Living in Halls | Bathroom

Bathrooms - I personally could not have shared a communal shower with strangers, that was not a thing I was willing to do! It was actually one of the things I made sure of when booking my accommodation.

If you book a room with an en-suit here is my personal list of recommend items to pack:

1. TOILET ROLLS, TOILET ROLLS, TOILET ROLLS!! I had this said to me when I told my friends I was moving into halls. They said, there isn't anything worse than getting all the way to you accommodation, moving things in and then being desperate for the bathroom and having no toilet rolls in sight... Let it be the first thing you pack and unpack.

2. Towels - I brought three beach towels from Matalan on the basis that they would dry quicker in my room. A hand towel would also be a good choice to take to have in your bathroom.

3. I had a little shelf in my shower but my flat mate's shelf was broken, you might just have to wait and see when you get there but you could also pop into a wilkinsons or poundland to buy a small basket for your shower supplies. If you are sharing a shower with other people a wash bag would come in very useful!

4. Toothbrush and toothpaste and maybe a small holder for them to stand up in your shower room on the sink or if you have a shelf.

5. Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash and Buff not to mention razors and everything else you might use in the shower.

6. Cleaning supplies - Toilet bleach and brush.

7. Personal hygiene - Nail clippers, razors, deodorant, cologne, hair spray and gel, comb and face wash plus a flannel. Think of anything you use and need. The likely hood is you'll forget something but remember you can also pop out before you start at uni to grabs the things your forgotten.


So I hope this series has given you a place to start thinking and getting things together. If you are off to begin your university life or perhaps changing uni's and heading back into halls to meet people, I wish you the best of luck with everything, have fun and throw yourself into the whole thing! I promise things get better once you've settled in, just give yourself time.

Charlie xo
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Living in Halls | Kitchen

Time to move onto the kitchen! If your dorm or halls doesn't have a kitchen or canteen, then its highly likely you are going to need your own equipment!


 A lot of my kitchen equipment came from Dunlem Mill or Marks and Spencer. We have always used pyrex measuring jugs and oven trays, I find that they are easier to hand wash and you aren't fighting with the grease and oil that tends to stick to oven trays. I don't know whether I was late or perhaps too easy to the uni buying party but when mum and I were looking for a pyrex measuring jug, we searched high and low, until finally we tried M&S, and low and behold they were stocked up on pyrex kitchen equipment!

Any here is my list of kitchen equipment to make your life easier in the kitchen!

1. Crockery- Plates, Bowls and anything you like to eat from! I brought mine from Dunelm. I brought three dinner plates, three side plates and three bowls. (I left one of each of the bowls and side plates at home - just incase I broke one at any point) This was perfect for me as I liked to do my washing up in the evening so I never was left without something to eat from! A small tip from me would be to buy some patterned plates, most people in my flat had Ikea plates and were constantly having arguments over who's stolen their plate. Where as my plates were black and white so I always know which ones were mine. (It might be fine, you might live with people who just don't care, or you might have people like who I lived with - constantly shouting 'Who's used my plates!' when they aren't in the cupboard or even washed up at the sink)

2. Cutlery - Knives, Forks and Spoons, similarly to the whole plate situation everybody else had cutlery from Ikea as well, once again there were arguments over spoons being stolen or swopped, save yourself the hassle and buy patterned or colours ones. I brought mine from Homebase, they had red handles and stood out a mile. (Throughout three years I only ever lost one fork? I've know idea where it went or who'd used it but as I'd only taken two of each piece of cutlery to uni, I had a spare at home anyway) You'll also want a sharp knife for chopping as well as a chopping board.

3. Oven gloves. Nobody else remembered to bring any so for the first few weeks people were burning there hairs when using a small kitchen towel (also important to take) They aren't that expensive and they will last you throughout uni!

4. Glasses - Two drinking glasses, a mug or two and a wine glass. I brought mine at M&S. I might have brought a pack of four drinking glasses, and only took two with me, saving two at home incase one brakes. (out of everything cups were the most common casualty in our flat, we lost a lot)

5.  Pots and pans! You have to cook some how don't you? Whether you live off pasta or chicken, you will need something to cook it in. I brought mine from Dunlem, two different sized sauce pans and one frying pan. Sorted.

6. Oven tray - Like I said earlier - I prefer the pyrex ones, we had three at home so I just took one of them. However any good kitchen equipment store will sell them!

7. And finally you might want all the other bits and bobs. Such as -

• Can opener
• Corkscrew Bottle opener
• Scissors
• Vegetable peeler
• Bread Knife
• Sandwich bags - good for separating and freezing chicken and other food.
• Microwaveable bowl
• Cling film
• Tin foil
• Washing-up stuff - Washing-up liquid / Dishcloth / Scrubbing brush
• Wooden spoon
• One-person casserole dish
• Another chopping board for meat unless you prefer to plan what you cut first.
• Plastic containers which can go in the microwave. Suitable for lunches. 

Don't forget to check what your accommodation already has -  you might have to purchase a kettle or toaster - you could alway discuss this with the people your living with when you get there but its always better to check what is or should be already available.

Building up to moving to uni, I put some dried foods like pasta and soup, marmite (either love it or hate it) and anything else I could into a box to take with me. Luckily my parents also took me to Asda to buy some foods to put into the fridge and freezer before they left on the first day.

Charlie xo

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What to Take to University Living in Halls | Bedroom

This time four years ago, mum and I were wondering around the shop searching for things to put in my room at uni. Feels like it was only yesterday! Moving to uni is a very exciting and scary thing for a lot of people! Personally I could not wait to move in and meet new people and fend for myself!


First things first - Before you go out and buy anything, check what the uni will be providing, you don't want to turn up with something that has already been provided, save your money!

- Bedding - Duvet, pillows, bottom/ fitted sheets, mattress protector and covers!
I took two sets of covers with my to uni, I didn't know whether the washing machines would have a tumble dry or not and so I chose to take two in case. (turns out my halls had a tumble dryer so thankfully I didn't have drape my bedding around my room to dry!) I would perhaps recommend taking a double duvet as you can fold it over and be extra cosy, plus it makes the not so comfy student bed a lot easier to sleep on.

- A Lamp - something I didn't take but my flatmate did! Although my student room had plenty of light,  a little lamp changed the entire feel of the room. It made the room feel warm, cosy and more like home. Defiantly suggest you shouldn't over look this little life changer. (I also took a touch, as suggested by my dad, which came in very useful when the stairwell lights cut out in the middle of winter)

- Hangers - You will mostly likely need a lot of these, universities don't tend to supply them. I brought mine from Dunlem, the velvet helped to keep my clothes on the hangers!

- Laundry - Wash basket, Collapsable Clothes Horse, a Laundry bag, Washing powder, Fabric Softener - uni rooms are tiny and there isn't space for you the hang wet clothes around your room. You might also want a bag that you can cart your dirty washing down to the shared laundry room.

- Desk equipment - All things stationary, a lot of people didn't have printers but for me, it saved my neck more than once when it came to working late in your room, rather than going down to the library in the dead of night. (PS don't forget a bin and bin liners, I managed to find scented bin liners at a little homeward store)

- Pins for the pin board! Whether it's for work, lists, or photo's, notice board pins will be very useful

- Door wedge, something to hold open your bedroom door, which will be a fire door, so I recommend a rubber door wedge, which wort slip so much. Plus having your door open is inviting and your make friends within your flat a lot quicker!

Other things include, your clothes and shoes, a hot water bottle, dressing gown, alarm clock/radio, posters, coasters, fleece blanket, TV, Playstation or xbox, anything that will let you watch DVDs and anything else you want to take. Remember student accommodation in halls is often very small so don't take everything except the kitchen sink, If you forget anything perhaps you can bring in back with out when you go home!

Charlie xo

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July Life Round Up

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July has been a bit here there and everywhere to be honest! Getting used to waking up at 6am for the commute to work, returning home at 7pm has been a real challenge, but like anything with time you get used to it. A lye in for me now means 8am!

I've been sorting out all the mundane things like opticians, dentist and signing up to the doctors again and sorting out my blood pressure, which by the way is absolutely normal now, so university was the root of that problem!

And of course there was a little celebration and event called GRADUATION! I am so happy that I went, there was a period of time were I really couldn't have thought of anything worse but hey, I did it! It was so nice to see all my course again, there was only 13 of us so we were all pretty close in a way. But it was great to see everyone and try and catch up! The ceremony was great, we were the last to collect out certificates but it was worth the wait. The whole day was lovely and getting to spend it with friends and family was even better! The trip down and back took its toll on us but hey, its a once in a lifetime sort of thing!

Besides that the only other thing is I'm moving over to a different store at work at the beginning of August and hopefully getting to meet new people which is exciting. Life has chilled down a lot since finishing university and I have to say at this time in moment I am relieved. But I better you, come september, when I'm not packing up my suitcase, filling the car and travelling down to the uni house, I will 100% miss it. But for now, it's time to find out where I want to go, life beings now, and its a scary but exciting experience!

Charlie xo
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May Life Round Up

May has flown by, and I actually can not believe that I find myself writing about the month of May in June, let alone the 1st of June(WE ARE HALF WAY THROUGH THE YEAR PEOPLE!?)!

May has been the busiest of months, time seems to have been on fast forward x2! This month held deadline day and exhibition opening! When I haven't been frantically setting up the exhibition space at uni, I've been drawing, sketching and sketch-booking to the best of my ability. And now, on the 1st of June, I find myself at home, walking around aimlessly and hoping that something needs to be fixed, cleaned or anything for that matter. I just do not know what to do with myself?

With work handed in and being marked, we were left to work on our personal exhibition spaces, that was until saturday and sunday, where we went into uni and built the remaining pieces of the exhibition and painted the floor. The weeks have been so busy and it all built up to last thursday when the exhibition final opened.

It was really weird waiting on the other side of the door to our theatre, waiting for the exhibition to open. This was OUR exhibition! Three years after seeing the amazing work of the 3rd years, when I was in first year was intimidating and yet inspiring! And now I'm there, celebrating the years of hard work and on the very last week of university life. Time has flown and I wish I could go back to first year and do it all over again!

Uni life has been a blast, and the friends I have made I will never forget! So many memories, stories, little traditions and places. All of these things have made my time at uni unforgettable and I don't want to finish!

Now all that is left to do, is to pack up my room, spend time with friends and just enjoy my last week of university life!

Up Next ... Graduation!

Charlie xo
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