Packing for university can seem daunting, but hopefully our guide will cover all the bases to take the hard work and thinking about what to pack out of the equation. Take a look below at our tips and be sure to download our handy checklist, which you can print and tick off as you go. 

 

 

We don’t necessarily recommend you bring every single thing on this list, but take a read through and consider what would be useful for you. You don’t need to pack your entire room off to uni! Have a look at your tenancy agreement with your accommodation to see what they already provide and what you need to buy. You can always go back home during reading week or the holidays to bring more things back.  

 

In addition to the packing list, have a read through some extra tips below: 

• If living in a privately rented flat, you may need to consider additional things like furniture and appliances.  

• Depending on your budget, you may or may not have your own bathroom. If you do happen to land yourself a private bathroom, there are a few extras you need to remember. If you’re sharing, fear not! You and your housemates will be best friends in no time, so a communal bathroom will be no bother at all. Either way, we have compiled a list of top items not to forget. 

• As for your kitchen, if you're in shared living, you might end up with one toastie maker per person...in fact, there will be multiple lots of kitchen items. You'll 100% want to take things like your own plates and cutlery. But most people are happy to share cooking equipment, and appliances like kettles and toasters are normally supplied. Have this in mind if you're sharing a kitchen, because below is an exhaustive list of things to take to university. 

 

For International Students 

We are delighted that you are looking to study at King’s from abroad. In addition to our comprehensive packing list, there are some extra things that you should know as an international student: 

In your hand luggage, make sure you have the following: 

• Phone, wallet/purse and other valuables 

• Identification and passport 

• Offer letter 

• Any financial evidence 

• Address of accommodation in the UK 

• Details of flight/travel 

• Physical money (don’t pack too much though, just in case it gets stolen. You are likely to mainly use digital payments once in London. 

• Warm clothing – especially if moving from somewhere warm, you may have forgotten about this! 

• Prescription medication (if you have any pre-existing medical conditions, whether they require a prescription or not, it is recommended to bring a physical copy of any diagnoses and prescriptions translated into English, as well as contact information for your old GP. King’s has it’s own health centre for staff and students, and their friendly team are best placed to advise international students on these matters. 

 

Check in luggage 

Do 

• Label with your details in English 

• Ensure it does not weigh over the baggage allowance by weighing at home 

• Clothes – the weather in the UK can be very unpredictable, so ensure you pack clothing for all seasons! If you are coming from a different climate, it may be cheaper to buy clothes once you arrive (make sure you check Vinted for some great deals!) 

• Electrical items, e.g. travel adaptor (if you are planning to visit other countries, you should buy multi-national ones) 

• Pack products that are harder to buy or more expensive in the UK 

• Bring any other personal items 

 

Don’t Pack 

• Items easily bought in the UK 

• Any books you need for your course? You can buy these once you get here, and King’s Libraries and Collections has a huge range of reading material online and in its libraries to reduce the need for this 

• Towels, bedding, kitchen items – these are bulky and can be bought very cheaply either directly from your accommodation, IKEA, Poundland and most supermarkets such as Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsburys, Marks & Spencer 

• banned or restricted items, which can be viewed on the HM Revenue & Customs website; 

• If you are coming to the UK from outside the EU, please be aware that there may be restrictions on how much cash you can bring with you - you can read more about the restrictions on taking cash in and out of the UK on the Gov.UK website. 

As well as packing your bags well, there are other things you can do to be prepared for coming to King’s. 

• PDF scans of important documents such as passports and visas. If you want to work or volunteer, you may need to send scanned copies over. You can print these out on campus 

• Check if you need to ship additional items with an international delivery company and what the costs are. 

• You may want to bring things from home, including food or spices (according to restrictions)  

• Consider restrictions on what you can bring in and out of the UK 

 

Bring or buy? 

Luggage can be very expensive, and a good way to avoid paying for the fees is to buy it when you get here. After all, you will be studying here for a number of years, and you can always study over the summer! You can order pretty much anything you need from a larger supermarket, Argos, Wilko or Ikea, as well as Amazon 

We hope you find this guide useful, and can’t wait to see you in September. For more information on student life at King’s and preparing for university, check out our news page here.