Packing

Hey everyone! I hope you're all well and are super excited to start UWTSD in September. Congratulations to all of you who got your results, I know how terrifying it can be to open that envelop and look at a piece of paper with letters on it, but you should all be so proud of what you've achieved over the last two years of college/sixth form and now it's onwards and upward to starting uni with us! I'm so excited to meet you all, and if you see me walking around campus feel free to stop me and say hello, it's not hard to miss me, short girl with red hair and glasses! 

So, now you've got your results you're probably starting to think about all the different bits and bobs you need to buy for the start of uni. I know it can seem totally overwhelming and like it's a never ending list of things but honestly, you'll probably pack way more than you actually need so in this blog I'm going to mention the main things you're going to want to take with you to UWTSD.

I feel like when going to uni a lot of people tend to over pack, one of my good friends literally had a van dropping off her stuff and a car full. She bought with her an extra chest of draws and a mini sofa chair, which I feel may be a little too much. I'm the complete opposite, I literally have to fit all of my stuff in my tiny little Kia Picanto, so I feel like I've got this whole packing thing down to a tee. So if you're moving in to halls this year here's some must haves that will be vital to take with you.

• Duvet, pillows and sheets, single size. So if you don't know, you guys need to take your own duvet and bed stuff with you as they're not provided. On the Carmarthen Campus pretty much all of the beds are singles so taking a double duvet probably isn't the best idea. 
• Pots, pans and cutlery. Again, these things are not provided for you so it's important to have your own pots pans and cutlery. I recommend getting the cheap stuff because there's not much point in getting loads of expensive stuff, they will get ruined, especially if you're not that good at cooking. I would also say it's probably a good idea to keep most of this stuff in your own room, flatmates tend to think it's okay to use your stuff and will probably never wash it up.
• Clothes, toiletries, towels etc. Pretty obvious one here, but really you only need to take one suitcase, which is what I did. There are washing machine facilities on campus so I would recommend only taking the things you know you're going to wear otherwise it's just space taken up in your wardrobe and drawers. 
• Pictures and happy memories of back home. When you first go to uni you can get pretty home sick, so it's important to have a few bits that remind you of home and make you feel more comfortable. You have noticeboards in your room so you can put them up on your board to help you feel better and more at home. It's so important to make your room feel homely and safe.
• Laptop/computer and maybe a small TV. Your laptop or computer is a must have a uni, you need it to complete your essays and do research. A small TV may also be a good idea if you want to watch movies or whatever while at uni. I say small because it's probably not the best idea to get a huge one as it will take up a lot of space in your room. Alternatively you can just use your laptop as a TV which is what I did in first year.
• Books. I'm a massive reader and love books, however you will have some books that you need to get for your course so it's important you purchase them and keep them somewhere safe in your room. 
• Clothes horse and laundry basket. Although there are tumble driers on site, I much preferred to dry my clothes by air because it saved me money. A laundry basket is a must have to ensure your dirty clothes don't lie on the floor until you go to wash them. 

So I think that's the most important things you need to take with you to university. A lot of people do tend to over pack so that's why I only have a few very important things that you need to take with you. Obviously there will be more that you want to take but this list is just the very basic stuff that you'll want to take with you. I hope it's been helpful!