My name is Favour (Tobi) Ogunjemilua, and I’m studying business management with a placement year, at the University of Surrey.
Número uno! When it comes to clothes, you don’t need to pack everything in your closet. Bring only what you know you’re going to wear. There’s no point trying to fill your suitcase with clothes because you want them to last you the whole year. Bring what you normally wear on a day-to-day basis. If you want to buy new clothes, do so, because it’s better than taking clothes you haven’t touched in the past two years!
Use different websites to find university packing checklists – they’ll be extremely useful. I also recommend you categorise your list into bedroom, kitchen, academics, and so on, so you don’t forget anything!
Try not to go out every night of freshers’ week. It can really take its toll on your body when you find yourself coming back to your flat late every night. Try having meals in with some friends you’ve made, or maybe go for some evening bike rides like I did. Little memories like that make the best stories for when you go back home.
Textbooks are extremely expensive, so I recommend buying second-hand to save money. Shop around online, or check the local charity shops! Your lecturers might put your module slides on your student services site – go through them, because there might be an important book or two there that isn’t on your course reading list.