Whilst it can be exciting to move into a new uni room, uni accommodation has a reputation of being a little bare. But thankfully, there’s plenty you can do to make your space feel like home. If you’re looking to organise, re-jig or brighten up your uni room, you’re in the right place. Check out our list of 15 uni room essentials (and where to get them) below.
Practical items:
Magic Hangers
These magic hangers are an absolute storage game changer. They essentially allow you to hang your clothes vertically in your wardrobe to save a tonne of space. No more compromising on how many outfits you can bring to uni!
Hanging Wardrobe Storages Boxes
An absolute uni room essential for all those who hate spending ages hanging up their clothes on laundry day. These hanging wardrobe storage boxes just strap around your wardrobe’s rail, allowing you to load them with folded up clothes. With these, you’ll be able to save space and time, as you can organise your clothes how you like to make it easier to choose your OOTD. Voila!
Whiteboard (and pens)
Let’s face it, whilst at uni you’re probably going to have to make more than a few to-do lists. If you’re looking to save paper and keep yourself organised, a whiteboard is a good shout for any uni room. Plus, it’s always funny when you come back to your room and find visitors or housemates have left you silly doodles on there to find.
Magazine Files
If your course is essay or lecture heavy, then magazine files need to be on your list of uni room essentials. Keep your notes organised and get a cute set to match your room décor. We like these ones here.
Desk Storage
An obvious one yes, but a gooden nonetheless. These DIY desk shelves from Amazon are a great way to give yourself some more desk space and keep your books tidy.
Laundry basket backpack
Yep, you read that right! This laundry basket backpack is perfect for if you live in uni halls with a shared laundrette, as you’ll be able to easily carry your stuff across your accommodation without any fuss. Anything that makes laundry day less taxing is a good thing in our books!
Under-bed Storage
Make sure you check what type of bed is in your accommodation before investing in this one, but under-bed storage can be a great way to give yourself some extra wiggle room in your new space. Check out these ones here.
Reed diffuser/aromatic diffuser
If you aren’t allowed candles in your accommodation, don’t fret. These reed diffusers or this aromatic diffuser are both great options to keep your room smelling fresh (even after your third Pot Noodle of the day).
Decorative items:
Fairy lights
Basic? Yes. Cute, cosy and definitely a uni room essential? Also yes! Take a look at these ones here for inspiration.
Tapestry (and wall pegs)
A great way to decorate bare walls is with a hanging tapestry. There are so many (cheap) options so you can have a shop around til you find one that fits your vibe. Also, if you’re not allowed nails in your accommodation, don’t worry! Stick a clothes peg to one side of these command strips, stick them to you wall and simply hang your tapestry up without any wall markings!
A (hardy, not easy to kill) house plant
House plants brighten up any dreary uni room, but did you also know they can brighten up your mood? Just looking at plants reportedly creates a chemical response that calms you down-better stock up before exam season! If you’re looking for a tough cookie that can survive you forgetting to water it every now and then, consider a trusty snake plant.
Posters
A cheap and cheerful uni room essential, posters can make a dull room brighter and allow you to express your personality. A lot of unis have poster fairs at the start of the year, where you can get posters for discount prices so watch out for those, or check out these ones here.
A Boojee lamp
We’re talking about salt lamps, lava lamps, or even planet lamps! Whatever suits your taste, these lamps might not be practical, but they will give your room a bit of *spice* to make it more interesting.
Decorative Trinkets
Little decorative trinkets can help your uni room quickly shift from a bare box to feeling like a home away from home. You might have some from home you want to bring with you, but if you fancy picking up some new ones, have a look here for inspiration.
Pictures of friends and family
Apps such as FreePrint allow you to easily print photos of your loved ones all from your phone. All you have to pay for is postage! You can either collage them on your wall or pick up some picture frames like these to help you feel close to your most loved ones when you’re far away from them.
Bonus (definitely non-essential) feature item: Mini fridge!
If like many uni students, you get a deep thrill from spending your student finance on unnecessary but whimsical items, then this one is for you. With this bonus item, you can say goodbye to the days when you have to trek all the way to your kitchen to crack open a cold one (the savagery!). You’re guaranteed to feel more like a member of high society than a uni student with this mini fridge. Cheers!
That’s a wrap on our list of 15 uni room essentials. Did we miss any of your favourites out? Let us know in the comments!
If you still need more inspiration, check out our article ‘How to make your uni room feel more like home’ here.
