travel home
- CV and references
- Relevant exam certificates or results slips
- Oyster card. Student Oyster cards are also available
Electronic items
- Laptop. Imperial has plenty of ‘public’ PCs available for students to use, but most people find a laptop handy for personal use. Get one that is light enough to carry around campus with you.
- Extension leads. Surge protected ones offer additional protection for your kit
- Socket converter (if you are an international student)
- Ethernet Cable
- Laptop case/bag
- Chargers
- Mouse/mat
- Small printer. You will have access to printers in the library, but a small one in your room is always handy. You can get small/cheap “3 in 1″s for under £50 which are really useful should you need to scan/copy/print coursework
- USB memory sticks
- Packet of white copy paper
- Ink (colour and black for inkjet, toner for laser)
- Mobile phone
- Charger
- Headphones
- Batteries
- MP3 player/iPod
- USB lead (charger)
- Alarm clock
Miscellaneous
- Water bottle to fill from the tap – cheaper than buying bottled water from supermarkets.
- Handbag for nights/days out
- Small sewing kit
- Books/novels
- Musical instrument(s)
Kitchen
Please note: Rice cookers are only allowed in communal kitchens, not in your rooms.
Also you’re not allowed to have a fridge in your room unless you are diabetic, in which case you must let the accommodation office know of your condition.
- Small casserole dish
- Small frying pan
- Wok or large frying pan (with lid)
- Large saucepan (with lid)
- Small saucepan (with lid)
- Flat baking tray (for oven chips!)
- Tin opener
- Bottle opener
- Corkscrew
- Vegetable peeler
- Cheese grater
- Wooden spoons or spatulas
- Masher
- Microwavable bowl
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring jug
- Pizza cutter ( though it can be easier to use scissors )
- Sieve
- Colander
- Whisk
- Chopping knives
- Chopping board ( may be a good idea to get a different one for meat, and for vegetables/bread to avoid cross-contamination )
- Kitchen scissors
- Tea towels
Storage
- Tupperware (plastic tubs for storing leftovers.) Write your name on the lids and the tubs to prevent them going missing
- Sandwich bags (good for storing ‘dry’ leftovers)
- Biscuit tin
- Cling-film (for covering bowls in the fridge/microwave)
- Tin foil
- Plastic drinks bottle
Tableware
- Glasses (pint glasses, wine glasses, shot glasses, cocktail glasses, whisky glasses)
- Cutlery (knives, forks, spoons) Tip – taking just one or two of everything will encourage you to wash them straight away but make sure you have enough to have people over for a takeaway dinner
- Crockery (plates, bowls, mugs, cups)
Basic ingredients
This is a handy store cupboard shopping list. You can get all these from nearby supermarkets or Essentials store on the ground floor of Wilkinson.
- Salt and pepper
- Herbs and spices
- Sugar or sweeteners
- Ketchup
- Mayonnaise and/or salad cream
- Hot drinks (tea, coffee, hot chocolate)
- Cooking oil/spray
- Spreads – honey, jam, Marmite, peanut butter
- Pasta sauce
- Tins – stock up on soup, tinned fruit/veg, custard, rice pudding, canned meats, beans, peas and so on
- Cereal
- Packet foods – e.g pasta/curry sauce, noodles, boil-in-the-bag rice, Angel Delight, pasta, jelly, biscuits, crisps, instant mash etc.
Other
- Tea towels
- Baking foil
- Greaseproof paper
- Washing-up liquid
- Bin bags
- Recipe book/ instructions from your parents
- Sandwich bags/Tupperware box for DIY lunches