1. Get Packing
The basics
First off, there are some basic items everyone knows you need to bring to uni, like clothes, bedding, toiletries, and kitchen stuff. To save some space and coins in your pocket, make sure you check the weather for where you’ll be living – London’s weather tends to be more variable than other locations, so you won’t be able to survive on tank tops alone! For your bedding, check with your accommodation provider about the size of your bed as that can change from place to place - the same goes for kitchen stuff, if you’re going to a catered hall, you’ll probably need way less kitchen utensils than if you’re going to be cooking for yourself!
Top tip – you don’t need to bring everything with you from home, especially if you’re travelling from far away. You can buy most things in London – for example, a lot of larger supermarkets like Sainsbury’s and ASDA will sell cooking utensils, or M&S and even Poundland (where everything is £1!) sell soft furnishings. If you need anything larger, we have two IKEAs, one in Greenwich and the other in Wembley.
The things you might forget
In the excitement of packing nice clothes for freshers and all the books you’ll need for your classes, you might forget some things that actually are super useful to have around in your first term: medicine, cleaning products, and stuff to customise your space to name a few. You’ll definitely thank yourself later if you pack yourself a hangover care-package in advance, or flu meds to ward off the famous fresher’s flu! Cleaning products are always necessary for some post-party cleaning, or just to make sure your bathroom stays shiny the whole time you’re there. Finally, you’ll want to pack some items with you that will help you customise your space and make you feel at home – like photos, books, plants and whatever else tickles your fancy!
Top tip – pack some snacks you love from home to give you that extra comfort and feeling of home when you need it!
2. Get Prepared
Spend time with your family and friends
While you’re still home, make sure you spend some quality time with your loved ones, especially if you have to travel far to come to King’s, you might end up missing them more than you think! To spend some extra time with those close to you, why not ask your family to teach you some basic recipes to keep you going during your first term, craft some home-made face coverings with your friends, or journal with your mates about what your hopes and aims are for the coming year? This will not only ensure you’ll spend some quality time with them, but will also prepare you even more for the coming year!
Read up
Many second and third years will tell you that one of their top tips for starting uni is to read up on your required reading before you start your first term. This is not only a great way to get your brain thinking before you start classes, but will also free up some of your time in your first weeks of uni to socialise with those around you! Even if you’re not quite in the headspace to start on uni readings at the moment, even catching some rays and reading a novel in the park will get you used to reading regularly, which is a super important skill to have as a uni student!
Join a social media group
Making new friends can be one of the hardest but most rewarding parts of starting uni. You can get a head start on making those connections with fellow students before the term begins! Freshers Facebook groups are a great place to start building friendships and connecting with future course mates, people in your year, and exchanging tips and advice during the first weeks of uni.
Top tip – You can also join society groups and pages online to get a head start on what events will be happening. Some societies that are linked to their academic subject (e.g. Philosophy Society) will even have second years selling their books second hand on there for cheap!
3. Get Excited
Get to know London
If you’re coming to King’s from across the world, or are simply moving to an area of London you have yet to explore – now is a great time to get to know the place that will be your new home for the next few years! What attractions are near you? Museums? Libraries? Galleries? Instagram-able cafes? And, if you'd rather cosy up in your new room than go out – Time Out (now known as ‘Time In’ during the pandemic) is a great tool to experience different events happening in London from the comfort of your computer screen!
Try something new
You’ve probably spent the last few years working hard at school and college to prepare for university, with your head buried in your books, you might have had to miss out on a few things. Now is a great time to try something new – whether that be a sport, a hobby, a book, you name it! You might even find that King’s offers a way to share your passion with other students in the form of a sports club or society! You can check out this page to see all the activity groups.
Check out the welcome schedule
Freshers’ week is not just about moving into a new space – it’s also the perfect time to get to know your course mates, flatmates, and fellow students! Have a look at our welcome schedule and pick out which events, talks or activities you would like to attend.