Day 5: The move
Packing, the first week, and the feelings no one warns you about.
Today's goal
By the end of today you can plan your move and first week, build a support network, and present a complete Moving-Out Plan.
Agenda
- Warm-upAudit, round two10 min
- LearnHomesickness and settling in15 min
- ActivityMap your support network25 min
- ActivityPacking list and first-night box25 min
- ActivityYour first-week plan20 min
- BreakBreak10 min
- CapstoneBuild your Moving-Out Plan40 min
- CapstonePresent and self-assess25 min
- ReflectClosing reflection5 min
- QuizDay 5 quiz5 min
The session
Audit, round two
See how far you have come since Day 1.
- Retake the 20-task independence audit without looking at your Day 1 scores.
- Compare the two sets of scores and circle your biggest improvement.
- Note the three tasks that still score lowest; these become next steps in your plan.
Solo
Show both audits to the parent who scored you on Day 1.
Group
Show of hands for anyone who improved on at least five tasks.
Related lessons: What leaving home really feels like
Homesickness and settling in
Missing home is normal, and there is a lot you can do about it.
- The University of Dundee's guide calls missing home 'a very normal thing' that can affect students at any stage of their studies.
- Its tips: make your space feel like home with familiar items, join clubs or societies to build a local network, and talk to people about how you feel.
- Schedule regular calls with family, but the same guide notes that going home too often may reduce time for new friendships.
- Settling-in times vary: the guide says some students feel settled by the end of Welcome Week, while others take until the end of a semester. Be patient with yourself.
- If you have an existing condition such as anxiety or depression and homesickness makes it worse, the guide advises telling your doctor.
Related lessons: What leaving home really feels like, Preparing emotionally before you go, Homesickness in depth: a daily plan and when to get support, Staying close to family from far away, Culture shock and reverse culture shock
Map your support network
Knowing who to turn to before you need them makes asking much easier.
- Draw yourself in the centre of a page with four circles around you: family, friends, university or work, and services.
- Add at least two named people or services in each circle, such as a cousin in the same country, a personal tutor, a student support team, a faith community or a helpline.
- Next to each, write what they can help with and how to contact them.
- Plan your family contact rhythm: which days, what time zone, how long.
- Write one sentence you could send when you are struggling: a ready-made message makes asking for help easier.
Solo
Complete the map and agree the family contact rhythm with a parent.
Group
Students make their maps individually; pairs then check each other's maps for gaps, without sharing personal details they prefer to keep private.
Related lessons: Homesickness in depth: a daily plan and when to get support, Staying close to family from far away, When and how to ask for help, A family communication plan when you live far away
Packing list and first-night box
Pack for the life you will live, not for every possible situation.
- Write a packing list in categories: documents, clothes for the climate, bedding and towels, kitchen basics, study kit, medicines and toiletries, tech and chargers, personal items from home.
- Mark which items you will buy on arrival instead of packing.
- Plan a first-night box: bedding, towel, toiletries, phone charger, a plug adaptor, snacks, a mug, basic medicines and copies of documents.
- Keep documents and valuables in your hand luggage.
- Check your list against your budget and baggage allowance.
Solo
Write your list, then ask a parent what they wish they had packed when they first left home.
Group
Flats build a shared master list on a large sheet and agree the ten items everyone forgets.
Related lessons: Moving day plan and your first-night box, Furnishing on a budget: what you actually need, Packing clothes for moving and travel, Dressing for a new climate
Your first-week plan
The first week sets your routines. A plan stops it disappearing in a blur.
- Day 1: move in, photograph the room, check the inventory and meters, and unpack the first-night box.
- Days 2 to 3: register with a doctor (in England the NHS says registering with a GP is free and you do not usually need ID or proof of address), set up utilities or check they are included, get a local SIM, do a first food shop.
- Days 4 to 5: walk your route to class or work, find the pharmacy and supermarket, hold the first house meeting.
- Days 6 to 7: join at least one club or community group, call home, do your first weekly admin hour.
- Add one thing each day that is just for you.
Solo
Write the plan for your most likely destination.
Group
Each student writes their own; flats then compare and steal one good idea from each other.
Related lessons: Your first week and first month plan, Move-in day: inventory, photos, meters and keys, Setting up utilities on move-in day, Registering with a doctor where you study, The first house meeting and a written house agreement
Break
Rest before the capstone.
- Drink water and stretch.
- Gather all your outputs from the week.
Build your Moving-Out Plan
Put the week's work together into one plan you can use on the day you leave.
- Gather your outputs: budget, admin routine and document checklist, meal plan and shopping list, cleaning and laundry routine, house agreement, sick-day plan, medicine kit list, emergency plan, support map, packing list and first-week plan.
- Update anything you would now change.
- Arrange them into a single document or folder with a one-page summary at the front.
- Prepare a 5-minute presentation: your destination, your budget in one line, three skills you gained, your biggest remaining gap and your three next steps.
- Check your plan against every row of the rubric before you present.
Solo
Assemble your plan and rehearse your presentation once out loud.
Group
Students build individual plans; flatmates give each other one piece of feedback using the rubric before presenting.
Related lessons: Budgeting for university life, Your weekly admin hour, Moving day plan and your first-night box, Your first week and first month plan
Present and self-assess
Share your plan, take questions and score yourself honestly.
- Present your plan in 5 minutes.
- Take two questions from your audience.
- Score yourself from 1 to 4 on each rubric row and write one sentence of evidence for each score.
- Ask your audience for one strength and one thing to work on.
- Write three next steps with dates, before you leave home.
Solo
Present to a parent or trusted adult, ideally the one who scored your Day 1 audit.
Group
Present to your flat or, with parents invited, to the whole group in short rounds. The facilitator keeps time strictly.
Closing reflection
End the camp with a promise to your future self.
- Write a short note to yourself to open on your first night away from home.
- Seal it or save it somewhere you will find it.
Solo
Give it to a parent to pack for you.
Group
Students write quietly; the facilitator closes with thanks to all supervising adults.
Day 5 quiz
Five questions on moving and settling in.
- Answer alone, then check the explanations.
Block timer
Your journal
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Day 5 quiz
Score 80% or more to complete Day 5.
1. How does the University of Dundee describe missing home?
2. Which tip for homesickness appears in the Dundee guide?
3. Where should documents and valuables travel on moving day?
4. What does the NHS say you usually need to register with a GP in England?
5. What does the Dundee guide say if homesickness worsens an existing condition?
Overnight challenge
Share your Moving-Out Plan with the person who will help you move, and agree a date to review it together in three months.