1. Cold and Flu medicine

Freshers Flu is inevitable. In-ev-it-ab-le. One by one you will all be struckdown by the sniffles, and who wants to shuffle out to the nearest shop when they’re feeling like crap warmed up? Nobody, that’s who. Be prepared.

2. Mattress topper

Unsurprisingly, the beds in student halls are not of hotel quality. If you’drather avoid springs digging into your every crevice and/or rolling into the dent left by your room’s previous inhabitant, a mattress topper is a must. There’s some fairly cheap foam ones around, and they’re a game-changer.

3. A snazzy and snuggly duvet set

Nothing helps with a bout of homesickness more than a super cosy, supersnuggly (see: MATTRESS TOPPER, above) and super pretty bed. Splash out on a new set that will spruce up your dorm room no end.

4. Alarm clock

Right, so obviously the alarm clock industry has taken a bit of a hit eversince mobile phones became a thing, but what happens when you forget to put your phone on charge the night before, or lose it during that Fresher’s Week Pirate* Party? Exactly. Have a back-up.*you managed to bring that inflatable parrot home but not your actual phone?You are failing at adulting, friend.

5. Laundry basket (with wheels)

Essential for dragging your dirty stuff down to the laundry room approxsix weeks after you arrive, when you are down to literally your last clean pair of knickers. Nobody wants to be that person staggering along under a pile of dirty clothes, dropping bras and pants along the corridor like confetti.

6. Budget app/diary of some kind

It is a universal rule of life that when that student loan hits, you willfeel like a rich person and will literally want to be that meme of Leonardo DiCaprio inThe Wolf of Wall Street,chucking dolla dolla bill over the side of a boat. Fast-forward to 3 weeks later, when you’ve blown your entire first term installment and are huddled in a corner, eating ketchup spaghetti for the fourth night running. DON’T BE THAT PERSON. YOU ARE BETTERTHAN THAT PERSON.

7. Pics of family and friends, drawing pins, fairy lights

In other words: items that will make your room feel more like a home, andless like a cell you have been banished to for eating that last cookie and lying about it. Yes, you can bring your lifesize poster of Harry Styles, but we can’t promise that people won’t judge you for it. (Stupid people).

8. WARM dressing gown

For inevitable middle-of-the-night fire alarms.

9. Slippers

These will become your footwear of choice. Shoes in halls? Too formal. Socks?Hazard of stepping in that gross sticky floor patch nobody can be arsed to clean up too high.

10. A desk lamp

For days/evenings when the overhead light hurts your poor hungover brain.

11. Snazzy pens,folders and files

Be that organised person you’ve always wanted to be. At least for the firstcouple of days, anyway.

12. Air freshener

Febreeze (other brands available) is an essential for two reasons. A) dormrooms tend to be a little… musty when you first move in. B) Laundry is a draaaaaag. We’re not saying become a filthy heathen who never washes his/her clothes. We’re just saying that a little spritz of Febreeze (other brands available) can go a long way whenthe last thing you want to do is shlep down to the washing machine.

13. A door stop

Fire doors in student dorms: great for stopping fire, not so great for beingsocial. Avoid shutting yourself away from your new flatmates by propping that door open and shouting HI WANNA BE MY NEW BEST FRIEND I LOVE YOU every time someone walks by. Don’t actually do that last part. No really, don’t.

14. Thermals (for private accommodation andsome halls)

Long-johns aren’t the sexiest thing in the world, granted. But OH they arehella warm.

15. Decent headphones for Netflix seshes

Because your flatmates do not want to hear Winona Ryder screaming ‘WIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL???????’at 3am when you’re watching all 8 episodes of Stranger Things.

16. Netflix subscription

See above. Also, nothing cements new friendships faster than a shared binge-watching sesh.

17.Ear-plugs

For moments when Winona Ryder is screaming ‘WIILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL???????’at 3am, courtesy of the flatmate who didn’t read this and thus didn’t pack a pair of decent headphones.

18. Drying rack

So you don’t have to hang your knickers out to dry in public, and/or waitfor the crappy halls tumble-dryer to get it’s sh*t together and take less than 10 years to dry your stuff.

19. Extension cord with multiple sockets

Most dorm rooms will have a severe lack of plug sockets. Be an electricalninja and thwart this issue with the wonderful invention that is the extension cord.

20. Thermo-flask

For those early lectures when mainlining coffee is the only way you’re goingto be even vaguely human.

21. Cards against Humanity or similar

What says ‘let’s bond’ more than a game specifically designed to make youall look like horrible, horrible people?

22. A sandwich maker

Believe us when we say cheese toasties will become a staple part of yourdiet. Particularly post-night out when you will LITERALLY NOT BE ABLE TO SURVIVE without some cheesy carby goodness.