Uni- what should DD take with her?

[tallulah]

Any mums who have been through this got any helpful suggestions? The list from the uni of what is not provided is very long, & it looks like she needs bed linen, saucepans & cleaning stuff!!

At the risk of loading her up with too much unnecessary clutter, what does she actually NEED to take for her first term, so she isn't having to keep popping out to buy stuff?

[MummyToSteven]

Been thru this as a student 9 years ago -

I would be surprised if she needs cleaning stuff if she is in university accommodation, as they usually have cleaners on a fairly regular basis. I imagine that she will need pans, plates, cutlery, mugs, a glass or two - and nothing too nice as it is amazing how often things go walkies/get borrowed in communal kitchens! Kettle for the room would be useful. If you are feeling particular indulgent, a mini-fridge and microwave for the room are handy but not vital. Does she have a computer - that would also come in handy. Also of course bath towels, toiletries, dressing gown.

[hmb]

Def a kettle for her room and mugs, and a toaser so that she can get breakfast in her room while hlaf asleep, would be helpful.

Ikea do 'student sets' IIRC and very good prices.

Re the computer, I'd be tempted to get a lap top if you are looking at that level of spend.

[SenoraPostrophe]

I don't think she would need a computer - if she's on campus she can just use the university ones.

Cleaning stuff - she should buy some when she gets there. And she shouldn't need too many pans as she can share the other students' surely?

[gingernut]

If she is going to be self-catering, generally agree with MtS and would add some stuff that is suitable to go in microwave, e.g. pyrex casserole dishes, a few cheap storage tubs and some basic cooking utensils. Plus corkscrew/bottle opener!

[tallulah]

Can't stretch to a computer sadly, but your other suggestions are very helpful. Hadn't even thought about pyrex dishes & stuff, or even towels come to that! (I suppose it's obvious )

Can you tell I'm in more of a panic than she is?!

[popsycal]

will she be in halls or in a flat as it makes a lot of difference....

[Ixel]

Get everything as cheap as you can, then it doesn't matter if it gets 'borrowed', ruined, or turns out not to be useful. The lesson I learnt was that if a landlord says 'fully equiped kitchen', don't believe it, and take your own stuff anyway.
Cutlery
kettle
A few plates and mugs
Tupperware to store leftovers etc
A bit of breakfast for the first morning there!
A lightbulb, just incase (I had none in my first room!)
Bedding and towels
alarm clock
Poster to make surroundings cosy
Pens and paper etc
Passport photos for ID cards etc

Will keep thinking...

[suedonim]

Are you likely to be taking her to uni or will she have to carry it all on public transport? Ime, it's best to hold off buying too much until you've seen what is actually provided. Buying cheap is best, as others say. You can always replace it if it gets 'borrowed' or is worn out by next year. Too much clobber is also a bind if she has to empty her room at vacation time. If you want to be sneaky, you can give her some stuff from home, like towels, and then buy yourself nice new ones. Don't forget, if she has her own telly, she'll need a licence as well. Hope she has fun!

[libb]

I remember foolishly taking my friend back to uni for the first term and the car was jammed packed! we even managed to stuff her granny in the back for half the journey - poor love had 3 pot plants on her lap the whole way!

I stayed with her for a couple of days afterwards and I recall that essentials were a toaster, plates and cutlery, bedding, towels, emergency toilet rolls, candles, music and something to play it on, TV, kettle and some nice things like photos on the wall and a starter grocery box from the family with her favourite things in. Later on she acquired a mini fridge which was lovely as no-one nicked her marge and milk after that - there are some quite dinky ones available now.

I think Argos do a kitchen starter kit for about £40-50 and it has tons of stuff in it.

Is she in halls or renting with other students?

[snellis]

A mobile phone or a phone card are essential - so she can call home!

[libb]

Ooh, bottle opener/cork screw, glasses and mugs are handy, the 3 pot plants made it homely (they were only little) and some throws/cushions are nice as there will always be odd bods coming and going I expect. Kettle is always good too

The first year at uni is so exciting! I will shut up now because my time was so long ago its depressing . . .

[tamum]

When I started uni I was the only one along my corridor who had things like needles and cotton, plasters and paracetamol. Worth taking not just because they're useful but because she will be poopular with the lads

[Kayley]

Don't bank on sharing anything, some people can be mean with things, and honestly I got so pissed off with my stuff going missing that I asked people to stop using it.

Buy DISTINCTIVE pots, pans, glasses, cutlery. Everyone goes to Ikea and stuff gets mixed up, try and buy stuff that looks a bit different, it stops it going missing.

Don't take a microwave or mini-fridge, most uni halls do not allow them. Particularly microwaves. A kettle and toaster are useful.

When you get there go to the Supermarket to buy some food. Really good basics to buy are pasta and sauce, if your daughter is in catered halls these are a really useful quick snack. Cereal, milk and chocolate biscuits are also great for catered.

Washing powder and fabric softner. 2 towels, flip flops for the shower and a toiletry bag. You need a duvet cover and duvet. I would also recommend pillows and a throw to make the room more homely.

Laptops are well worth it (uni computers are invariably busy or crap, and when you are finishing an essay at 4am its nice to do it in your room) I would seriously look into renting one, often the union organises this. I would say well over 75% of people in my halls had computers.

[vict17]

definitely posters for the walls and some photos of friends and family to make her feel at home.

[acnebride]

Blue Tak, a decent pair of scissors, string, a cork board ready to hang with pins, picture hooks including some of those ones that hang off a picture rail, hole punch, stapler and spare staples.

Can she avoid taking a TV for the first term? (or at all?) Old fashioned attitude from me but I just don't think you should spend the most precious 3 years of your life watching TV. At least she'll have to get out of her room to ask someone else if she can watch theirs.

[tallulah]

This is all so helpful I will print off this thread so I can tick it off as I go!

She will have a single room in halls. We'd already discussed the TV issue because I knew she'd have to have a licence & it's an expense that may well break the camel's back so to speak. She thinks she won't bother. There is a TV room in each building so if she's desperate she can watch that, but she isn't a big TV watcher anyway & I'm sure she'll have far more interesting things to do.

[fisil]

passport photos. She will have to sort out loads of ID in the first few weeks and the booths always break down!

[Piffleoffagus]

a personal steroe/cd player, if it doubles as recorable tis great for lectures
that said a battery re charger and lots of rechargeable batteries!!!

[popsycal]

if she is in halls, is there a small kitchenette thing on her landing? They normally have pots and pans - but i would take afew sets of knives and forks, a couple of plates and afew mugs.

A toaster is fab to have in your room as is a kettle - but if there is a kitchenette then maybe not essential.

lots of passport photos - always take more that you think you need

some a4 paper, pens a4 ring binders (all cheap in big supermarkets atm)

I agree - don't take a tv - most halls will have a tv room

lots of photos, blu tak, small cheap cd player and favourite cds

usual toilettries, some washing powder (??? - is there a laundrette there - or will it all be coming home to you )

jar of coffee (if she drinks it), a bottle opener

[BooMama]

Definitely a kettle for her room - if kitchen too far for milk fetching she will probably end up on hot ribena like every other student I knew...
Things I forgot in my first term...
cheese grater
dish cloth / brush and tea towel
oven glove
scissors
oven tray
sieve / colander
tupperware - WITH NAME LABELS FOR THE FRIDGE!!! (cannot emphasise enough...)

Are pillows supplied? - bring your own anyhow!
Maybe a bag for laundry? We always just used carrier bags but if you had something more distinctive it is probably better for if you leave your washing unattended at the launderette.
Am racking my brain out trying to remember but it was a long time ago...
Hope she has a wonderful time!!!

[discordia]

My sister-in-law bought my nephew a George Foreman grill and he used it all the time at uni and recommends it to everyone he meets!

Hope you're surviving this ok, tallulah, must be kinda scarey for you.

[hatter]

In my day (says she sounding like an old bag) no-one really had anything new - we all went off with ancient ill-matched cast off plates, saucepans, mugs etc. This works well - first coz it's distinctive, second coz it'll have a nostalgic feel of home and her childhood about it, and third, coz if you haven't got spare stuff it's you that gets the new stuff not her, iyswim . I'm so jealous of her I can hardly speak. What she really needs is bags of confidence, a mobile phone, (it was a phone-card in my day) and a credit card. Hope she has fun

[sparkle]

A bottle of wine - a great ice-breaker when you are first in halls

[toddlerbob]

Lots and lots of tampons. They are expensive, you forget to buy them and you can't live without them and shouldn't eke them out because of TSS. My mum always bought them in the holidays for me and I am still very grateful.