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With A-level exam results out, weeks of hand-wringing for both students and their parents has come to an end.
Years of study, revision and exams have led them to this moment – and the envelope – which will set the course for the next exciting chapter of their lives. Soon, places will be accepted and plans hatched. For a new class of undergraduates, the next challenge is packing for halls.
Staying on campus will be, for millions, the first time they’ve ever lived away from home. It’s highly likely that everything will be new, from your neighbours to your classmates and the city or town you’ll come to call home.
It can feel daunting, but less so when you’ve got a checklist of everything you’ll need in your hands. Having some creature comforts in place can trigger a sense of familiarity, while getting the essentials early means you’ll have what you need to hit the ground running.
Most halls come furnished with the care basics, like a bed, some storage, and a desk and chair if you’re lucky.
Everything else will need to be brought in. The upshot? You have the freedom to decorate your new space exactly as you like.
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From breathable bedding to keep you toasty all winter to kitchen tools that make budget buys feel practically gourmet, we’ve found the budget-friendly essentials that won’t blow your student loan before you’ve even arrived.
Gr8 Home Copper 21 Pcs Kitchen Cookware Saucepan Utensil Pot Pan Bakeware Starter Set
Smart, stylish – and under £35. This bargain kitchen set from Robert Dyas includes 21 pieces to help your culinary adventures. From pots and pans to bakeware and utensils, this all-in-one compilation has it all. There are even microwave-safe containers to keep leftovers or to help with bulk cooking. Not only are you crossing off a ton of crucial kitchen items in one fell swoop, but the copper and black colourway looks smart and will make your things much easier to identify. Are we impressed? Yes chef! Sold with a three-month guarantee.
Buy Now for £34.99
SUPVAN E10 Bluetooth Label Maker
The kitchen will likely be a shared space with the rest of your housemates – which means things can get mixed up, fast. If you haven’t got a communal pot for the essentials like tea, cereal and milk, a label maker can avert any potential mix-ups. This one makes die-cut waterproof labels, uses thermal printing technology so never needs ink, and lasts a month on full battery which is rechargeable. Labels are easy to remove and won’t leave any sticky residue. An integrated cutter makes labels easy to snip off and everything can be edited via the companion app.
Buy Now for £15.99 (was £22.99)
Keplin 4.5L Digital Air Fryer
Air fryers have quickly become indispensable in homes large and small – and uni halls are no different. From whipping up a single-serve breakfast to making cheesy chips after a night at the Union, these appliances are a godsend and work hard for their counter space. You don’t want to go too cheap – you’ll only have to replace it sooner. Keplin strikes the right balance with its 4.5L air fryer, which comes with eight presets for easier cooking accessed through the digital touchscreen and a removable cooking basket that you can sling in the dishwasher (use removable liners to keep it in good nick for longer).
Buy Now for £36.99
COOK Frozen Food Bundle
With the first few weeks of uni life dominated by new classes and making friends, eating nutritious meals can fall by the wayside. That’s why we’re recommending parents order a bundle of COOK’s delicious meals so there’s a ready stack of hand-prepared meals stashed in the freezer. There are dozens of options across dietary needs, including vegetarian, vegan and pescatarian, all available as single serve dishes that you can bung into an oven. Typically around £6.50 a pop, they’re on the pricier end of the scale, but the cost directly corresponds with the high quality and cookery skill involved.
Buy Now from £6.50 a meal
Fogarty Duo 4.5 + 10.5 Tog All Seasons Duvet
You’ll be living the majority of your year at uni, so bedding needs to cover all eventualities. Enter the all-seasons duvet. Dunelm offers one for just £26, which is made up of a 4.5 and a 10.5 tog layers that you can snap together when it’s very cold or use on their own when you don’t need as much warmth. Made with a polyester fibre filling and covered in a microfibre cover, it won’t lose its plumpness and when it needs cleaning, you can stick it in the washing machine to get it looking and feeling fresh.
Buy Now from £26
M&S Cotton Blend Simple Stripe Bedding Set
Whether in fashion or interiors, we’ve rarely met a stripe we didn’t like. Bring timeless style into your bedroom with M&S’s duvet set, which features a stripe pattern to bring some interest to your room. Available in cream, blue and green options, the cotton blend construction aids airflow while keeping you cosy on weekend mornings. Maintenance is as simple as throwing it in a 40 degree wash and the StayNew technology comes with a non-iron finish, keeping it crease-free.
Buy Now from £14
Lights4Fun 100 Warm White LED Fairy Lights On Clear Cable
The glare of the Big Light – er, no thanks. Bring cosy charm to your new digs with a set of indoor fairy lights, like these ones from specialist Lights4Fun. One hundred tiny LEDs are strung up on a clear cable, which in low light, will give the illusion of being suspended in mid-air. You can even use them to hang photos with mini clips. There’s three metres of lead before you get to the plug, so you can arrange them from any plug point. A rocker switch allows you to turn them off without going to the mains.
Buy Now for £12.99
Habitat Hygro Anti Microbial 4 Piece Towel Bale in Blush
Every bathroom needs a set of towels, and this bundle from Habitat gets you four for less than £20 with two bath towels and two hand towels in the set so you’ll always have one ready to go. Beautifully made with stitched borders, the light blush tone is more forgiving than pure white. Crafted from 100 per cent cotton and treated with SILVADUR(TM) antimicrobial technology to stop bacterial odours in their tracks, simply chuck them in the wash when they start to smell fusty.
Buy Now for £17.25
Primark Frill Striped Laundry Basket
Make doing laundry less of a chore with a fun basket to hold all your dirty clothes. Primark has answered the brief with this striped laundry hamper which comes with padded contrast handles and a frill trim.
Buy Now for £7
Logitech Casa Pop-Up Desk
Whether you’re tapping out an essay at your Halls desk or doing research in the library, keep your neck and back health in check with Logitech’s nifty design. This bundle comes with a laptop stand (which can support devices up to 17-inches and 7.5kg in weight) to keep the screen at eye level, plus a keyboard and touchpad mouse so you can work more comfortably, wherever you are. When you’re finished, the whole lot packs into each other for easy transportation or storage. Not wild about pink? There are two other colours to choose from.
Buy Now for £99.99 (Was £159.99)
Roberts Revival Petite 2 – Refurbished
Buying refurbished tech is a great way to bag high-performance tech for less. This rechargeable Roberts Revival Petite 2 has been returned to factory-fresh settings and shaved off £20 in the process. The dinky digital radio is perfect for compact student rooms, packing DAB/DAB+/FM radio and Bluetooth into its miniscule proportions. It also functions as an alarm clock, so you won’t miss morning lectures.
Buy Now for £79.99 (was £99.99)
INIU Pocket Rocket P50 Power Bank
It may look mini, but the power that this battery pack offers is nothing short of mighty. Despite its compact look, this baby holds up to 10,000mAh of power, capable of bringing most smartphones back from the brink of zero power twice before it runs out of juice. The front-facing display tells you how much power is left and the USB-C cable doubles up as a hanging loop, which is pure genius. Recharging it takes as little as two hours. The palm-sized design fits comfortably in the hand as well as pockets without overloading either, and it’s available in an aesthetic range of colours.
Buy Now for £32.99
Amazon 6 Pcs Mini Foldable Storage Baskets
Whether to keep spice mixes in order, group your fragrance collection, or bring order to your desk, these folding and stackable baskets are a versatile buy. This set of six are crafted from robust ABS plastic and cost less than a tenner. You’ll get label stickers and a pen with the colourful bundle too.
Buy Now for £11.99
Lakeland 3-in-1 Mini Vacuum Cleaner
You may have access to a communal cupboard of cleaning supplies, but having a smaller vacuum on hand is never a bad idea. You can keep your space neat and tidy without having to lug around heavy appliances. Lakeland’s model offers superior suction alongside air dusting and blowing. It comes with five nozzles to tackle any small mess and it’s USB-C rechargeable, so you won’t tangle yourself in cords. Oh, and cleaning up won’t be the equivalent of arm day at the gym either – this dinky vac weighs just 400g.
Buy Now for £19.99
IKEA Shopping Bag On Wheels
Perfect for students, renters and anyone constantly on the move, IKEA's KOMPISHÄNG Shopping Bag on Wheels takes the strain out of transporting heavy loads. Priced at just £10, the spacious 56-litre bag sits on four sturdy wheels so it can stand upright without tipping over, while extra-long handles make it easy to pull behind you. A fold-over top helps keep everything secure, whether you're hauling laundry, groceries or moving possessions between halls and home. Made using recycled materials, it's a practical, affordable buy that you'll use long after Freshers' Week.
Buy Now for £10Don’t leave home without…
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