Starting Uni means your bag basically becomes your portable life. Between lectures, library sessions, coffee runs, and maybe even a gym class squeezed in, you want to make sure you’ve got everything you need without feeling like you’re lugging around a suitcase. Here are some of the best things to pack in your Uni bag (beyond just your laptop and pens) to keep you ready for anything:

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📓 Notebook or Planner

Even if you take notes on your laptop, having a notebook or planner is so handy for jotting down quick ideas, deadlines, or a to-do list.

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✨ Top tip: Pack light – if you’ve got a big planner, leave it at home and just bring a slim notebook for the day.

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🥤 Reusable Water Bottle & Snacks

Hydration is key, especially on those marathon days with back-to-back lectures. A refillable water bottle saves money and the planet.

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✨ Top tip: Keep a little emergency snack stash in your bag so you’re never caught hungry in a long lecture.

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🔌 Chargers & Power Bank

Nothing’s worse than your laptop or phone dying mid-lecture or when you’re halfway through writing an essay in the library.

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✨ Top tip: Store chargers in a small pouch so the cables don’t get tangled at the bottom of your bag.

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🎧 Headphones

For blocking out noise on the bus, powering through essays with study playlists, or catching up on podcasts between classes.

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✨ Top tip: Always keep a spare wired pair in case your wireless ones die – lifesaver during exam season.

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🖊️ Stationery Essentials

Highlighters, sticky notes, and a couple of decent pens go a long way for staying organised.

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✨ Top tip: Do a quick weekly reset – empty your pencil case and bag to avoid carrying around five dried-out pens and a pile of scrap paper.

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🧴 Personal Care Kit

Hand sanitizer, tissues, and lip balm always come in handy. Some students also keep painkillers or plasters just in case.

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✨ Top tip: A mini zip bag keeps these items neat (and stops lip balm from rolling into oblivion).

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☔ Umbrella or Raincoat

If you’re in the UK (or anywhere with unpredictable weather), an umbrella is basically an essential uni bag item.

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✨ Top tip: Go for a compact umbrella that fits in your bag pocket so it’s always there when you need it.

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🔑 Student ID & Keys

Sounds obvious, but these are the things you panic about the most when you forget them.

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✨ Top tip: Attach your ID and keys toa lanyard or keyring – you’ll never lose them at the bottom of your bag again.

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💡 Something Fun or Comforting

It might be a book for downtime, a little fidget toy, or even a cosy jumper.

✨ Top tip: Rotate these extras depending on your timetable – gym gear one day, a book the next – so you’re not overloading your bag.

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✨Packing your Uni bag well is all about balance: enough to keep you prepared, but not so much that your shoulders hate you. Think of your bag as your daily survival kit – essentials first, comfort items second, and a weekly reset to keep it fresh.

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Need help with accommodation?
Studentpad is here to make that part easier.

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If you are still looking for your Student and Post Grad accommodation head to the Studentpad search tools to find your university's accommodation search site to help you find your new student accommodation, then get searching for your off campus shared house, room, or apartment.

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Post by Olivia MacLean (Marketing Executive at the Pad Group)

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