Back to Uni 2022 Essentials


Portable Phone Charger

Uni life can be unpredictable – long lectures and even longer parties. For times like these, it’s important to keep a portable phone charger handy in case of emergency. Simply charge the charger overnight and the next day you’ll have a full battery’s worth of charge inside the device ready to go at any time. Available on Amazon for <£30.

Coverless Duvet

As many current and past uni students can attest; thanks to a lack of the convenience that you may find at home, laundry duties can be especially tedious at uni halls. Therefore, any method of cutting down on tedium in your daily/weekly washing routines can be especially valuable. Investing in a coverless duvet eliminates perhaps the worst offender – the traditional duvet. Gone are the days of looking like you’re practicing being a ghost at Halloween as you try to slip a duvet cover on. With this all-in-one solution, you can wash it as is and wear it at night as is, with little to no hassle involved – you’re welcome. Available at most home furnishing retailers in-store and online for <£40.

Indoor Bonsai Tree

It’s no secret that uni can be stressful and overwhelming at times. To help cope with this stress, you may slip into your creature comforts; whether that may be music or Netflix or spending quality time with friends and family. Another viable and proven coping mechanism is a lot simpler and outside the box – an indoor bonsai tree. Even if you have next to no interest in horticulture, studies show maintaining and caring for a bonsai tree can help lower stress levels and improve mental well-being. Unusual though it may be, it’s worth a try. After all, what have you got to lose? Available at in-store and online gardening retailers for <£50.

Small Electronic Safe

Sometimes your wallet, purse, handbag, rucksack or even your room may not be enough to give you peace of mind when storing money or valuable and meaningful personal items when you’re out and about. To this end, having a small electronic safe in your room may be a worthwhile investment. While I don’t wish to give you trust issues about who you may be staying and studying with, sometimes it really is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your own possessions. Available at Amazon for <£60.

White Noise Machine

As I can personally testify, perhaps one of the biggest hurdles when it comes to living in uni accommodation can be the near-constant noise during the evening hours. While one of the bigger benefits of attending uni can be the late-night soirees and good times, those early morning lectures can be no joke, thus sleep is vital. This is where a white noise machine comes in. Though it won’t drown out your noisy neighbours completely, it will help provide your brain with something else to focus its attention on as you drift to sleep. Available on Amazon for <£30.

Tile Item Finder

Similar to the electronic safe, the Tile Item Finder is a nifty pocket-sized gadget, powered by Bluetooth, that enables you to keep track of your keys, wallet and bag remotely using the dedicated app on your phone. While this won’t eliminate the frantic, awkward search for your room keys as you stand outside your door, it will stop them from getting lost completely, which is inarguably better. Available on Amazon for £20 each.


By Tom Naylor