How to make a uni room a home from home for freshers

While it may seem a long way down the list of priorities, particularly to them, their uni room is a vitally important aspect of their new life. It is where they will sleep, study, eat, drink and where they will retreat to when they feel homesick, poorly, nervous and sad.

Making this room into a comforting,useful and attractive space is very important and you don’t have to spend a fortune doing it.

Splashing out on the best of everything is generally not a good idea as there will most likely be slops, stains and worse thanks to the aforementioned food and, of course, the drink.

To begin, think about what your uni student-to-be will need in terms of practicalities. Storage is the obvious and this is almost always an issue when you have almost if not all of your belongings in one room.

Plus, if you provide extra storage, there will be less chance of the place being messy, though if your child is untidy by nature, you must, as I did, console yourself that it could be worse.

So, what to shop for and where to buy from. As you may have noticed if you have visited the big blue and yellow store recently, Ikea is a great place to find almost everything you need but also check out stores such as Home Bargains, B&M and Dunelm and don’t forget charity shops.

If you are in purpose built student accommodation then it will generally have a desk and chair, bed and wardrobe. I would add underbed storage, which is great for food, toiletries, clothes, shoes, books, you name it.

Dunelm have them for £5.50 each and Argos sell them at two for £12. sell them for £8 each and Ikea.

I also recommend the 33cm x 38cm Drona boxes from Ikea, £3 each, which are too tall for under the bed but look good when out on display. These are fabric and fold down and come in black, grey, blue and dotted grey.

Another very useful item is a pop-up, fabric laundry basket. Poundland has one for £2.50 and Argos sells them for £4 each and don’t forget hangers for the wardrobe.

Get two sets of bedding if you can afford it as there will be spillages. Primark is a good hunting ground because you really don’t want to break the bank on something that will be slopped on.

A single duvet set is £10 and a double £15 from Primark, which also has reasonably priced throws and blankets Cushions are useful. Two or three cushions will also be useful for turning beds into a temporary sofa for visitors.

Walls can be an issue as most student landlords forbid pins and tac, though they may supply a pinboard for photos, postcards and pictures.

If not, use Command strips and hooks, which won’t leave a mark and can take a reasonable amount of weight.

Fairy lights can’t be beaten for a lovely glow, though they aren’t for everyone. If there isn’t a bedside lamp then this is also worth investing in.

Real plants would be perfect but there is little chance of them surviving knocks and erratic watering so choose a couple of faux flowers and plants, which make window sills and desks more homely.

If your student can’t live without a full-length mirror then check if there is one on the back of the wardrobe drawer, if not you may also want to invest in one. I’d also add a cheap rug to bring softness and colour.

Kitchen equipment and crockery may be provided but I would also recommend supplementing this with a favourite mug, as it gives your offspring “a little bit of home”.

Finally, most universities have information and advice for “Freshers” and it is worth finding and reading this so you can refer your child to it.

For example, the University of Leeds has five tips to making friends, advice on registering with a doctor and what you will need, which is a passport/drivers licence, student card and proof of your Leeds address.

The university union also offers online support and drop-ins if you need advice or guidance.

You can also find new housemates by using Facebook groups and setting up a separate group chat so you can get to know each other before you move in.

Also suggested is joining a university society, which will help you to make friends with shared interests and or volunteering.

The University of Leeds has a dedicated volunteering team as do many unis. This includes Student Action for Refugees and Leeds RAG.