Find out how to pack well as you go home for Christmas, or other holidays and leave your student accommodation for a while.
There can be so much advice out there for packing to go to university, but nobody really tells you how difficult packing is when you get home. You’ve lived the student life for a while, you’ve settled in, you’re not the same person you were. Packing to go home isn’t that simple either, seeing as all your stuff for your current life is right here at uni….
The good news is that with the following tips, you’ll have all you need to pack well and have all you need with you on your trip home:
The Style At Home VS Uni Style
When we go to university it is a bit of a right of passage to experiment with clothing and expression to create a different image. It isn’t the case for everyone, but many students do start to find their individual style when they go to university. This is why packing to go home might be a little tricky. You may find that if you don’t pack many clothes because of your clothes at home, you end up having to put up with clothing that you don’t really like during your trip. For this reason, a core wardrobe of your favourite new clothes is important in your suitcase.
Climate Issues In Your Uni House
The cost of living is very high, and students don’t generally have lots of money anyway, so the student house is unlikely to have the heating on over the holidays. This could be problematic in regards to technology, music instruments and other items that could become damaged because of extreme cold, or even warm temperatures depending on when you are travelling home. Local self storage with climate control could be a good idea for the storage of certain items that may be at risk from the temperature changes in the house.
Security Issues
Do you trust your housemates? Is your university house insured? If you are at all worried about leaving precious items in your university accommodation you can use local self storage to keep it safe. Storage in London (or local to you) can be as small as a gym locker, so it’s worth using it even just for expensive technology or jewellery. You can’t really buy that peace of mind.
Getting Work Done Over The Holidays
Are you getting work done over the holidays? Take your laptop with you but make sure it is properly protected on the journey. Keep it in your bag with you, and don’t leave it in your unattended suitcase on the train. It is also worth adding rain protection to your backpack (a cover or something similar) and also if you are moving through high-density areas like train stations, investing in anti-theft devices like no slash material backpacks. You should also ensure that the work you have on the laptop is backed up, so you don’t lose months of work with one theft.
Lastly, do insure your gear so if it does get stolen you at least have cover for it.
Medicine Is Important
As we settle in at university it can be easy to pack and forget essentials like medicine. It isn’t always easy to get emergency prescription medication over christmas so it is important to remember to take it with you. It can be handy to get a pill box for the time you are away and fill it with the pills you need for each day, so you don’t have to take all the medication home with you.
Changing University Accommodation?
Changing university accommodation before you go home, especially with no new accommodation set in place, can be very difficult. Where does all your stuff go? The answer is self storage, or in the capital London self storage. Don’t go throwing away loads of things, or try to cart all of your belongings home on the train with endless suitcases – you don’t need to. Decluttering is a good idea, but otherwise you can pop everything into local self storage and keep it safe ready to relocate to your new place when you’re ready. It’s accessible to you whenever you need it and you can keep it whilst you have your new accommodation so you can make the most of your space. It’s particularly helpful for seasonal clothing and other items, which can clutter up your precious university space unnecessarily.
Don’t Go Lugging Those Books
Books are heavy but necessary if you plan to do work at home over the holidays. Why not be prepared and photograph the pages of information you need, rather than lugging loads of books back with you. This saves you getting backache and ensures you still have all the information you need to meet your deadlines when you’re not at home.
Avoid Being The Stinky One
Nobody likes the person who leaves behind loads of milk and other items in the fridge to rot overnight. As well as thinking about what you’re taking with you, don’t forget what you leave behind. Clean that fridge, take the dishes out of your room and wash them, get that stinky laundry done (or take it home to mum). Your housemates will be super appreciative.
Consider A Group Self Storage Unit
One thing a lot of students in a house together do is rent a storage unit together so that everybody can store extra items at an affordable price. This includes keeping sentimental and expensive items in the unit for safeguarding, and also helping students from overseas have somewhere for belongings that they can’t take back to their parents house. It can help spread the costs and ensures all of you have a flexible, secure spot for your things as and when you need it.
You can pack smartly and safely for your trip home with a little creative thinking, and by being savvy enough to utilise affordable self storage. Why not speak to your local unit today to find out how their services can help you keep your things safe, and make the most of your space at university.