What would be a great present for someone going to university?

[flashingnose]

My lovely babysitter is off to university next week (sniff). She'll be living in a Hall of Residence with a shared kitchen and her own room. What would be a good present to get her? I didn't go to university and was 18 a veeeeerrrryy long time ago, so any ideas gratefully received .

[anniediv]

Kettle and toaster to keep in her room.

[melrose]

Something nice for her room - wall hanging, candles, picture frame? Remember buying these sort of things for mine as all very plain and in need of personalising

[melrose]

or a student cookbook! Mine was well used!

[nailpolish]

toastie machine
top up cards for her phone
cutlery
crockery
linen for her bed
alarm clock
book tokens
vouchers for topshop for a cosy winter coat or pair of boots

[Lizzylou]

Some vouchers which she can hoard and then when money is tight splurge on something frivolous...

[flashingnose]

Oh these are all fab ideas, thank you

[expatinscotland]

disposable plates and cutlery, for when she fancies a snack, but it just too drunk to be arsed w/washing up.

kettle, of course. adn plenty of tea.

[oliveoil]

What is your budget?

cookbook
nice bedding/blanket/cushion/rug
will she need kitchen stuff? Ikea do a whole set of crockery/cutlery starter kit style

[themoon66]

My DD has gone to uni and all she ever seems to want is cash off me.... in bloody great wads

[Marina]

Practical - a kettle for sure, or if she likes her coffee, a more lavish gift might be one of those coffee machines that take pods of ground coffee - I've got the Philips one at work and it makes a very acceptable real coffee
A nice treat gift would be a posh candle
My parents bought me a bottle of sherry times have changed. I shared a room and we drank the lot on night one...

[nailpolish]

oh yes meant to add cookbook too, for students the ainsley harriot meals in minutes is a good one

[flashingnose]

Love the disposable plates idea

[brimfull]

how about something cool for her room like those funky fairy lights,desk lamp,photo frame,mugs,cookbook,stylish cushion or throw for the bed.Can't think of anything else a student would appreciate except money and food!

[nailpolish]

my mother bought me a carpet sweeper

i was v popular tho, everyone wanted to borrow it

[flashingnose]

lol at sherry

[AnAngelWithin]

A george foreman/equivelant make grill as you can cook just about anything in it and it doesnt take up too much space and not hard to keep clean.

[Marina]

LOL at carpet sweeper

[slug]

A bottle opener. Great for being the most wanted person in the first week. Actually, how about a Swiss Army Knife? I've had mine for 15 years and hardly a day goes by when I don't use it. Mine is the model with scissors, a phillips screwdriver, two sizes of ordinary screwdriver, a can opener, a bottle opener and a corkscrew as well as the regulation blades, tweezers and unidentifiable proddy, tweaky things.

[bea]

a mini portable fridge (i think argos do them for about £20... as this would be ideal for keeping drinks and milk in (milk always mtyseriously dissaperas in student kitchens!!!)

a mp3 player???? a little one..???

[Tinker]

A slow cooker

[yeahinaminute]

Nephew off to London UCL tomorrow - so I got him various Time Out guides to London and some Tupperware and labels ( so he can label his food up on HIS shelf in the fridge !!

DSS's girlfriend off to Cardiff this weekend - so she has a lovely slim bright pink suede address book where I have written various addresses, e-mails etc, Guides to Cardiff, and a funky vase - coz she loves flowers and I know DSS will be sending her some next week ( and to be fair what student thinks of vases?? if they're lucky enough to get flowers they're usually chucked in an empty Lambrini bottle )

[LadyPenelope]

A tea pot - used to drink endless cups of tea as a student and it's so much nicer to pour it out of a pot (saves on the tea bags too!)
Mugs
selection of teas

[Tommy]

I bought my god daughter a set of towels and some nice smellies. Also an A-Z of the city she was ging to. I bought my nephew some mugs and threw in a jar of coffee, tea bags and a couple of packets of biscuits.

[Smurfgirl]

Umm. Money (i am a student!)

Vouchers are cool, maybe even give her a small present now and something later, maybe round christmas time? I know I got a lot of stuff when I went but usually financially I am cool in September its Christmas time I am totally broke, my auntie used to not give me anythign when i went but slipped me £60 in november/january time which really helpled.

Uni halls are pretty dull, so maybe a throw, a lovely sheet set (all mine are crap £10 scratchy things), some nice posters. That sort of thing is always nice, something you just cannot justify buying yourself.

You are a lovely person to be buying her stuff

[Smurfgirl]

Oh and my mate got given a box full of stuff that its borng to have to buy. Toilet paper, cleaning products (loads -bleach, window cleaner, floor wipes etc etc), shampoo, washing up liquid, tea towels, j clothes. Quite boring but so handy when you have 4p left in your bank account and a room that smells of mould and one sheet of loo roll