Moving into student accommodation this year? Whether you’ve opted for modern private accommodation, standard university ‘halls’ or a shared house, you’re probably going to have less space than you’re used to at home. This is where organisation is key! Avoiding clutter is really beneficial when it comes to keeping calm and studying well. Here are the best organisational hacks for your student accommodation…
Use all available space
Most student accommodation bedrooms are fairly basic, but they will have space for you to store everything you need – use it! Get over-the-door hooks for coats and dressing gowns, and look at shoe storage pouches that hang in your wardrobe without taking up too much room. Organise your t-shirts, jeans, jumpers etc separately, so everything has it’s own area – use boxes and baskets to keep things in place. Invest in pop-up crates that fit on your windowsill or on top of your wardrobe, and store things you won’t reach for very often under your bed. Make the most of every bit of space!
Think seasonally
If you’re not planning to go home at all during the academic year, you might find that you need to bring clothes for all of the different seasons – and let’s face it, you never know what the weather is going to do in the UK. Bring vacuum pack bags to store your winter clothes when it’s warm, and your summer clothes when it’s just too cold to wear them. This makes them easy to store and keeps them out of your way when not in use.
Pack as light as you can
There are certain things you just won’t need to bring with you – trust us. DVDs? Unlikely. Four pairs of high heels? You’ll probably wear two, max. That Lego set you’ve been saying you’ll build for years? Definitely not. Be sensible with what you pack and then you won’t find the unpacking process overwhelming. We’ve broken down your student accommodation packing list into the most basic sense and listed it below…
- Daytime clothes (think comfortable, casual and warm)
- Going out/nighttime clothes (consider how often you’ll actually be going out, past Freshers’ Week that is…)
- Workout clothes
- One set of more formal clothes just in case
- Pyjamas, slippers and dressing gown
- Skincare and make-up
- A good waterproof coat and umbrella
- Shoes: daytime x2, nighttime x2, boots/sandals
- Technology and chargers – and an extension lead if this is allowed at your student accommodation
- Underwear and socks
- Kitchen essentials – plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, cutlery, pans, chopping board and basic cleaning products. Try to go for a specific colour so you can differentiate yours from everybody else’s
- Bedroom essentials – duvet, pillow(s), 2x bedding sets. At Aspire student accommodation in Gloucester and Hereford, the beds are small doubles!
- A collapsible laundry basket
When it comes to packing, this should be pretty much everything you need.
Communicate with your flatmates about shared items
If you all turn up with a coffee machine, for example, there’s going to be so much clutter in your student accommodation. It’s worth finding out who you’ll be living with before you move in, and discussing what you’re bringing and if you’re happy to share. Make sure you also check what is provided at your specific accommodation. It’s worth taking it in turns to buy cleaning products, for example – that way there won’t be multiple bottles of washing up liquid hanging about in the kitchen taking up valuable space!
Claim your space in shared areas
When it comes to the kitchen, it usually works by each flatmate claiming a cupboard, a fridge shelf and a freezer drawer. Make sure you keep your items in your space, label them if necessary, and avoid leaving your items in the wrong place. This just keeps things tidy and if everyone does the same, you won’t end up with cluttered work surfaces or have to hunt down your spoons… Again, colour coding your plates, bowls and glasses is a great idea – and making the most of your cupboard space with hooks, stackable inserts and more will help keep you organised.
Staying organised in your student accommodation means that you have more time for studying and socialising, as you’ll be spending less time working your way through clutter and tidying up constantly! Your environment impacts your wellbeing more than you know…
