Prime Student
What to bring to a student flat in your first year: a reasoned list
In short
Bring only what you will use in the first week: bedding, a towel, a desk lamp, a power strip, headphones and the basics for cooking. The rest is bought once you arrive, when you know what the flat already has and what your flatmates share. Before buying anything, ask what size the bed is and what there is in the kitchen.
Full guide: Prime Student
| Area | The essentials for the first week |
|---|---|
| Bed | Two sets of sheets, duvet cover, pillow |
| Bathroom | Two towels, washbag, flip-flops |
| Desk | Desk lamp, power strip, headphones |
| Kitchen | Frying pan, saucepan, two food containers, bottle |
| Wardrobe | Hangers and a laundry basket |
| Class | Backpack, notebooks, external drive or USB stick |
The first-week rule
The classic mistake is to arrive with the car full and discover that half of it is surplus and the important things are missing. The rule that works is to bring only what you will use in the first seven days. Everything else is decided once you know the flat, your flatmates and your routine.
Buying on arrival has another advantage: you do not lug things that later have to go back up four flights of stairs.
Before you buy, ask what is there
Most student flats are let furnished and with kitchenware. Ask the landlord or the flatmates for a list or some photos of the kitchen and your room. Three questions save half the shopping: what size the bed is, whether there is a desk with a chair and which small appliances are already there.
- What size is the mattress? There are beds 80, 90, 105 and 135 centimetres wide, and sheets are not interchangeable.
- Is there a desk, chair and lamp in the room?
- What is in the kitchen: pans, plates, microwave, coffee maker?
- Is there a washing machine and a clothes airer?
- Is the internet connection already set up?
The bed
It is the one thing you do not share and the first you will need. Two sets of sheets in the right size let you have one on and one in the wash. A duvet cover with its filling solves the whole year in most cities.
Bring your own pillow: it is cheap, takes up little room and is the difference between sleeping well and badly on the first nights. A mattress protector is a good idea in a flat many tenants have passed through.
The bathroom
Two bath towels and a hand towel, a washbag with a zip to carry your things from bedroom to bathroom, and a pair of flip-flops. In a shared bathroom, what is left on the shelf ends up belonging to everyone, so the washbag is not a luxury. Add a small folding airer or some clip hangers if there is nowhere to dry the towel in your room.
The desk
Three things change the quality of your study hours: a desk lamp that lights well, a power strip with several sockets, because rented rooms usually have just one, and headphones. In a shared flat, headphones are what let you study while someone else watches a series.
If you use a laptop for many hours, a stand and an external keyboard prevent neck pain. We go into this in how to set up a study desk.
The kitchen
With a frying pan, a saucepan, a chopping board, a decent knife, two food containers and a reusable bottle you can cook for one all year. You need no more to begin with. Before buying plates and cutlery, look at what is there: nearly every flat has plenty. What should be yours are the containers, because they are what you use to take food to campus.
The wardrobe
Hangers, because there are never enough, and a basket or bag for dirty laundry. A few boxes or bags to store out-of-season clothes under the bed free up a lot of space in a small wardrobe. Do not bring all your clothes in September: bring what suits the season and swap on your first visit home.
For class
A comfortable backpack, notebooks or a ring binder per subject, pens, highlighters and an external drive or USB stick for backups. The last is what fewest people bring and what is missed most: losing an assignment the night before the deadline because of a broken laptop happens every year. If your degree calls for specific materials, wait until the first week of classes to find out which.
What to buy once you arrive
- Cleaning products and paper goods, which are bought jointly.
- A clothes airer, if there is none.
- Whatever the kitchen lacks once you have seen what is there.
- A better lamp or chair, if the ones in the room are no good.
- Decoration and plants, once you know how much room you have.
What tends to be surplus
A full set of crockery, duplicated small appliances and decoration. In a flat of four, four toasters turn up in the first week. Wait until everyone is there and share out: each person contributes one shared item and nobody buys the same thing. You do not need a printer either: faculties and copy shops cover the few times one is needed.
What nearly everyone forgets
- An extension lead or power strip for the bed, where there is never a socket.
- A padlock, if you are going to use lockers at the library or the gym.
- A small first-aid kit with the basics.
- Spare bulbs for the desk lamp.
- A large bag for going to the launderette or the clothes line.
How to split shared costs
Shared things break and run out: paper, cleaning products, cloths. A kitty with an equal monthly contribution from everyone avoids arguments. What each person buys for themselves, such as their good frying pan or their coffee maker, stays outside the kitty and goes with them at the end of the year. If someone brings an expensive appliance, make it clear from the start that it is theirs.
What to talk about on the first day
More than any purchase, what makes a flat work is four agreements made early: how the cleaning is shared and how often, from what time the noise comes down, how visitors are announced and what is bought jointly. Ten minutes of conversation in the first week save arguments all year. Write the agreements in a shared note so that nobody remembers them differently.
The budget, in order of priority
| Priority | What to buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bedding and pillow | You use them from the first night |
| 2 | Desk lamp, power strip and headphones | You cannot study without them |
| 3 | Basic kitchen kit and containers | Eating at home is the biggest saving of the year |
| 4 | Hangers, basket and storage | Space is scarce |
| 5 | Upgrades and decoration | Once you know what you need |
If money is tight, buy in that order and leave the rest for later. The first three rows are felt every day.
Shopping online with a clear head
In the first months of term you place many small orders: a cable, a book, a lamp. They are precisely the ones that pay for delivery when you do not reach the minimum amount. Two ways to avoid it: group orders with your flatmates or use a subscription with free delivery during those weeks. Save things to a list and order once a week, not every time you remember something.
Where Prime Student fits in
Students and young people aged 18 to 24 can get Prime at half price, with a 90-day free trial, according to Amazon's June 2025 announcement. Those three months cover almost the whole first term, which is when most orders are placed. The requirements and price are in Prime Student: eligibility and price, and the Prime Student guide has a sheet for ticking off what you are missing.
An example of what to pack
To see it in practice, this is what fits in two suitcases and a backpack and covers the first week: clothes for the season for ten days, two sets of sheets, duvet cover, pillow, two towels, washbag, flip-flops, folding desk lamp, power strip, headphones, laptop with its charger, an external drive, a small frying pan, a saucepan, two food containers, a bottle and a handful of hangers.
Nothing more. With that you sleep, study and eat from day one, and you still have room to decide calmly what is missing.
If the flat is unfurnished
It is less common, but it happens. In that case the essentials are a mattress, a table and a chair. Before buying new furniture, ask in the building itself and in your faculty's student groups: every June people leave and give away or sell cheaply what they cannot take with them. Whatever you buy, make it flat-pack, because you will move more than once.
At the end of the year
Think from the start about what you will do with everything in June. What fits in two suitcases goes home with you. The rest has to be stored, sold or given away. That is why it pays to buy little and light: a folding desk lamp, a power strip, headphones and bedding go with you from flat to flat for the whole degree. A bookcase does not.
Common mistakes
- Buying sheets without knowing the size of the bed.
- Bringing appliances without asking whether the flat already has them.
- Not bringing a power strip or headphones.
- Buying everything on the first day, before getting to know the flat.
- Not discussing shared costs until the first conflict arises.
In short
Ask first, bring little and buy on arrival. With the bed sorted, a desk you can study at and the minimum for cooking, the first week is covered. The rest is decided by living in the flat.
Frequently asked questions about what to bring to a student flat
What should I bring to a student flat?
Bedding, towels, a desk lamp, a power strip, headphones and the basics for cooking. The rest is bought on arrival.
What do I not need to buy?
A full set of crockery, small appliances the flat already has, a printer and decoration.
What should I ask before moving in?
The size of the bed, whether there is a desk and chair, and what there is in the kitchen.
How are shared costs split in a shared flat?
With a kitty to which everyone contributes the same each month for cleaning and consumables.
When is the best time to start the Prime Student trial?
The week you are going to do your shopping for the course, to make the most of the 90 days.
What is the first-week rule for a student flat?
Bring only what you will use in the first seven days. The rest is decided once you know the flat, your flatmates and your routine.
What size sheets do I need for a student flat?
It depends on the bed: they come 80, 90, 105 and 135 centimetres wide and sheets are not interchangeable. Ask the size before buying.
What bedding should I bring to a student flat?
Two sets of sheets in the right size, a duvet cover with its filling, your own pillow and, if you like, a mattress protector.
What should I bring for a shared bathroom?
Two bath towels and a hand towel, a zipped washbag to carry your things and a pair of flip-flops.
What does the desk in a student flat need?
A desk lamp that lights well, a power strip with several sockets and headphones. If you use a laptop for many hours, a stand and an external keyboard.
Which kitchen utensils does a student need?
A frying pan, a saucepan, a chopping board, a decent knife, two food containers and a reusable bottle are enough to cook for one all year.
Do I need to buy plates and cutlery for a student flat?
Usually not. Nearly all furnished flats have plenty; check before buying.
What should I bring for class in the first year?
A comfortable backpack, notebooks or a binder per subject, pens, highlighters and an external drive or USB stick for backups.
What is better bought on arrival rather than before?
Cleaning products and paper goods, a clothes airer if there is none, whatever the kitchen lacks, a better lamp or chair and decoration.
What does nearly everyone forget when moving into a student flat?
An extension lead for the bed, a padlock for lockers, a small first-aid kit, spare bulbs and a large laundry bag.
Do I need a printer in a student flat?
No. Faculties and copy shops cover the few times you need to print.
What should flatmates agree on the first day?
Four things: how cleaning is shared, from what time the noise comes down, how visitors are announced and what is bought jointly.
In what order should I buy if money is tight?
First bedding and pillow; then desk lamp, power strip and headphones; then basic kitchen kit and containers; then storage and, last, decoration.
What if the flat is unfurnished?
The essentials are a mattress, a table and a chair. Ask in the building and in your faculty's groups before buying new furniture.
How can I avoid delivery charges on small orders during term?
By grouping orders with flatmates, ordering once a week or using a subscription with free delivery such as Prime Student.
Sources and date checked
- Amazon: Prime at half price for young adults and students, announcement of June 2025 (in Spanish)
- Terms published by Amazon.es for Prime Student, checked in October 2026
The practical advice, examples and calculators are the work of Global Store Afiliados. Facts last checked: 10 October 2026. How we check the facts: editorial methodology.
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