If your child is among that number, you’ll be hoping to set them up for an excellent start. You won’t be able to control much of what they get up to from Fresher’s Week onwards, so let’s focus on the thing you can control: their packing.
Most freshers are excited to get to university, to meet new people, to study their chosen subject, to soak up a new town. Some will never have been away from home for any length of time before. Few care what they bring with them.
This is where we come in. We’ve trawled the web to find the nicest, most reasonably priced and most practical versions of all the items students need to start their new life. From coat hangers to cookbooks, we’ve got you covered.
Let the learning commence!
Bedding
H&M’s Waffle Muslin Bedding Set, £39.99
This duvet cover and pillowcase combo is clean, fresh and, thanks to its waffle design, can cope easily without being ironed. Freshers have better things to think about than ironing, after all. Buy several.
Teapot
Falcon Enamelware’s Teapot And Mugs, £48
Tea is a staple for most at university. This teapot and pair of mugs is stylish, useful and, crucially, unbreakable. Enamelware like this was first created in the Black Country area Birmingham in the 1920s and is remarkable for its enduring strength. Buy it.
Lamp
John Lewis Task LED Lamp, £35
If you brighten up the desk with this colourful lamp, you might just encourage some careful study. Buy it.
Cleaning Products
Tincture Bathroom Set, £20.97
How much housework a new student plans to do in their digs is anyone guess but this chic set of environmentally friendly bathroom cleaning products will be as motivational as anything. Buy it.
Pocket Knife
Swiss Army Pocket Knife, now £29.99
The Swiss Army Knife’s corkscrew feature is sure to be well used but you’d be amazed by how often its tweezers, can opener, scissors and toothpick also come in handy when a student is far from home. Buy it.
Pillows
The White Company’s Hypoallergenic Pillow, £20
A couple of these pillows, which are White Company bestsellers, will turn eight hours of shuteye from a dream into a reality. Buy it.
Rug
Ian Snow’s Scalloped Edge Rug, £34
The more colourful textiles there are in a halls-of-residence bedroom or student flat, the better. This small striped rug will instantly banish any institutional gloom. Buy it.
Knives And Forks
Wayfair’s Cutlery Set, now £29.99
Colourful, distinctive and robust, this 16-piece collection of knives, forks, spoons and teaspoons is just the ticket for communal living. Buy it.
Coat Hangers
Brabantia Coat Hangers, set of three, £9.50
It sounds dreary but you’d be surprised by how many people forget to pack coat hangers. These ones are so attractive, they’d inspire even the most slovenly student to hang up their clothes. Buy it.
Water Bottle
Not Another Bill’s Ocean Bottle, £35
This award-winning bottle keeps cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot. Even better, because it comes from the kind people at Not Another Bill, it can be easily personalised and therefore harder to lose. Buy it.
Glassware
John Lewis Duralex Picardie Tumblers, Set of 4, £9
These stylish glasses can be used for water, wine or cocktails. Back in 1945, the French heritage company Duralex invented the glass tempering process that makes these tumblers famously indestructible. Buy it.
Bath Towel
Dock & Bay Bath Towels - Storm Cloud
Although elegant and classy, this bath towel doesn’t take life too seriously, which is fitting. We want our students to achieve a healthy mix of work and play, right? Benjamin Disraeli’s view was that: ‘A university should be a place of light, of liberty and of learning.’ These bath towels from Dock & Bay will keep forever fresh with waffle fabric that stays soggy-free, even without the heating on. Plus they're planet friendly as they're made from 100% recycled plastic bottles. Buy it.
Backpack
Herschel’s Classic Backpack, £60
With its water-bottle pocket, laptop section and perky striped lining, this backpack is, to us, flawless. Buy it.
Cookbook
Sally Clarke’s First Put On Your Apron, £30
Chef and restaurateur Sally Clarke wrote this charming cookbook with her son Samuel in mind. When he left home for university, she felt ‘fearful for his sustenance, wellbeing and general health during those years away from my watchful eye’. Its recipes and wise advice are game changers for any inexperienced cook. Buy it.
