DS is going to Uni and I've no idea what else I need to pack for him

[OhFuckThisShit]

DS has Aspergers and has struggled to fit in at school and outside the home for a long time. He has done really well at school despite not really 'fitting in' and has decided to move away from home now and live at university.

I am both proud and terrified in equal measures.

He will be living in a shared house with people he knows from school and gets along with. However it's within a complex with other students so he will meet lots of new people.

He's done all the paperwork, renting accommodation etc himself so I have definitely seen a more mature side to him but it doesn't stop me from worrying.

His room is furnished but it says bring small appliances like an Iron etc. I've got his clothes, stationary, new laptop, toiletries etc packed but probably forgetting a million things.

What things did you send with your uni aged child that aren't always thought of but definitely made their lives easier?

[Frangipaniflower]

Good luck to your son! I didn't send my children with many household items. Instead I gave them some money to buy what they really needed. My son hardly bought anything and my daughter went to the charity shop to buy plates etc.

[Love51]

Send him with very little. You don't need 6 X stuff to equip a kitchen in a small kitchen. Possibly some of your old stuff, nothing that he'll get upset about if broken or damaged.

[BlowingmyJets]

Dm sent me with a tiny washing up bowl to... Top and tail with...

Df sent me with a large basket of goodies... Snack bars, tins of stuff... Long life.... Chocolate... And I think cherry brandy!!

[PartoftheProbl3m]

A door stop. Hall doors are fire doors and you want to prop them open when you’re knew

[PartoftheProbl3m]

New

[ODFOx]

Most important is that he doesn't worry, so I'd arrange to do a drive by/lunch run for the second and fourth Sunday to drop off anything he realises that he needs after arrival.

[OneTooManyBathtimes]

Things I took with me:

Bath mat, towels, bedding, saucepan and utensils (which flat mates could use as long as they washed them and returned them.. everything was orange so I knew what I had), glasses cups and mugs, chopping board, laptop, my tv and dvds, laundry bag and washing things, bin for the bathroom.

I had no help at all. Everything was bought for me except the orange kitchen things as my mum wanted to get something. I also made a list of everything, and I mean everything i took with me, so I knew what was missing at the end of the year. Worked in my favour because I could prove that flatmates were stealing my stuff...

[logichasleftbuilding]

Not too much then you have an excuse to visit two weeks in

[OhFuckThisShit]

Thanks everyone. I have all the bedding bought already along with towels, 2 x cups, plates etc and cutlery and just the odd kitchen thing like a frying pan and one pot plus utensils. I will see what they have in the kitchen then take home anything he doesn't need or make a list of what he needs to go get.

He's done all the planning, applications, finance etc by himself so I don't mind doing this part for him as I know he'll have everything he needs then once he runs low/loses something then he'll know what he has to buy.

I think a sandwich toaster might be handy but we don't really use ours so he can take that with him. I might even switch out the new stuff I bought with some old things that doesn't matter if they get broke etc.

[Cookerhood]

The halls of residence usually have a suggested list on their website.

[SunbathingDragon]

I agree that it’s a good idea to see what is already supplied and what he could do with. Arrange to visit a fortnight or month later and tell him to let you know of additional things in that time.

All of my accommodation at uni had different things supplied/left over from those who had lived there before. I remember visiting some friends and they had all bought a brand new set of saucepans and various other things which were mainly wasted.

[Wildernesstips]

I echo others who say don’t buy new/expensive if possible. We never got the full complement of stuff back at the end of the year. Ikea used to do a starter box for about £50 - might be worth a look.

One thing that went down really well was a full body pillow which I bought in Lidl and could be used to transform the bed into a sofa.