DS going to uni. What life skills have I forgotten to teach him?

[HelloCheeky]

DS is off to uni soon. I have been quite good (I think) about making sure he can take care of himself and do basic household stuff but I worry about what he might need to know, but doesn't. Is there a MN list or even a book that could reassure me or give me some last minute ideas?

Who to call in a utility emergency?
What to do if smoke alarm goes off?
How to label his food in the fridge?
Hangover cures?
Know your number incase his phone is broken?
How to change a loo roll?!

How to use a launderette washing machine rather than a home one.

Ah good ideas, thanks

Sew on a button?

How to budget.

How to register with a GP?

I work in student support at a uni and I think not knowing how to use the machines would probably be another opportunity for a conversation with someone so I would just tell him that nobody will know and they can figure it out together. Instead of that, have you taught him:
The difference between fabric softener and washing powder
How to cook some basic recipes that most people like eg pasta bake.
That he will never be the only person feeling hungover tired and a bit homesick
Finally, get him a door stop and tell him to prop his room open when he's in, a useful way of being sociable.
Hope he enjoys it all.

He will find most unis will provide GP registration instructions and it will be another task they all do together.

If he is intelligent enough to get into university, he should be able to manage to fend for himself. I expect his mother is on the other end of a mobile phone.

Agree launderette washing machine.
Changing lightbulbs
Changing a tyre - if he has a car
Signs of sepsis (sorry)
Being ok with buying sanitary stuff and understanding how debilitating period pains can be for his female friends
Recycling and not buying single use plastic!

Budget
Safe sex

To make sure he hangs his towel up after a shower, even if it's over the top of the bathroom door. That will it won't end up staying damp and smelling. Also, only buy bedding in similar colours to the clothes he wears. They will only do one lot of washing so everything goes in together. So if he mainly wears dark clothes, don't get a mainly white duvet like I did for my first daughter who went to uni. Never made that mistake again.

How to back up your work properly.

How to make an appointment with the GP and order a repeat prescription.

Contraception and healthy relationships.

What consent means and why it is so important.

Leaving a bath/shower/kitchen as he would like to find it.

To check that his vaccinations are up to date.
How to recognise the signs of meningitis and what action to take.

He really needs to know how to manage time and priorities.

Also, how to protect his mental health! make sure he knows all the mental health help at uni. *
I'm at university atm, it is really important

How are his joint rolling skills?

How to get burnt on stuff off a pan and not just chuck it away!

Empty the lint out of a Tumble dryer - DD just moved into a house share and no one had been doing it, she said it was close to catching fire.

As a PhD student, please remind him the importance of emailing his work to himself as he goes along. So if there’s an issue with his laptop, at least his work is backed up.

That it’s okay to feel overwhelmed and there are people at Uni who he can turn to.

Don’t spend the student loan all in one during Freshers Week.

Volunteer for whatever interests him, it’ll benefit him in many ways and especially in terms of finding employment.

At uni we once phoned our landlord because the vacuum wouldnt work. He was most unimpressed with the 8 of us postgrads who didnt know the bag was full

He might just surprise you, none of the things he will need to do are particularly hard.

I wouldn't have called DS the most practical type but he soon got into the swing of looking after himself.
We got a few pictures of food in a pan asking whether it was cooked to start with so I bought him a food thermometer.

Great. These are all really useful!

YY to full understanding of consent.

Likewise that he should value his own opinions and standards and does not need to feel he should follow a crowd when his gut says no.

Cleaning the fridge including that little hole at the back that you need a cotton bud down or it stinks if it's blocked.

Make sure he knows how to budget and shop for food so he's never stuck and hungry and splurging on takeaway he can't afford. Can he cook an omelette?

Good tip on bedlinens, towels etc. the same colour as most of his clothes for the wash. Separating washing is an art so that you don't end up with everything grey.

Keep a note somewhere safe of bank account numbers, card details and providers and how to contact them to cancel in case of theft.

Most important tell him he can contact you anytime, whether it's for a silly question or just to say hello.

How to organise admin (keeping documents somewhere you can find them again).

Knowing how long you can store perishable food and leftovers.