Starting Uni 2016 - what do they need...

[Enteringanothertime]

My eldest is on a gap year, and was due to start at the local uni in Sept.

She has now got a place to study 300 miles away, I'm thrilled for her it's the course she wants.

While I get my head round she's moving out in 2 months time, on a practical level, what do they need?

She's hoping to go into catered halls for the first year so I'm thinking probably not much.

But wise MNs can probably advise of things that wouldn't even occur to us.

I'll look at previous year entry threads for ideas, but I couldn't see a thread for this year's starters - sorry if there is one!

Everything else will probably get trashed, broken, shared or lost anyway.
^^
Yes if you must buy new pans etc buy for yourself and give DC the old ones, you'll probably never see them again anyway - the pans that is!

We found this list very useful last year. It's very detailed and you won't need everything on it but it was a great prompt for stuff you might not think of.

Great list thanks for linking GypsyFl0ss

Dryer on list!!

Some unis don't like Airers in rooms due to damp so you might want to wait and see what the rules are. DD's in theory didn't allow it but everyone had one.

I'll second the Dunelm Teddybear mattress cover. DD loved hers and everyone reckoned she had the comfiest bed because of it. In fact I found. Dunelm very good for bedding. We went with double everything even though it was a single bed as the extra quilt size made it every cosy. As she was catered we never had to do the hell that is IKEA and tbh I reckon you could pick up all you need in supermarkets.

On my Ikea trip with dd1 (love it) was a mum persuading her son he didn't need everything on his Student Room list - he saw melon baller on there so was convinced he needed one!

When dd2 knew where her accommodation was she called to ask size of beds - they were 4ft. Dunelm do stuff this size. Yes to printer - small and v cheap but useful throughout the course.

Uni rooms can be weird colours - dd2 has a lime green feature wall - so simple colours work best! She chose monochrome duvet cover etc luckily.

My dds use stamps - cards for grandad etc - don't think ds would know where to stick one!

Battery powered fairy lights. They brighten up even the dingiest room.

I was in catered halls. We had a little kitchenette that had a microwave, kettle, toaster etc and we weren't allowed our own.

I took:
Bedding x 2 sets
Towels
2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 glasses, 2 mugs & cutlery
Coat hangers

Speakers for my laptop/iPad were also really useful.

I picked up a load of poster, fairy lights etc to decorate really cheap at uni and it was nice to go with new friend/housemates to do this. Good bonding.

She really won't need much. I'd recommend the above and one suitcase of clothes. Some of my friends turned up with car loads and had to send their parents back with half of it because it wouldn't fit.

If you think she might need certain stuff, I'd save the money rather than buy anything and give her the cash/vouchers for Tesco/Morrisons/Wilkos so she can get things herself once there.

has never owned a washing up bowl, will not give daughter one

I've said to DD that she is away for 10 weeks and I plan to visit her after 5
so we will take enough clothes, makeup and essentials for a long holiday
and plan it from there

left to her own devices she'd take six sizes of cake tin (self catering)

Marking my place...

One thing I've thought of is a good first aid kit in a plastic box
Also a file of useful info / documents like copies of birth certificates, passport, driving licence, prescription for regular drugs etc just in case
The file will include a guide to laundry symbols on clothes 😉

One thing I think might be useful is a printer but we will wait to discover the rules re electricals. We are lucky that the room will have a mini fridge already. DS will be catered so no need for masses of kitchen stuff but gadgets like bottle opener, corkscrew, can opener, scissors will be on the shopping list.

I darent get anything pre-results though!

homebythesea I did the first aid kit thing for DS1. DH slipped a £20 note in to it. DS brought the kit home at the end of the year complete with emergency £20 having never even opened it .

Driving license (not a copy) is essential for proof of age ID for freshers pub crawls
Most other documents I would just photograph and save on laptop or cloud. They need to register with a GP, usually a campus one in the first years and they sometimes ask for a list of vaccinations.
Halls laundrettes have huge machines, and, judging by the shade of grey, everything went in together.

Posting to follow as DD2 and I were having this conversation yesterday.

Marking my place having just found the thread. Very interested in the bedding pack. Are they reasonable value, does anyone know? I'm going to have to cough up on a new duvet and pillows anyway. It's Warwick, assuming he makes it!

ds has got through his first 2 years without needing a stamp, as far as I'm aware

Photographs are good - ds printed out a whole batch and made a mass collage on his wall. I think it just personalises the room a bit.

My ds is notoriously disorganised, so I made him put together a folder before he went with dividers for things like bank account, phone contract, university finance, etc., and tried to ingrain the importance of just filing any letters / statements / documents away when he opens them. He did grudgingly concede about 6 months in, this has been really useful.

Apparently room offers go out from 18th August where DS2 is going.

I recommend you check what's provided before buying everything.
Unis will vary and indeed the halls may vary.
Duvet and pillows were supplied at Warwick when DS1 was there, also 1 set of bedding. DS never used the spare set of bedding he took as he just washed and dried it in the laundry room.
I packed a shoebox of surprise treats including family photos which he pinned up (they all seem to have a large cork board on the wall).

Does she drive
What about an emergency bus/train fare or prepaid card for petrol incase she wants to come home for the weekend but can't afford it

If her bank account gets overdrawn like most students then even if you transfer her money she may not be able to use it because of the overdraft so some sort of emergency travel fund

Now had 2 dd's at Uni and starting myself in September. Make sure they take a warm coat with them even if it is a beautiful warm September.

Marking my place as will hopefully be coming back here post-results... now just thinking of ideas but no shopping till after that day!

I'm struggling slightly too. I'm so old and uni was so long ago

I got some useful bits and bobs from H&M home, including a more-attractive-than-average pop-up laundry bin.

We've been buying a few bits and pieces, but are holding off some of the bigger stuff until we know what type of room DD gets.

Haven't read the whole thread so it may have been mentioned but DS2's bed at Sheffield had built in storage underneath the bed - the mattress was on a lift-up platform. So underbed boxes no good there.

He had one of those plastic drawer units on wheels as a bedside table.

One PP has mentioned about GP registration, this is a must. Also helpful to get them to register with a local dentist. I spent most of my free time in the first week helping students on my course do this. Check if the uni has a campus medical centre as of it has that is often easiest.