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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Original poster

What did your DC take to personalise their room in halls? Inspire me please!

48 replies

cathyandclaire · 28/11/2014 08:07

Soooo... back in the day I was given loads of eighteenth gifts in bright primary colours, it being the eighties to take to Uni. Think floor lamp, kettle, toaster, quilt, cushions, bean bag and of course obligatory posters of James Dean and Marilyn Monroe. They were dragged from halls, to flats for years (long uni course) and it made each dump place feel like home.

I was thinking of getting a few things for DD but it occurred to me in todays safety culture that they're probably not allowed half of those things! Also will they look like a weirdo if they take a trailer full of Ikea knick-knacks?! What did your DC take, if anything?

OP posts:

callamia · 28/11/2014 08:16

What does she want to take? Is she in self-catered halls? We were allowed kettles in our room only. You could buy her a lovely Bodum kettle if you want something a little different. A lovely blanket might also be lovely.

Aside from that, let her get her own bits and pieces. One of the things oIiked most was building my own collection if things that I liked - working out my own style .

Original poster

cathyandclaire · 28/11/2014 08:19

I haven't spoken to DD about it, it's early days but I was thinking of getting a few bits for surprise Christmas pressies :)

OP posts:

HolgerDanske · 28/11/2014 08:21

Mine's been away for one term now, coming home next week

HolgerDanske · 28/11/2014 08:22

Argh was going to cancel that since I realised I didn't have any actual suggestions, but posted instead!

Doilooklikeatourist · 28/11/2014 08:26

DS isn't allowed a kettle or toaster in his room
He took bedding ( obviously ) but it's his old Next bedding ( navy blue with a Mini Cooper )
Nothing personal
His room ( when he face timed us ) is just as plain as when he moved in apart from the mess on the floor

Merrylegs · 28/11/2014 08:33

Depends how big her room is going to be - you don't want to clutter it up. Ds's was small but things that made it look good were really nice duvet cover, colourful cushion, small throw. Plus don't know if this is common but, presumably to save walls from blu tack, there was a big noticeboard so quirky push pins were useful. Also there wasn't alot of shelving so he packed his books in nice storage boxes which looked good on display too.

fishfingersfortea · 28/11/2014 08:43

My dd took fairy lights, nice bedding sets, posters of family/friends photos, file storage, digital radio/iPod player, pot plant, blanket, cushions to make the bed more of a sofa in the daytime. Her room looked grim when she arrived with orange pine cladding one side & block work the other. After putting her bits in it looked quite homely.
There was a no candle rule so she took a small diffuser to give the room a nicer smell.

Medge68 · 28/11/2014 09:27

My DD took bunting, photos and fairy lights but none of it has gone up because she's in a house where their not allowed to use any form of anything to hang/ stick stuff. They're allowed one nail to stick up a pinboard - like that would work, so she's not bothered. She did take her bedside cabinet and had a nice new duvet set.

Scottandcharlene · 28/11/2014 10:20

Definitely agree with the cushions for the bed and a throw, dd has a string attached to wall which she hangs things from - it looks lovely. Also pot plant, diffuser and pretty storage boxes for shelves. Student cookery books are a good idea too!

SecretSquirrels · 28/11/2014 10:33

DS is in first term. Those rooms are small, but there is a very large pin board, big enough for several posters.
I had some of his photos printed (most teenagers never do this) and he has them pinned on the board.
He took a big fluffy throw/blanket, cushion and some of his posters and bookends. I always buy him a geeky themed calender and he has taken that.

pinkbear82 · 28/11/2014 10:37

do some nice pictures, friends, family etc. in a nice frame that can stand.... she doesn't have to have it out on show if she doesn't want to but for those moments she wants to feel close to you all she can. I would have loved that!

MillyMollyMama · 28/11/2014 14:10

Ask her what she wants - then buy it. It is difficult to second guess. A boy in my DD's flat brought a huge woodland photo which was hung on the wall behind the bed, a large floor vase with twigs in it and a massive arching floor lamp. Also smart bedding with a beautiful throw and cushions. It looked like a hotel bedroom. However, a loo brush is particularly useful!

skylark2 · 28/11/2014 21:28

DD is not allowed cooking equipment in her room (they have a massive brand new kitchen at the end of her flat with 3 kettles and 2 huge 4-slice toasters between 10 of them.

A bean bag will not fit in a modern student halls room - they're really small.

She got a free set of printed photos (from somewhere called snapfish she says). Also three big posters from an online site. She also has a fleece throw on her bed as decoration / extra blanket and a big cushion. And she took a load of her old back numbers from sports competitions and made a collage with the photos.

Mains fairy lights and candles are banned in her halls.

I did offer her a plant, but she's a completely non plant oriented child (I used to have a small forest on my windowsill at uni). Then again she has trees and green just outside the window while I always had concrete.

We went round Ikea at the start of September and I think 3/4 of the people there were nervous looking 18 year olds with mum buying duvet covers!

JellicleCat · 28/11/2014 22:06

In addition to the things already suggested, a floor rug as the carpet in student rooms can be vile. DD also took her own bath mat, but that got shared - she had very nice flat mates.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 28/11/2014 22:11

DD has managed to make her room look quite homely (with a hint of a boudoir!) with items including:

battery operated fairy lights
leopard print duvet
cushions
a faux fur rug and blanket
posters and photographs

In halls they were not allowed kettles, plug in fairy lights etc in their rooms.

2rebecca · 28/11/2014 23:25

Ask them. My son was adamant he didn't want posters etc. He did want a duvet set from home as it felt homely and was surprisingly pleased when I gave him some of my tea towels as they were of places we'd visited on holidays.
He mainly wanted his computer. The last time I visited he wouldn't let me in his room as he said it was too messy and yesterday he commented that he was wearing a suit to lectures because he had no other clean clothes!
I don't think room decor matters that much to him.

Medge68 · 29/11/2014 07:54

If they want to print photos from their phones, Freeprints is really good - 45 free prints a month and about £2.99 for p&p.

SecretSquirrels · 29/11/2014 09:16

2rebecca I don't think room decor matters that much to him
Absolutely agree. DS was completely indifferent to most of my ideas for his room. He liked the photos and his blanket from home but that was all. When we chat on Skype I can see the tip behind him. He hasn't even unpacked some stuff. Now it comes to looking for next years accommodation he says he doesn't care as long as he has a room with a desk and book shelves.

Kez100 · 29/11/2014 10:34

My DD took bits from her own room and bought some fairy lights. We offered her some money to spend on a rug and posters when she got there and she bought one poster but decided she liked being able to wheel her chair around the room, so never bought a rug. To be honest that seems fine as they collect bits as they go - polaroids of new friends and a union annual calendar and that's filled her room.

We bought quite a bit of kitchen stuff but not until we knew what was supplied by the Uni Halls (not much as it happens).

madeinkent · 29/11/2014 11:59

My DS has always cared very much. We spent hours looking at duvet covers. He chose a dark blue and grey one with a cityscape at night on it, the lights on the buildings brightened it. To go with that, a big thick furry grey fleece blanket and big cushion. A navy abstract rug to cover the pale beige floor that he hated. Bright red underpillows and undersheets. Bright red bin and bright red anglepoise lamp.
Then everything else he picked out to be in teal. Laundry bin, kettle, tray and notice board, even his own crockery and teatowels. Lots of other odds and ends. It looked great - and no, he isn't in design, nor is he gay. He's just always liked his surroundings to look colourful but not girly or boring.

Notsoskinnyminny · 29/11/2014 18:23

We had to get new bedding this year as her halls replaced last year's single beds with 3/4 ones so I've now got last year's single sets taking up space in the airing cupboard numerous cushions, fairy lights, desk lamp, calendar (just made her a new one on photobox) and this year's essential item - a full length mirror, apparently its impossible to take a selfie of your outfit when you've only got a tiny bathroom mirror . New curtains are still on her wishlist but we haven't found any fire-resistant ones that she likes.

madeinkent · 29/11/2014 23:32

We put up natural wood venetian blinds in the end, to make the room look bigger and so that he could filter some of the sun out in the late afternoon so that his room doesn't get too hot. He went from a 3/4 bed last year to a single this year, I only had to buy a couple of single red fitted sheets for this new room. This house even supplies the mattress cover.

So, if your DD would like a couple of 3/4 sized fitted red smelly boy sheets...

Notsoskinnyminny · 30/11/2014 16:17

Thanks made but I'll pass, she might be 19 but she's still my pink princess and was gutted when we couldn't find a double disney princess or hello kitty duvet set. Her reaction to discovering her flat had sludgey green walls is unrepeatable although I have to agree though not to her it is disgusting

GraysAnalogy · 30/11/2014 16:20

Completely depends what sort of person they are but the main things to me are: tv, extension lead, photos, bulbs for lamps, fairy lights, cushions, duvet, throws, nice new pj's and bedsheets, stuff for filing

pommedeterre · 30/11/2014 16:24

I had:

Lava lamps! All the rage in the late nineties.

My CD player, lots and lots of photos of friends and band posters.

Had I been thinking then a lovely bed throw/quilt thing and cushions would have been good. A really nice dressing gown? Mugs and wine glasses?

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