Halls of residence must haves.

[livingonhomemadesoup]

DD heading to uni next week, I've bought all the kitchen bits and pieces I think she'll need and things for her room. Anyone got any "must haves" or "wish I'd known" purchases??
Someone mentioned a mattress topper to me yesterday which I thought might be a good idea.
Thank you

A rug, especially if she has a sink in her room. The carpet round my DS's sink was grim.

Clothes airer so they don't have to pay a fortune for drying.

Colour catchers for the washing machine so she doesn’t have to worry about putting colours or darks in with whites. Will save her a bit of time and money if she can just do one large wash.
A washing basket or bag for dirty laundry.

An airer was suggested in DD correspondence last year - we had to get one that would fold very small so worked out an expansive last purchase.

It's been useful though for item can't tumble dry and for items not quiet dry after tumble drying. It useful in this year private accommodation as well.

I read on here the local student supermarkets would be well stocked up on common items - and that did prove to be the case.

A decent lamp, extension lead, sliders if using communal bathroom, toilet roll (as my daughters halls only provided the first roll), ear plugs.

Less is more. Theres not a lot of space & it's annoying to have stuff you don't need!

you don't need anywhere near the list for kitchen stuff.

she/you can buy. It's as they're needed. It's uni, not Mars 🤗

Tupperware and drinks cup so you can make and take your own food and snacks as needed. Buying lunch and coffee out regularly is ruinous.

I’ve done dd a first aid pack with plasters, paracetamol etc though this may be an obvious one. Also a couple of over the door-hook hangers and some narrow sets of storage drawers for cosmetics/toiletries. Any extra storage will be most handy as there’s usually very little.

she/you can buy. It's as they're needed. It's uni, not Mars 🤗

Agree with this though - I keep reminding dd that nowadays we have next day delivery with Amazon!

What very small airer did you get, please?
Currently, I am almost certain based on the internet videos that DC's room won't fit a normal airer if she actually wants to move about the room, so only have a tiny over the radiator type thing and even that might obstruct some door or other.

A fan - for hot rooms but also if airer drying stuff then if you turn the fan on it with the window open its much faster and seems to be less damp in the room itself.

check the size of bed - small doubles common in halls and need smaller sheets.

IF they have an en suite - loo brush and shower spray to avoid cloudy shower glass.

over the door hooks

Command strip hooks

2 sets of bedding - as need a change to get stuff dry etc.

Mine found the vaccum pack bags useful for storage of bedding and towels as it reduced them so much

A mini fridge.

A mini fan - the one from JL for 12 quid was really useful.

A mattress topper.

Give them your old plates and buy yourself others.

Take the bedding that they have now.

Mine didn't use the airer once.

Surge protected extension leads with multiple usb sockets. Never enough sockets in rooms.

My DC's hall does allow mini fridges but the reviews tend to bad (particularly alarming are the ones mentioning leaking of water, which is not what you want on a student desk or even floor). Any recommendations for one that's quiet, doesn't frost up, doesn't leak?

Portable Clothes Drying Rack Folding,Travel Clothes Airer Indoor Outdoor,

Think it was this one though it's down in price.

Had my eye on another style camping one for DS - Clothes Airer but that seems to have gone up in price - but I was looking in camping section - she bought clothes hangers there and we gave her some foldable ones and one for socks but use them to hang up and dry.

Our issue was more transporting her there and back and space and then storage - her actually rooms two years running have been surprisingly large.

Mine had a Russel Hobbs one. No complaints and they use it in their car now.

A door stop, I second a airer as the tumble dryers in halls were expensive, first aid kit and cold and flu meds for freshers flu.

£30 buys you plenty of tumble dryer time.

Dd4 is not taking an airer.

Both of my sons's halls of residence banned colour catcher sheets. There were signs up in the laundry room. I have no idea why or how they intended to police this regulation. Do they damage the machines somehow?

Mine found the vaccum pack bags useful for storage of bedding and towels as it reduced them so much

Helped a lot with getting her stuff packed - and Command strip hooks.

We got a lot of kitchen stuff second hand from charity shops over time and she bought more as and when she need.

Blue IKEA bags. A multitude of uses and you can stash them easily when not using them

Yes, don't have too much stuff. It's definitely nice to have a rug, it makes the room look much more homely. Getting the flu jab is a good idea.

The things we hadn't thought of were
Waste paper bin
Shelf inserts for her cupboard www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/variera-shelf-insert-white-80136622/

Yes they can break the pumps.

And when my dd was in halls they weren't allowed a clothes horse.