Handy Items to Help a Student Settle In

You’ve finally made it to Harlaxton, hallelujah! You’ve been assigned to your dorm and are now ready to start your adventure. But hold on a tick, you’re going to need stuff to settle in with and to help get back to comfortable daily life. You obviously couldn’t fit everything you need into your suitcase, and if having to choose between your favorite jeans and a clothes basket, the jeans will win every time. So definitely pick up one of the light weight pop up hampers at the Dollar Store or Walmart to bring with you. Today’s blog is about how to get on your feet and settled in at Harlaxton. This will include packing tips, where to shop in town, and the everyday life hacks that are brilliant!

One of my most treasured items is a charging tower. I purchased this on Amazon prior to arrival. It’s a wee bit bulky so I put it in the bottom of my backpack as my carry on. This thing has been awesome! With this I can plug in my U.S. devices. If you have something like this you won’t have to buy a gazillion adapters and converters. I have this tower and one adapter, which is working perfectly. As a bonus, the cord is quite long and it acts as an extension cord as well as helps me to stay tidy with everything in one compact place. It also acts as a converter so you won’t have to worry about frying your appliances and burning down the dorm. Did I mention this comes in several cute colors as well and different plug tips? I bought the European plug, as I plan to travel quite a bit throughout Europe and not just the United Kingdom. However, a $5.00 adapter settles any issue I may have had with having the European plug tip. Plus, the adapter is small and easy to throw in my backpack for any weekend getaways you may decide to take.

Okay, so now you’re setup, plugged in and charging. What now? I bet by this point you’re quite hungry. Sadly, what they don’t tell you is there isn’t really any food at Harlaxton between meals other than what you would find in a typical vending machine. Luckily, you can call the taxi service, Street Cars, and pay 6 pounds to head into town. Harlaxton also provides a free shuttle service but doesn’t begin until about three days after arrival. I highly recommend getting a few microwaveable snacks from the local ASDA (think a small Walmart). Because we eat dinner early here and I find a cup of noodles or bowl of cereal takes the edge off. The Cup of Noodles here comes in variety of flavors and I will cover all the food choices in a later blog to follow.

Also, if you’re a coffee lover such as I am, pick up some coffee and creamer or ½ gallon of milk while at ASDA because you can’t access the coffee in the Refectory (cafeteria) until meal times or later on in the evening. Also, they don’t unlock the doors for evening use until around the second week of classes. The bistro (pub) does provide drinks but it isn’t open until 8:30 p.m. 

Another handy item to have is a Bobble (filtering water bottle) which is wonderful! You will receive a house travel mug the first week of classes but it does leak if tipped over and doesn’t filter. I brought mine from the U.S but they are available to purchase here in the UK at stores such as ASDA. So these are a few helpful items and tidbits that helped me get going the first few days here.

Written by: Stacy Flanery