I'm trying to pack. What should I bring? And what should I leave behind?
So it's almost time to come to St Andrews. For a lot of you it'll be the first time you've lived away from home (for me it was too) but this doesn't mean you have to try and bring everything from home to University. This is by no means going to be an exhaustive list of things to bring but more of the things that you might forget to bring before you pack and also some things to leave behind.
BRING - Any Official Documentation
This is important. It doesn't matter if you're from the UK or abroad. Make sure you bring things like a Passport (and BRP Card if that applies) and Driver's Licence. You will need ID to buy alcohol at any pub or shop in St Andrews and it always helps to have a backup. A Passport will also be needed if you want a job. You'll also need official proof of your National Insurance Number if you plan to get a job in St Andrews.
BRING - Information Regarding Prescriptions You Need
This is important. Before you leave home, go to your doctor and get enough medicine that you need because there will be a small delay in getting any prescriptions from the doctors in St Andrews upon arrival. You should also get a note of your prescriptions from your home doctor to give to the health center (Pipeland or Blackfriars) in St Andrews once you've registered.
DON'T BRING - A Printer (maybe)
This one is a sort of two sided one. What I mean is that if you already have a printer and you have the space to bring it (maybe you're getting a lift in your parent's car) then by all means. I did exactly that. What I mean is don't necessarily go out of your way to buy a printer and take up valuable luggage space getting it to St Andrews. There are plenty university printers which while they can get expensive if you use a lot, are perfectly fine for most people, and some departments (like Physics) will give you printer credits to print out course related stuff (although you can use them for anything. I know people who used them for D&D character sheets).
BRING - Some Sort of Computer
This one is kinda obvious but here's a word of advice. Get a computer that is going to last you 4 years. There are cheap laptops to be had but they might not last too long before they get slower than you thought it was possible for a computer to go. Get something with an SSD rather than a Hard Drive because it'll make things so much faster. I'm not gonna deny that a lot of people have Apple Macbooks and for a lot of people they will work really well for a lot of people (but if it's possible, maybe turn off the startup sound because I gather it can be annoying in lectures).
DON'T BRING - Your School Notes
You may think that the meticulous notes you took for your Highers, Advanced Highers, A Levels, or any other qualification you did in school might be useful for your first year at uni. They won't be. Okay it's not impossible. I did bring my Advanced Higher Physics and Maths notes to uni. I looked at one topic. Once. In an entire year. And I could have looked it up online almost as quickly.
BRING - Cooking Equipment
Even if you're in Catered Halls, you are not going to get food for every meal. Most will only cater 19
meals a week and catered DRA is only 14. This means there's going to be meals for which you'll need to fend for yourself. I'm not saying you need to have an entire kitchen's worth of cooking gear (although if you love to cook then go for it) but a couple of pots, a wooden spoon and a baking tray for cooking in the oven are a good idea. While it is possible to live an enitre year on ready meals from Tesco, this isn't a healthy way to live and I don't encourage it.
DON'T BRING - A Car
St Andrews is a small town. Not only is it small but it's old. Like really old. This means that parking in town is rather limited so even if you live in DRA, it's going to be a massive pain to get parking anywhere near where you actually want to go. Nothing in St Andrews is that far from anything else and you can get almost anywhere in town in less than half an hour at a decent walking pace. Cars are also a bit of an expense that a lot of people can't afford on a student budget so unless you really need to, I'd leave it at home.
BRING - A Bike
On the other side of transport in St Andrews is the bike. A bike is probably the best way to get around quickly in St Andrews. They're small, easy to park (well lock to a pole or rack), they're free to store at halls (most have a bike shed), and running costs are significantly cheaper than a car. As long as you have a decent lock (the uni recommends a sturdy D lock) it's very unlikely to be stolen (a lesson I learned the hard way) not to mention that a bike is really good exercise. A bike can also be a great money maker in St Andrews if you join Deliveroo as a rider delivering food from the many https://www.transitionsta.org/bike-pool/) which rents out bikes for the year. Because of the limited car parking in town, it can actually be faster to use a bike because you spend less time dodging pedestrians and searching for parking spaces. I personally use a bike for getting around (at least if I'm going any further than the Physics building) and I find it makes life a lot easier (especially since I have panniers on the back for larger shopping visits.
resraurants in St Andrews. If you don't have a bike then there's also the St Andrews Bike Pool (
DON'T BRING - Non-UK Electronics or Electrical Appliances
This one is for anyone coming from outside the UK. You will need devices with UK Plugs. You won't be able to use anything without one, even with a travel adapter. They will be confiscated. For people bringing laptops from outside the UK, you'll need to buy a UK power cable from the manufacturer of your laptop. And for phones, you can pick up a UK USB Adapter really cheaply from Tesco when you get to the UK. Any other electrical appliances, I'd suggest that you just buy them here. This includes things such as hairdryers or hair straighteners that if bought outside the UK might not be designed for the electrical grid here. Basically don't use Non-UK appliances in St Andrews unless they have a UK cable.
BRING - UK Surge Protected Extension Cables
This one is more of a quality of life thing. The sockets in your room in halls might be in slightly inconvenient places and if you have a lot of electrical devices then you might need a few extra sockets at your disposal. Having them be surge protected will also give a bit of extra protection for your expensive electronics which on a student budget, you can't really afford to be damaged if there's a power surge.
BRING - A Clothes Airer
This one is important and is actually a mistake I made (that will be rectified this year). An airer is worth picking up because there won't be that many spaces in halls to hang up your washing and you can't tumble dry everything (it's also kinda expensive). They're cheap to pick up on Amazon. If you're not getting driven to St Andrews or you're pressed for space in the car, I'd suggest waiting until you arrive and ordering one to be delivered before you need to do some washing.
DON'T BRING - All Your Clothes
This is a mistake a lot of people make. You're moving to a small seaside town in Scotland. While the weather might be kinda nice in September, in November it'll be cold and windy so don't worry about bringing all your summer clothes with you. Instead pack your winter ones and then when you go home for the holidays or at spring break (which I'm calling spring break because it's nowhere near Easter, before any Brits get on at me) you can bring your summer clothes. When you first move into halls you'll be bringing a lot of stuff that you won't take home with you between semesters (like pots and bikes) and you'll need the space in your car or suitcase for stuff other than all your summer clothes.
BRING - A Spare Charging Cable (for your phone!)
Being a student in 2019 means being connected. Every society and club will use social media to communicate. You will need to be connected on nights out when you inevtably lose your friends in the Union (or heaven forbid, before you even get there). This is why you should really pack a spare charging cable because these do break and you can't rely on your friends having a spare you can borrow until your replacement arrives from Amazon. It's less of a thing you need for uni and more just a thing you need in general (especially iPhone users with those fragile lightning connectors).
BRING - A USB Stick
A USB Stick (or Flash Drive or Thumb Drive or whatever you wanna call it) is something that is so undervalued. Yes with your university login you'll have access to Micrtosoft OneDrive which is a
great place to backup work and I would encourage you to use it, it's hard to beat the convenience of a USB stick when moving between computers. If you're getting to the end of a lab session, or need to go to a different computer to print off an essay, a USB stick can be so much faster. I always carry one at uni (actually this one: https://amzn.to/2ZFQMg7 - because it lets me work on both my computer and my tablet since it has two connectors). They're inexpensive and in my opinion are well worth having in your bag.
DON'T BRING - Every DVD and Book You Own
This is again another space saving issue. DVDs and Books take up a lot of space and if like me you have a lot of them, you will not be able to fit them all in your room in halls (or a suitcase for travelling). By all means bring some. If you're an English major then some books is probably advisable but remember you'll need to buy some for your course. As far as movies and TV shows go, most students will use Netflix or Amazon Prime (which is half price for students) so don't worry about being short on stuff to watch. Ultimately it's up to you what you want to pack, just be mindful of the space you'll have when you think about bringing those 10 Friends boxsets to St Andrews.
This is by no means a complete list, just a guide from someone who brought too much stuff for a small room. There will obviously be exceptions to a lot of these but this is just a list based on my experiences and those of some of my friends.
BRING - Any Official Documentation
This is important. It doesn't matter if you're from the UK or abroad. Make sure you bring things like a Passport (and BRP Card if that applies) and Driver's Licence. You will need ID to buy alcohol at any pub or shop in St Andrews and it always helps to have a backup. A Passport will also be needed if you want a job. You'll also need official proof of your National Insurance Number if you plan to get a job in St Andrews.BRING - Information Regarding Prescriptions You Need
This is important. Before you leave home, go to your doctor and get enough medicine that you need because there will be a small delay in getting any prescriptions from the doctors in St Andrews upon arrival. You should also get a note of your prescriptions from your home doctor to give to the health center (Pipeland or Blackfriars) in St Andrews once you've registered.
DON'T BRING - A Printer (maybe)This one is a sort of two sided one. What I mean is that if you already have a printer and you have the space to bring it (maybe you're getting a lift in your parent's car) then by all means. I did exactly that. What I mean is don't necessarily go out of your way to buy a printer and take up valuable luggage space getting it to St Andrews. There are plenty university printers which while they can get expensive if you use a lot, are perfectly fine for most people, and some departments (like Physics) will give you printer credits to print out course related stuff (although you can use them for anything. I know people who used them for D&D character sheets).
BRING - Some Sort of Computer
This one is kinda obvious but here's a word of advice. Get a computer that is going to last you 4 years. There are cheap laptops to be had but they might not last too long before they get slower than you thought it was possible for a computer to go. Get something with an SSD rather than a Hard Drive because it'll make things so much faster. I'm not gonna deny that a lot of people have Apple Macbooks and for a lot of people they will work really well for a lot of people (but if it's possible, maybe turn off the startup sound because I gather it can be annoying in lectures).
DON'T BRING - Your School Notes
You may think that the meticulous notes you took for your Highers, Advanced Highers, A Levels, or any other qualification you did in school might be useful for your first year at uni. They won't be. Okay it's not impossible. I did bring my Advanced Higher Physics and Maths notes to uni. I looked at one topic. Once. In an entire year. And I could have looked it up online almost as quickly.
BRING - Cooking Equipment
Even if you're in Catered Halls, you are not going to get food for every meal. Most will only cater 19
meals a week and catered DRA is only 14. This means there's going to be meals for which you'll need to fend for yourself. I'm not saying you need to have an entire kitchen's worth of cooking gear (although if you love to cook then go for it) but a couple of pots, a wooden spoon and a baking tray for cooking in the oven are a good idea. While it is possible to live an enitre year on ready meals from Tesco, this isn't a healthy way to live and I don't encourage it.DON'T BRING - A Car
St Andrews is a small town. Not only is it small but it's old. Like really old. This means that parking in town is rather limited so even if you live in DRA, it's going to be a massive pain to get parking anywhere near where you actually want to go. Nothing in St Andrews is that far from anything else and you can get almost anywhere in town in less than half an hour at a decent walking pace. Cars are also a bit of an expense that a lot of people can't afford on a student budget so unless you really need to, I'd leave it at home.
BRING - A Bike
On the other side of transport in St Andrews is the bike. A bike is probably the best way to get around quickly in St Andrews. They're small, easy to park (well lock to a pole or rack), they're free to store at halls (most have a bike shed), and running costs are significantly cheaper than a car. As long as you have a decent lock (the uni recommends a sturdy D lock) it's very unlikely to be stolen (a lesson I learned the hard way) not to mention that a bike is really good exercise. A bike can also be a great money maker in St Andrews if you join Deliveroo as a rider delivering food from the many https://www.transitionsta.org/bike-pool/) which rents out bikes for the year. Because of the limited car parking in town, it can actually be faster to use a bike because you spend less time dodging pedestrians and searching for parking spaces. I personally use a bike for getting around (at least if I'm going any further than the Physics building) and I find it makes life a lot easier (especially since I have panniers on the back for larger shopping visits.resraurants in St Andrews. If you don't have a bike then there's also the St Andrews Bike Pool (
DON'T BRING - Non-UK Electronics or Electrical Appliances
This one is for anyone coming from outside the UK. You will need devices with UK Plugs. You won't be able to use anything without one, even with a travel adapter. They will be confiscated. For people bringing laptops from outside the UK, you'll need to buy a UK power cable from the manufacturer of your laptop. And for phones, you can pick up a UK USB Adapter really cheaply from Tesco when you get to the UK. Any other electrical appliances, I'd suggest that you just buy them here. This includes things such as hairdryers or hair straighteners that if bought outside the UK might not be designed for the electrical grid here. Basically don't use Non-UK appliances in St Andrews unless they have a UK cable.
BRING - UK Surge Protected Extension CablesThis one is more of a quality of life thing. The sockets in your room in halls might be in slightly inconvenient places and if you have a lot of electrical devices then you might need a few extra sockets at your disposal. Having them be surge protected will also give a bit of extra protection for your expensive electronics which on a student budget, you can't really afford to be damaged if there's a power surge.
BRING - A Clothes Airer
This one is important and is actually a mistake I made (that will be rectified this year). An airer is worth picking up because there won't be that many spaces in halls to hang up your washing and you can't tumble dry everything (it's also kinda expensive). They're cheap to pick up on Amazon. If you're not getting driven to St Andrews or you're pressed for space in the car, I'd suggest waiting until you arrive and ordering one to be delivered before you need to do some washing.
DON'T BRING - All Your Clothes
This is a mistake a lot of people make. You're moving to a small seaside town in Scotland. While the weather might be kinda nice in September, in November it'll be cold and windy so don't worry about bringing all your summer clothes with you. Instead pack your winter ones and then when you go home for the holidays or at spring break (which I'm calling spring break because it's nowhere near Easter, before any Brits get on at me) you can bring your summer clothes. When you first move into halls you'll be bringing a lot of stuff that you won't take home with you between semesters (like pots and bikes) and you'll need the space in your car or suitcase for stuff other than all your summer clothes.
BRING - A Spare Charging Cable (for your phone!)
Being a student in 2019 means being connected. Every society and club will use social media to communicate. You will need to be connected on nights out when you inevtably lose your friends in the Union (or heaven forbid, before you even get there). This is why you should really pack a spare charging cable because these do break and you can't rely on your friends having a spare you can borrow until your replacement arrives from Amazon. It's less of a thing you need for uni and more just a thing you need in general (especially iPhone users with those fragile lightning connectors).
BRING - A USB Stick
A USB Stick (or Flash Drive or Thumb Drive or whatever you wanna call it) is something that is so undervalued. Yes with your university login you'll have access to Micrtosoft OneDrive which is a
great place to backup work and I would encourage you to use it, it's hard to beat the convenience of a USB stick when moving between computers. If you're getting to the end of a lab session, or need to go to a different computer to print off an essay, a USB stick can be so much faster. I always carry one at uni (actually this one: https://amzn.to/2ZFQMg7 - because it lets me work on both my computer and my tablet since it has two connectors). They're inexpensive and in my opinion are well worth having in your bag.
This is again another space saving issue. DVDs and Books take up a lot of space and if like me you have a lot of them, you will not be able to fit them all in your room in halls (or a suitcase for travelling). By all means bring some. If you're an English major then some books is probably advisable but remember you'll need to buy some for your course. As far as movies and TV shows go, most students will use Netflix or Amazon Prime (which is half price for students) so don't worry about being short on stuff to watch. Ultimately it's up to you what you want to pack, just be mindful of the space you'll have when you think about bringing those 10 Friends boxsets to St Andrews.
This is by no means a complete list, just a guide from someone who brought too much stuff for a small room. There will obviously be exceptions to a lot of these but this is just a list based on my experiences and those of some of my friends.
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