Starting university comes with a whirlwind of emotions but amongst the excitement and nerves, take time to do your homework on the essentials that you’ll need.

Laura Durechova from Graduate Recruitment Bureau highlights a few of the most important things you need to do before you start university.

Get a student bank account

Do some research and open up a student bank account that allows an interest free overdraft. Most banks offer the same thing monetarily, but they compete with their freebies and deals that come with opening a new account. If you’re lucky you can grab yourself an NUS card or 16-25 railcard for free.

Get an NUS card

If your bank doesn’t offer one for free, it’s well worth buying one. They offer you discounts that your student card can’t as you’re able to use it online and in specific shops and restaurants. They’re priced from £12 and are valid from an option of one, two or three years.

Look out for homeware deals

Your student halls will be standard looking and not very homely. Take a trip to town and look out for august/September homeware deals to help decorate your room. Often bedding, towels and cushions are on offer, with deals extended with an NUS card. Also check out kitchen deals for pots, pans and cutlery. Supermarkets often have dedicated student sections which sell good quality starter kits for a relatively small amount of money.

Pack enough underwear.

Bring more underwear than you need. Soon you’ll find that you’ve run out and you haven’t had a chance/been bothered to go to the launderette yet. It’s better to have too many pairs than being stuck without!

Get a railcard

Again, if you can’t get hold of one through your bank, definitely buy one as they save an incredible amount of money. Railcards help you out with 1/3 off train tickets and make going home or visiting friends cheaper. They cost £30 per year, but keep an eye out for deals as in summer you can get them for half price.

Medicine, toiletries etc.

Fresher’s flu is real! At the end of the week you’re bound to feel run down and exhausted, and the idea of leaving your house to get medicine is not only unappealing, but also very pricey. Make sure you pack all the medicine and tissues you need before you leave for university. Also, bring sanitary towels and tampons if needed as they’re something you always have in your house but at university it might come as a shock.

Get vaccinated

University is a hub for spreading infection and illness as you’ll find out with fresher’s flu. Unfortunately there’s nothing you can do to prevent freshers flu, but there are measures you can take to vaccinate yourself from serious infections such as meningitis. Get that done before you start university or as soon as you arrive.

Take ID

The worst thing that could happen is you forget your ID and its stuck miles away in your hometown. Make sure you pack it a trip home could be more expensive than ordering a new one, which could cost anything from £20-£100 depending on the form of id.