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?

Some more suggestions from students.

How to introduce yourself, turn down an invite, and apologise are all valuable social life skills.

Use the library rather than buy books - I don't think I bought a book at all during uni.

With this in mind, he needs to make sure he gets the relevant books out of the library as soon as he's given an assignment!!

• Check out secondhand text books from the previous year's students
• Sell on your textbooks ASAP

• You need to separate things like chicken breast before putting the whole tray in the freezer!

• Take some cake and other nibbles to have in his room for the first few days (and a door stop to keep the door open). Nice way to say hi to people by offering them a delicious snack too.

• Does he need a TV licence?

• Not to overload the power sockets and/or extension leads.

• Take a couple of mid-sized pad locks. I needed one for my kitchen cupboard in halls and also the wardrobe in my room could be padlocked which was ideal for putting semi-valuables in when away.

• To just relax and be himself.

Please make sure he gets his meningitis jab! You should've been told by your GP that he is due but often things get lost along the way.

Beware of Freshers flu & make sure that's all it is (sorry)

Beechams hot lemon or similar for Freshers Flu (make sure they know it already has paracetamol in).

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/men-acwy-vaccine/

Tell him that anyone can struggle with the adjustment of living away from home and it’s ok not to know stuff and to need to ask, even about basic things

Also that he shouldn’t panic if he gets in a state about the work or his attendance, almost anything can be fixed, it’s not the end of world at all

Good luck to him and you!

How to make spagetti bolognaise, chilli and chocolate cake - all helps making friends and is cheap food....

Definitely safe sex

How to spot a spiked drink

Using a washing machine

Day to day cleaning tasks

Keeping calendar updated with due dates for assignments

Paying bills (phone and any others)

Stand corrected on council tax! Was thinking of flatshare when we'd just qualified and getting in a mess with that. I know they used to come round rooms in uni halls checking for TV licences. That was before streaming etc so maybe not an issue so much though iPlayer you would still need a licence.

Great ideas! I've made so notes. I'm going to have to trickle them into his consciousness starting right now so as not to overwhelm him!

Is he in halls or a shared house?

How to do tv license and how to ensure he doesn’t pay council tax

But him an external hard drive

Fridge Management:

What goes in the fridge.
What doesn't go in the fridge. (You would not belive what some people, etc...)
How to wrap what goes in the fridge, eg half a sodding onion.
What goes vertical in the fridge, eg milk cannot be stored sideways.

etc

Can we have this in Classics please? I’ll be needing it in 7 or 8 years. Msybe.

Don't mix different cleaning products! Is it acids mixed with bleach which are dangerous?

Anything in the cleaning range mixed with bleach can release chlorine gas. Not a good idea.
Send him off with a tin of cake.
Make sure he knows the dangers of alcohol poisoning if he overdoes it in a session.
Safe sex please. Think we all say that!
How to cook lentils and pulses.
Join some groups.
Call Nightline if needed.
Keep his stuff safe - so many thefts from accommodation.
Keep a note of where to phone if his bank card gets nicked (unless he has a crafty app) and keep the number somewhere easily accessible but not with the card! If you call asap, they will refund anything taken out.
Don't tell his PIN to anyone. Ever.

"How to spot a spiked drink"

I'd be interested to know the answer to that one. Are there tell tale signs?

This thread should be pinned somewhere so we can come back to it each year, great suggestions here.

Just saw someone posted about smoke alarms if they’re not in halls - yes! And also to clean the tumble lint.

I work in supported housing for young people and it’s a struggle teaching them to recycle, they fill the big bins up and we have to go back in and pull stuff out! So recycling is a good one to teach.

@PearlandRubies194, I have reported it, and asked for it to go in Classics. MN HQ have said they’ll think about it If there are lots of requests.

@BikeRunSki thank you 😊

Shopping - encouraging him to go to Morrison’s/Asda whichever is walking distance for his groceries

Before that check if there is an arrangement with the uni, one uni I was at had a bus trip to ASDA on Tuesday evening every week.

Some universities have card systems to pay for things, they usually give you a discount, both student and parents can top it up, the one I had (in my late 30s) you could use in any campus shop and canteens but not in the bar. Worth getting one if the uni have them.

Ask for student discounts everywhere.

How to change bedding.

That if you spill something in the fridge, it needs to be cleaned asap not at the end of the year when you are gagging over it.

On a similar vein, don't buy a bag of potatoes and forget about them...

Glandular Fever - the best diagnosis (both blood test and throat swabs can give false negatives) is that it isn't Tonsillitis. That is Tonsillitis improves with anti-biotics, Glandular Fever doesn't.

How to clean a loo, and that there isn't a magic toilet roll fairy. Ds survived his BA and MA, and can cook, freeze stuff successfully, budget, but won't engage with the Hoover, and still has a floordrobe.