University Stationary Haul

I always go overboard with stationary this time of year. I didn't have the budget for that this year and so I have limited myself to the bare basics of what I will need based on the advice off of experience YouTubers etc. I am sure that over the first semester I will invest in many more folders etc. but this is the bare minimum I will be carrying around during my first week of lectures. 

 I am studying joint honours and so I invested in two separate subject divided notebooks; one for English Literature and one for Creative Writing. I also picked up one A5 notebook to write notes in during lectures. I felt this would be easier than carrying around big folders like I was doing all throughout my A Levels. My plan is to then write/type up my notes in neat later to revise from. 

 I also picked up one folder to keep any handouts or documents I may be given neat which I plan to keep at home to revise from. 

 All of this was purchased from WHSmiths along with this set of highlighters which I have found crucial during my years of doing GCSEs and A Levels. WHSmiths tends to always have deals and offers on their stationary. This was the case with the set of Pukka Pads I purchased as well as their 3 for 2 offers on much of their stationary. 

 I picked up this lovely water bottle. I have always tended to refill plastic bottles which can get pretty messy if they leak in a bag and so I thought this screw top bottle would limit the chances of that happening (hopefully.) 

 I also picked up a pot of pushpins due to an offer. In my room at university I will have a cork board on the wall which I plan on decorating with fairy lights and photographs. I thought these would come in handy for putting that together as a way of cosying up my bedroom. 

 In ASDA, I picked up this set for £6. I wasn't a huge fan of the colour of it but it seemed like a cheap way of getting desk organisers. It contains a magazine rack, pen pot, letter rack, A4 paper tray and memo block holder. While I don't much like the look of it, I figured I can use it temporarily and then replace the pieces I use with nicer ones when I have a little more money. The paper tray and memo block holder, I doubt I will use for instance, so I can use much of it temporarily and replace as and when I can. 


A few weeks ago I purchased this pencil case from New Look for under £5. It seems to dupe a Ted Baker design of a bow on the front. I grabbed this because it matches a bag I have had my eye on for a little while that could be a potential birthday present but theres never any harm in having a pretty pencil case. 

 That is pretty much it for my university haul because I have several refill pads left over from A Levels. There are still a few things I need to get but I think at this stage, it is best to keep things simple because your money can be used for more important things such as food! 

 I hope you have found this useful or interesting. Please feel free to comment if you think there is anything I have forgotten or may find useful! 

 I will be doing a Vital University Supplies Haul in the next week which I hope you will find useful! 

University Homeware Haul

It is now a little over a week before I, and many students my age, leave home for the first time to move into University accommodation or other similar arrangements. I have found it a little overwhelming to know what to buy. Having spent a lot of time watching YouTube videos and reading blogposts and articles to attempt to navigate what I need, I decided to put together my own post to widen the resources and advice out there for Students like myself. 

 I will be doing a separate University Necessities haul to filter it down to what you absolutely must have to move into accommodation; however, this post is for inspiration regarding making your small room in halls feel a little more like home. This post comes with a little naivety, I haven't yet moved in or know whether all of these items where practical etc. but I wanted to write this anyway to give ideas to anyone still doing some last minute university shopping.

 There are still many ideas I have for my room and little pieces I want to get hold of, but I hope this gives you some ideas as to making your new home feel homely. 

 I used this as the perfect opportunity to explore Primark's new homeware range. They have some lovely pieces at the wonderful, budget friendly Primark price range we all know and love. 

 My first purchase was some bedding. By bed at home is a double whereas my bed in my uni room will be a single. I wanted to leave all of the bedding and cosies I had bought for my room at home behind so that when I am staying at home, it will all still be ready for me. So I purchased this simplistic set from the new Primark range which I hope to cosy up with a lovely throw and scatter cushion combo. The single duvet cover and pillow set was £15 and I picked up a sheet and spare pillow covers for under £10. I wanted to keep my bedsheets minimalistic so that I can have accessories in my bedroom without everything looking too overwhelming. 



 I also picked up these two storage containers in a lovely rose gold finish for £5 each. I thought these would sit nicely underneath a desk; one containing notebooks and desk stationary and the other holding by bath and shower products. They are fairly small and so will tuck away easily without the need to clog up the little desk space I will have. 

 I also picked up this necklace display, again with a rose gold theme. Jewellery can be one of the hardest things to store at home, I have a necklace hanger that screws into the wall. Obviously when renting university accommodation, you cannot drill into the walls and so this was a vital find for me which can just sit on my desk and hold all of my necklaces. 

 When standing in line to pay I grabbed a set of pink/rose gold hangers for £4 because you can never have too many! This in itself may not be enough but I didn't want to over buy before I know exactly how much wardrobe space I will have. 

 The Primark shop only crossed a few things off my list and so I kept my eye out in ASDA when doing my kitchen necessities shop. I grabbed this lovely set of butterfly coasters because I love my coffee in the morning... and evening... and anywhere in between! I also don't want to be staining my desk or doing anything else to harm the return of my deposit at the end of the year. 

 I am also a self confessed mug hoarder and despite already having a couple that I couldn't possibly leave behind, I couldn't resist these two. The first is a lovely baby pink with a gold feature at the bottom, the second is an actual unicorn shaped around a mug. Nothing starts off the day better than a fun cup of coffee! 






















This next buy is probably going to be a life saver for everyone! I knew I needed something to store my shoes and none of the provided storage seemed like it would fit the bill. In Asda, this laundry hamper caught my eye, not for dirty washing, but due to its deepness yet dainty size, it would be perfect to store my many pairs of shoes without taking up too much floor space. Sat at the end of the bed or next to the desk, you can get away with having one of these and not being too cluttered! I bought this for £8 so if you're stuck with what to use for shoes, grab yourself one of these.

And that rounds up my homeware collection for university so far. I still have a few things in mind for finishing touches, but these will probably come later on once my room is mostly put together! I hope this has helped inspire you with how to store certain things or just how to cosy up your space. I will be back later on in the week with my University Stationary Haul!