Moving to Royal Holloway may be the first time that you’ve ever had to fend for yourself as an independent person.
Arrivals weekend is upon us and for most of you, moving to Royal Holloway may be the first time that you’ve ever had to fend for yourself as an independent person. At first, leaving home can be pretty daunting and stressful, but don’t fret. By following this guide, you can make the transition comfortable and be fully prepped for Freshers’ Festival.
Phase One: Pre-Moving Preparations
Before you move
Before you set off to your new abode, you'll have to make some important preliminary preparations. If you haven’t done so already, get yourself a student bank account. They offer great interest rates and additional benefits (such as a free 16-25 Railcard if you decide to go with Santander).
Also, while packing, you should start a file which contains all the relevant documentation regarding the university and accommodation. You may be needing this on the day that you move in.
Check what your halls offer you
Most of our halls offer a full set of kitchen appliances (i.e. toaster, kettle, microwave) in the communal areas. But it’s best to check on the Royal Holloway website for what specific appliances are available to you.
For example, if you live in Kingswood, you won’t have a stove or oven available. It’s important to find out so you can plan out what kind of things to bring with you (e.g. choice of groceries).
Phase Two: Packing
Start collecting moving supplies before packing
Packing for university actually requires quite a lot of careful planning. Start preparing for your move by collecting moving supplies in advance. Things like cardboard boxes are easy to store away as they can be flattened and stored throughout the year. This makes them a good choice for taking your stuff to university and when you move out of halls into a house after your first year.
Sort out what is essential and what isn’t essential
Try and condense what you take with you. University life is quite demanding so you need to decide what things are essential to bring with you.
Will you really have time to play all the games that you have for your console or watch every movie that you own? (It’s probably better to get NowTV to be honest).
If you have to take something, for example, a movie collection, you can make it easier to pack by putting the DVD discs in a multi-disc wallet and leaving the boxes behind.
This is just one example of how you can save space, allowing you to pack light and take the things you want to bring. You can get an idea of what to bring from our essentials checklist that we've created for you.
Phase Three: On Arrival
Take pictures of your room
Before you do anything upon arrival, you need to make sure to look for faults or damages within your accommodation. Make sure you take pictures of your room with a time-stamp and keep the photo filed away.
This will help you to avoid any issues involving deposits when you move out. If there are any damages to your room, make sure you note this in your inventory so you won’t get charged for it at the end of the year.
Meet your new house mates
It’s understandable that one of the most intimidating aspects of starting university is the fact that you will have to live with strangers that you haven’t chosen to live with. If you’re a naturally shy person, this idea might be quite a scary prospect.
But it’s important to remember, everyone is in the same boat. Sure, it might be awkward at first, but after a brew together or a movie marathon session, you’ll soon get over those fears.
Keep your door open to make it easier to meet your new flat mates, maybe even think about bringing a small gift of sorts (e.g. a bag of sweets) for you to share with your new flat mates.
So there you have it, now you're fully equipped with our top tips to surviving move in weekend! Now, go forth into the brand new chapter in your life. Living in halls of residence or a student house will be one of the most unique experiences of your life, so embrace it with open arms and most importantly, enjoy yourself!