What You THINK You Should Take To Uni Vs. What You Should ACTUALLY Take To Uni

*This is for a job application* Going off to university is the start of your journey into adulthood. By offering bank accounts and contents insurance especially for students, Bor & Reid is there with you every step of the way. A lot of people will tell you about what things are 'essential' to take with you, but here's a few hints on what you don't really need - and a few great things to take that you might not have thought of.

DON’T BRING: As much tinned food that will fit in your parents’ car.

Fox / Via frinkiac.com

We get it - you’re scared about having to actually cook meals for yourself for the first time in your life. And it’s tempting to get as much pre-packed food as possible that will never go off, so that you never have to think about venturing to a grocery store or risk making something from scratch. If astronauts can take enough food to survive for months in space, you can probably fit a term's rations into a Ford Focus. But seriously, don’t. Yes, you can get tinned new potatoes, and an All-Day Breakfast in a can, but they are not good. Take the plunge, and start learning to cook with fresh stuff. It’s worth the effort.

DO BRING: As many posh condiments, herbs and sauces as you can.

Via @kalestories / Instagram

There will be points when you're stuck eating just the basics - pasta, rice, potatoes etc. But if you have a good range of decent quality condiments, herbs and sauces, you can make nearly any meal reasonably gourmet. These can be expensive, but if your parents are being generous and taking you for a big shop before you leave, get them to buy you the poshest olive oil, balsamic vinegar, paprika, tabasco and soy sauce possible. These things don't go off, and they'll be be your culinary saviour in mid-November - sprinkle them on just about anything and you'll feel less poor. (Bonus tip: don't be stingy, let your flatmates use them as well, and become really popular).

DON’T BRING: Your new PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.

Comedy Central / Via southpark.wikia.com

University isn't just about education - it's about going out and meeting new people and trying new things. You’ve just had a long free summer - maybe even a whole gap year - and you’ve put a lot of time and effort into your FIFA skills. We understand, you don't want to let that slide. But leave the Xbox at home. Don’t be that guy that stays in his room playing Call of Duty all night while everyone else is raving.

DO BRING: The old game console from when you were a kid.

Imgur / Via imgur.com

However, if you’ve got a PlayStation 1 or N64 in the attic, dig that out and take it along. We had a Sega Mega Drive and Master System in our flat, and literally everyone that came over demanded to play Sonic The Hedgehog. Trust us - no one can turn down a game of GoldenEye or Mario Kart 64, and some nostalgic early 00s games are the perfect pre-drinks icebreaker. Plus you pick up classic games for virtually nothing.

DON’T BRING: Condoms.

The Youth Project @YouthProject_NS

We give away free condoms! Just look under the unicorn 🦄😆

01:00 PM - 09 Sep 2016

@YouthProject_NS / Via Twitter: @YouthProject_NS

Obviously, you should be using condoms. But you don’t need to pay money for them. You can’t go more than three feet at freshers’ week with someone handing you a handful of them and a leaflet for the local STD clinic.

DO BRING: A spare bottle opener or three.

Reddit / Via reddit.com

There’s never a bottle opener to hand when you need one. Be everyone’s favourite person. Have a few spare in your room. (Note, trying to use your teeth is not a good idea).

DON’T BRING: Posters of Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, or Bob Marley, or a Jack Daniel bottle.

Universal

Look, Fear & Loathing is great. So was Bob Marley. And so is JD. And they are all especially amazing when you are 18. But trust us here, you’ll feel a lot less like the millennial Hunter S Thompson when you discover that everyone else has exactly the same thing on their walls.

DO BRING: A laundry hamper.

Via @rozann_e / Instagram

Living on your own for the first time, you're going to be a bit messy, ok. Especially when you're too busy studying, or too hungover, to get to the coin operated washing machines downstairs. But there is one simple, magical thing you can do that will make your room look loads better: stuff it all into a canvas box. Seriously. It will *transform* your room.

DON’T BRING: A pile of really massive cook books.

Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com

Your mum will probably hand you some really heavy Jamie Oliver ‘Meals in 30 Minutes’ books, big enough to flatten a small dog. But you’ll never open them, and you don't really need them tbh. They’ll just take up a load of space. There’s a universe of recipes online, and you can just type in what ingredients you’ve got into Google. Plus you learn by trying things, and getting things wrong. Cook with you housemates and pick up their tips - especially if they’re from another culture or country.

DO BRING: Insurance.

BBC / Via giphy.com

Fingers crossed, you’ll never need it. But poop happens, sadly. Burglaries, floods, fires - they all can and do strike. Bor & Reid do contents insurance for students, so if you’ve already got a student bank account with them, it’s worth looking into them.

DO BRING: A dootstop.

Kellogg Brengel @KelloggBrengel

When you need to doorstop, there is only one real choice. #hodor #GameofThrones

07:55 PM - 04 Aug 2016

@KelloggBrengel / Via Twitter: @KelloggBrengel

We’re not sure if it’s because of fire safety regulations or the general reservedness of the British character, but a lot of student hall room doors swing shut automatically if not propped open. You might just be reading on your bed or something, but to the outside it looks like you’re the sort of weirdo who has shut themselves away in their room to play Warcraft or obsess over Reddit or something. Buy a doorstop and look more sociable.

DON’T BRING: Too much.

NBC / Via teamliquid.net

You’ve probably got lots of little comforts and things that you think you might need, or just want around. But if you're not sure if you will actually need it, don't take it. Going off to university is like the start of your adult life. This is the start of your journey. You are going to accumulate new things that you’d never thought you’d want, just like you’ll accumulate new interests, new friends and new experiences. Make sure you have room for them.

Need student contents insurance, to cover all these important things? Bor & Reid is with you, every step of the way.