Off to Uni - how much luggage??!!

[StayingZen]

DD is off to Uni in the autumn. How much stuff did your darling ones take with them, and what in? And what happened to the empty suitcases/trunk/removal van after unpacking - did you bring them home again until Christmas, or can they be stored at Uni? Trying to plan here so I have a suitcase left to use myself! Many thanks in advance for all advice.

Hmmmm. Depends on the accomodation really. I'd recommend boxes that can store flat rather than suitcases.

I was in self-catered flats and took a bin bag of bedding, a box of kitchen stuff, 2 boxes of books, 2 suitacases of clothes, a chair and a box of electricals (printer etc). Send the boxes and suitcases back with my parents in the car.

My flatmate arrived from Finland with 25kg of luggage!

It's better to make a list of stuff she'll need and box it up as you go. See how much you've got. Go down the list and then take out any non-essentials if you've got too much.

When I went to uni I had a trunk and two cardboard boxes. The trunk was a coffee table/storage box etc with a throw over it for years in various halls and houses.

Depending on the accomodation, she may have very little storage space, so will really need to pare down what she takes to fit in her room

Whatever you do, don't fill the car. She'll almost certainly acquire more stuff over the year, so you'll be bringing more stuff home than you'll be taking.

We put our empty suitcases under our beds, but that obviously depends on the bed. I'd suggest trying to keep as much packing stuff at Uni as possible, that way your DD can pack up her stuff for Christmas before you arrive to pick her up IYSWIM.

ViveLaFrak's list is good, and about the same amount of stuff I took with me.

When she knows her accommodation do check details with them. Some places have to be cleared every holiday, some have places for storage some don't.

If there is anything she specially needs (I knew someone who needed a Fridge for Insulin?), then do contact the housing office asap to discuss. Some places all electrical goods (hairdryers/straighteners) need to be checked before use. Also check what is there, as you might not need an iron if they are in the laundry room.

My dd has just finished her first year in halls - bought cheap kitchen stuff (shared kitchen) and most of it has disappeared over the year so if you are doing this do not spend a fortune. Took clothes in a suitcase and she had a plastic storage box and two Ikea blue bags for the rest. I took the suitcase home with me, the rest stayed. At the end of term I took suitcase back and she brought back clothes (not all) and her pc. I bought her a new duvet pillows etc - all from Ikea which are great because very cheap. At the end of the year brought it all back in the same containers minus most of the kitchen stuff!! We managed to pack it all in the back of my car. I noticed some students had loads of stuff - probably not needed.

She has a shared house this year so expect it will all be different

Oooh a laundry bag can be stuffed with clothes and then reused throughout the year. Waterproof and zippable necessary for going from laundry to halls in the rain if you're not lucky enough to live in the same building as the washing machines!

My parents' range rover was stuffed full, but that was probably 'cos I had no intention of ever going back 'home'.

Def check out what the halls provide, the variation is vast.

eg some things that are supplied by some but not others=

-toaster
-kettle
-freezer
-clock/radio
-lamp
-iron
-mirror
-microwave
-pinboard

Some things most halls provide but I'd prefer to bring my own=

-duvet,pillows, sheets
-bin
-a good kitchen knife
-mug

other things I'd recommend=

-street map of area
-tv/dvd player
-extension cables/adaptors
-alcohol
-painkillers and full 1st aid kit
-condoms
-torch
-big box of washing powder

Do check with the halls first about the arrangements for Christmas and Easter holidays. When I was in catered halls, we had to empty our rooms completely, or could store a small amount in the base of the bed and padlock it, because the rooms were let out to conferences etc. So it made sense to have the minimum amount of stuff!

The following year I was in the next block along, which was self-catering, and you could just leave everything during the breaks.

The trunk rooms I remember when I was at university no longer seem to exist (at least at the universities my DCs attend) so it is best to take some of the boxes/cases etc home with you. A few of those IKEA shopping bags come in useful as they pack down/can be used for laundry.

DD2 took 2 suitcases and several bags and boxes. She kept the suitcases so she could bring clothes home at Christmas. She just stored them in her room. She needed to kep at least one Suttcase as she comes home by coach most of the time, Saying that we did take her back after Christmas as she had far to many presents to take back on a coach, She swapped one of the smaller cases for a biger one. She didn't take a toaster or kettle as she did what DD1 did and shared with others in her halls. She didn't have to clear out her stuff every holiday. Her rentalagrrement was for September 1st 2009 to July 1st 2010. She has now moved into a shared house with friends and we didn't have to bring any of her sutff home as they are staying over the summer.

Really useful advice, thank you very much!

DD couldn't manage without her bike! We had my old bike overhauled & a basket fitted and she uses it every day - it stays in an underground bike park all holdays and will only come home again at the end of the course.

The other essential was her laptop & printer.

She took too many clothers for term 1 but has adjusted now. Basic kitchen equipment is good, kettle & toaster a must.

Her friend arrives by train with 2 suitcases each term (they have to completely clear rooms each holiday which is a pain).