What to do before you say goodbye!

The day you move into your university campus home is both exciting but also terrifying, with so many new people, unfamiliar places to see and so many things to do. When I moved in back in 2022, I found it so overwhelming to decide what to do on such a big and hectic day, especially after a 5-hour drive. Here are 10 ideas I wish I had known to do on Move In Day with your family after your journey to campus.

1 – Go to IKEA

One of my favourite stores of all time, IKEA is a place you can explore for hours and get some amazing deals on furniture, kitchen items and bedding. On such a crazy day like Move In Day, there will likely be basic kitchen and bedroom essentials that you have missed.

IKEA is the perfect place to go for excellent quality and low-priced kitchen and bedroom furniture and items. They also have fantastic extra storage solutions which are perfect for smaller spaces like a university dorm. In my first year I bought a pouffe and a small set of bedside drawers for extra storage in my room, costing no more than £30 each which helped me massively as an over-packer. The closest IKEA to the University campus is the one on Oxford Street, but there are bigger IKEAs in Hammersmith and Greenwich a bit further away (and that are way less hectic).

Don't forget, you can still book a spot on the ResLife IKEA trip that's running on Saturday 13th September!

2 - Take some pictures in the ResLife Photo Booth!

Do you want some cute, free memorabilia from your Move In Day? The answer is, of course you do! Residential Life are organising a free photo-booth to take fun photos with your loved ones and your new friends! Just pop down to canalside on Saturday or Sunday and take a photo with your family, friends or loved ones to keep as a memory of your first day living on campus!

It’s cute, fun and free, exactly what you want before spending all your money during fresher's week!

3 – Have a coffee at The Ground

After a long day of travelling, unpacking, and hauling boxes to and from the car, a coffee and a cookie is exactly what is needed! There is absolutely nowhere better for that than The Ground café.

Our campus-based, student-led coffee shop next door to the library and the Student Union hub is the perfect place to get any hot or cold drink of your choice, including coffee, smoothies and even matcha! Also, if you bring your own reusable cup, you get 50p off your drink!

I personally recommend (as a Ground connoisseur myself) the chocolate chip vegan cookie and a cappuccino. If you need to have a chill and a chit-chat, The Ground is the place to go!

4 – Have food in one of the top eats in the area

East London is filled with some of the best restaurants and cafés in the world (not biased at all)!

A great way to get a feel for your new city home, and to fill up after a long day, is to have some food in the area. One of the best places to eat in East London is Brick Lane, which is just a 15-minute bus ride away from campus! With incredible food from many different cuisines, it is the perfect place to have food with your family.

My favourite is Aladin which is a famous Indian restaurant on Brick Lane. With incredible food at very reasonable prices, Aladin is one of my favourite restaurants in the local area.

5 – Fairground games with res life

After a long drive or even flight to your new University, blowing off some steam is definitely needed! What better way to do that than playing some fairground games?

Residential Life are organising fun, interactive and FREE fairground games to play with your family and new friends! While you are there you can sign up and collect your Resident's Rewards Card from the Residential Life team. This will give you access to Residential Life’s events, most of which are free or a small fee, and offer discounts throughout the entire academic year!

The fairground games can be found across the student village on the Saturday or Sunday of Move In Weekend.

6 – Take a walk around one of the local parks

East London has many gorgeous parks within a walking distance to the Mile End campus. If the weather allows, take a stroll to Mile End Park to walk down the canal or to Victoria Park to admire the statues and structures. This is such a chill activity to do with your family, and a perfect way to get a feel for your new city home, especially after a long day of travelling. Mile End Park is just a 5 minutes walk from campus, and Victoria Park is about 10 minutes.

You can get a feel for the local area before you even arrive with our interactive Choose Your Own Adventure game!

7 – Do a tour of the campus

Queen Mary University of London is one of the only London based universities that has its own campus!

Take some time on your Move In Day to do a tour of your beautiful new home, making sure to visit all the study spaces, green areas, and academic buildings. With study spaces like the library and the Student Union hub, and chill out spots like QM Social and Ground Café, and so many academic and accommodation buildings, there is so much to see on campus!

It would also be a good idea to look inside some of the residential buildings such as Residences Reception, the Housing Hub and the laundry room so you're familiar with the facilities that are on offer. You can book a guided campus tour on the university website, or if you would rather go at your own pace, you can use the signage around the campus or Queen Mary app to guide you!

8 – Go to the Reuse Fair

Before you go speeding off to IKEA, there's something special you should know about! Every year the Students Union hosts the Reuse Fair on Saturday and Sunday of Move In Weekend. Here you can take your pick of hundreds of essential items that have been donated by previous students, all for only £3!

It's sustainable for the planet and for your wallet, so it's well worth buying a ticket. You never know what treasures you'll find!

9 – Go to Westfield Stratford  

Being only one tube stop away from Mile End, Stratford is home to an incredible shopping centre, Westfield.

Westfield is filled with retail shops such as Primark, H&M and Urban Outfitters. There are also plenty of food and restaurant options such as Wingstop or Five Guys for fast food and Ask Italian and Pizza Express for sit down meals. Westfield even has a Vue cinema, which is constantly showing both new and old films to watch with family and friends.

10 – Go food shopping at a local supermarket

Groceries and cleaning supplies are probably the last thing on your mind when moving to your new home, but it is so helpful to buy groceries on your first day to save money and come to grips with a new supermarket.

There are many supermarkets near the campus, the biggest (and cheapest) being Asda and Lidl just 15 minutes walk away from campus. There are also smaller food shops such as Sainsbury’s, Tesco and the Co Op closer to campus, but these can sometimes be a lot more expensive, so it is best to save those for smaller or emergency shops.

Plus, we've got tips on how to grab bargains at all of the shops near campus!