Things to take to self catered halls

[HMF1]

DS 1 is off to Edinburgh in September & is staying in self catered halls, I am looking for advice on what he needs to take with him to cater for himself in the flat, he is used to home cooked food & this was one of his reasons for not applying for catered halls. We have some basic info from the website but I am cautious about how helpful this actually is. I want to spread the cost a bit & pick things up as the summer progresses. The one bit of advice I have been given is don't take up the university's offer of bedding, apart from that any advice gratefully received.

Door stops/wedges
An airer (for towels and washing)
Bottle opener
Pillow/quilt/sheet + 2 sets of covers
a v-pillow ... they spend a lot of time sitting on the bed / friend's bed / friends on their bed
Obv - clothes, toiletries, etc
Extn cable . 4 gang thin so can plug appliances in
Photos - ds has a big wall collage he made by printing out about 60 photos before he went, but you might want to be slightly more restrained and get a collage type frame
First aid/medicines kit.... paracetamol, plasters, type stuff rather than serious stuff
Other emergencies kit.... little sewing kit / box of matches / emergency chocolate rations

Once the rooms are allocated, the Universities have FB groups where you can start to talk to fellow flatmates, so can co-ordinate a bit who is bringing a sandwich toaster, who is bringing a sieve, etc.

but will need pans and a frying pan
storage tubs
those clips that reseal packets once open
cutlery
plates
glasses mugs
tea towels
utensils
sharp knife/knives

someone gave ds an old slow cooker, and he's used it quite a bit - but depends if you think your ds is likely to, I know everyone wouldn't

These are the things people forgot

• Ethernet cable (long)
• Notice board pins
• Fancy dress
• Documents / ID
• Clothes airer

Really useful to have a printer in room if possible.
A mattress topper is great for hard mattresses.

I've got a University list if anyone wants one. PM me.

Cheese grater. Any dodgy student meal is infinitely improved by grated cheese.

Quite a few things I took the old one from home, and DM had the nice shiny new stuff

Lol to the cheese grater, he already has his room allocated but I don't think he has done any fb stuff. We live in Ayrshire & I am usually in Edinburgh 1x a month or so, so we can top up. Thanks for all you suggestions

I presume that he has a firm unconditional offer as the results don't come out until 13 August. I am panicking and worrying about the results as my DS has aimed high!

They all take far too much and most of it goes missing. Get them to coordinate via FB as to who takes what. Own bedding, frying pan/wok, couple of oven trays, plate/bowl/mug, some glasses. Basic cheapo utensils. Yes to first aid stuff - fresher's flu is bound to do the rounds - condoms, corkscrew/bottle opener, tin opener.

For the extension lead if it's a surge protector & has individually switched sockets it's better as they can leave the charge in & just turn it off

DD has extra blankets & cushions & a little stool as she has a small room with no chairs

& a basket to put all chargers/remotes headphones & crap in

Deffo take some home comforts - pictures, homey bedding, decorations, door stop, clothes horse. In terms of kitchen stuff, there will be a kettle and plenty of oven trays - 2 saucepans, 1 oven tray, grater, spoons, cutlery, mugs you dont mind getting broken and cheap and cheerful Crockery (preferably distinctive colours so dont get lost in sink of washing up).

I've found my printer really helpful, plus my door hook, extension cable essential. Nice plug ins/air wick stick things are good to make room smell nice, and if you have one a small electric heater - I've found it great as heating breaks at least once per term and doesn't always get fixed quickly

Last year's thread.
Oddly the bedding was not optional, it was there in the room and if you don't use it you have to store it in the tiny cupboard that is your room.

Marker pen / stickers
Bottle opener
Tin opener
decent knife/ chopping board
frying pan & saucepan
Cast iron stomach
glass
mug x 2 (guest one)
paracetamol
plate (optional) - you can always use the pans
k, f & sp
Lasagne dish
Spice collection
toothpaste & brush
deodorant & soap
2nd set of knickers
home brew kit

Thanks for all this I will encourage him to buddy up with people re kitchen stuff. I hadn't thought of a first aid kit but that sounds really sensible re spices as long as he has Tabasco he is happy. We are doing food shopping 101 over the summer as well as extending his cookery repertoire. He is looking forward to it he is 18 & definetly ready to fly the nest although there may be some hiccups along the way.

He definetly already has the cast iron stomach so he should be OK. Hillingdon he has an offer based on his higher results but did get a letter saying they expected him to get undereducated advanced higher results.

We reserved several things in the local argos like kitchen stuff so that when we got to my halls we could see what was already there and then go and pick the things up that I'd actually need.

Sistema rice cooker
Small fridge to put in own room

Most halls will not allow fridges, kettles or other fire risks cooking things in the rooms.

Most rooms are tiny. I managed to get a small "student sized" airer from Dunhelm which takes up less space than normal ones.

They will not get very much cupboard space in the kitchen so often keep some overflow in the room. Underbed plastic storage boxes are really useful.

The laundry washers are huge and expensive. Keep all towels / bedding to lights or darks so they can be washed together.

My DD took all the "normal stuff" but what she didn't and was desperate for was her own printer, doorstop, clothes airer, coins for the washers (hers were 50ps and 20ps) and mattress topper.

However, we live rurally and her University is in a large town - it really wasn't too difficult to buy these things over the Freshers' fortnight when lectures were less intense.

She took bedding, duvet and towels from home and we used it as an excuse to upgrade her room at home to a double bed and bought ourselves new stuff! An expensive duvet wasn't necessary as halls were soooo hot and her room in year two will be a double whereas halls were single, so it doesn't get that much use.

Don't buy any expensive kitchen stuff. Likelihood is he won't return with any of it!!

Definitely extension leeds for his room. And one massive bottle of vodka to make friends with!

A pack of Cards for Humanity (or something like that) - for use when vodka drinking!

A sandwich toaster, great for late night/hangover snacks.
Tupperware so he can store his food in the fridge.
A cheap version of the George foreman grills are good as well.

DDs just finishing her 2nd year in halls. The first year we went to Ikea and bought everything we could think of except a cudddly toy as she was taking enogh of those . 2/3 of it wasn't needed and another girl's mum had bought 2 of everything so most of it came home to be returned. Second year we packed the car with essentials clothes and shoes and after dropping them off we went to a retail park and bought new bedding beds had been upgraded to doubles, cleaning stuff and food, any big items they didn't have they went out together to get.

I literally just returned and these are the most helpful tips I forgot/didn't realise.

-Sharp knives! I took loads of cutlery a few knives but none decent enough to cut meat or onions etc.
-A CHOPPING BOARD! Don't think it's been mentioned yet?
-COLOURED cutlery. Cutlery is the first thing to go missing; helps if yours isn't the standard silver set.
-Tupperware boxes! For storing a few portions, so much cheaper and time saving to cook in bulk!
-that being said, a box in his own room to keep BIG bags of pasta/rice/tins of tomatoes/tomato purée etc, stock cubes, staple foods!!!! It'll last the term if you get the HUGE bag of pasta from tesco, no worrying about him going hungry.
-CLEANING PRODUCTS! Like some wipes for the surfaces, or washing up liquid, or anti-bacterial spray. It isn't provided, if you have a cleaner once a week, it's going to get dirty...
-decent washing up brush, get a dish matic
-'favourite' mug/glass to drink from.
-a pot of powdered milk just incase he's ever poor and ran out. Top tip.

Room tips:
-take storage boxes
-take a stool/bean bag to sit on or for friends.
-can take Xbox or wii, game nights are fun.
-DOORSTOP! Quickest way to make friends, prop door open.
-photos from home.
-comfy bedding
-I know fairy lights not really for men, but some sort of smaller light for bedtime rather than the big light.

If I think of more I'll add :)

Oo, egg cups and an egg timer!

His own cooking stuff (pots, pans, etc.). Sharing sounds like a great idea until the last person to use them hasn't done the washing up AGAIN.

Everything that he takes when he has a cold, etc. He doesn't want to wake up one day with freshers flu, feeling horrendous, only to realise he doesn't have so much as a box of paracetamol.

Posters to make the room less drab.

Over door hooks for coats/hoodies/dressing gown if he takes one.

I don't know if a boy would be less interested in this, but an over door mirror. Both rooms I've had in different halls didn't have one.

Meant to say regarding a mirror, that both rooms didn't have a full length one.

Student cookbook.
A throw for the obligatory ugly chair / to go over the bed in winter.
Blu-tack