Moving to university is often your first experience of living away from home, and bringing items from home helps make your new living space your own. For all your entertainment needs, here are ten items to bring with you to university.
FILM & TV
DVDs: Although you can stream most TV shows and films on one site or another nowadays, I can guarantee that there will be one film you really want to watch, only to find it’s unavailable on Netflix, Amazon prime and Now TV.
“Stick [a DVD] in your laptop and you have the beginning of a movie night with flatmates or halls friends.”
Bringing along DVDs of your favourite films and TV shows makes for a great home comfort to bring to uni. Stick one in your laptop and you have the beginning of a movie night with flatmates or halls friends. Practically speaking, their slim size means you can fit two or three into a suitcase.
Netflix: Speaking of streaming platforms, if your family has Netflix then check with your parents what type of account you have. If you’re on the one screen package and can persuade your family to upgrade to two or more screens, then you and your family can all watch Netflix, no matter where you are.
GAMING
Pack of cards: another small item you can easily fit into a suitcase, and they’re a great icebreaker when getting to know your halls or flatmates as there’s so many games you can play.
“Board games are another great way to spend time with friends (and discover who is competitive!)”
Board games: if you have any of these lying around at home, then bring one or two to university. Board games are another great way to spend time with friends (and discover who is competitive!)
Video games: Similarly, if your old Nintendo Wii, PlayStation or Xbox has been relegated to the garage at home, give it a new life at university by playing games with friends. The Wii in particular is great for multi-player games. When I lived in halls during first year, I played Mario Kart for the first time in years against several friends, which was very entertaining.
Frisbee/football: If you enjoy physical activity, consider buying or bringing a frisbee or football with you when coming back to Nottingham in the summer months.
Whether you’re sporty or not, these outdoor activities are great for small or large friendship groups and are another way of bonding with fellow flatmates and halls friends.
MUSIC
Noise cancelling headphones: these are the best type of headphone to go for if you want to soundtrack your university studying. Sometimes you need to get into the zone and block everything else out. When living in close proximity to your peers, noise cancelling headphones are also very useful to block out any intrusive noises.
Record player: Whilst many of us stream our music on our mobile phones or laptops, if you’re a music buff and into vinyl, you might want to bring along your record player. This gives a vintage vibe to your room and adds another personal touch.
ARTS
Books: With so many new experiences and living somewhere new, bringing items carrying fond memories with you is a good way to feel like you’re still connected to home. If you’re a book lover, consider bringing old favourites along with you, books with favourite characters in or ones that have fond childhood memories attached.
Alternatively, you could bring a couple books you haven’t read yet or purchase the latest bestsellers from the Blackwells in Portland building.
Letters/postcards: If you enjoy writing or sketching, consider writing letters or buying postcards whilst exploring Nottingham, and send these to friends at other universities or back home.
“There’s something thoughtful and personal about a letter or postcard that can’t be achieved by a text message.”
Getting creative is a good way to manage stress and relax, and by creating something for someone else you’re connecting with people you may not be able to see for a while.
There’s something thoughtful and personal about a letter or postcard that can’t be achieved by a text message, and it also gives the recipient something to hang up in their own room.
Scrapbooks: If you’re feeling really artsy, you could buy a scrapbook and print off photos from days out and good time at uni. These photos can be hung up for decorating your room or put in a scrapbook to keep a physical record of the best moments from university that you can look back at.
GENERAL ENTERTAINMENT
Portable battery charger: If you intend to travel regularly, whether visiting friends or family across the country, a portable battery charger is really useful, especially one that allows you to charge multiple devices, for when you are on the go.
Poster sales: I also highly recommend going to the poster sales around Portland building and the welcome fairs. There’s a huge selection of posters to choose from with designs for pretty much every taste and interest you can imagine.
Getting hold of a few posters is an inexpensive and easy way to decorate your room and add your personality to the walls.
Lauren Winson
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Article image 1 courtesy of Dru Kelly via Flickr. Article image 2 courtesy of StephenRMelling via Flickr. Article image 3 courtesy of @uniofnottingham via Instagram. Article image 4 courtesy of Lauren Winson. Image use licence here.
