Shared self catering @ uni: tips & etiquette

[tobee]

Please!

I've seen bits of this mentioned on other threads but wanted to pool your knowledge.

So, ds received his 1st year accommodation offer yesterday. It's part of the uni's "student village" which means he gets to share a kitchen and shower room with 4 other housemates.

What tips and etiquette have you gleaned from dc/yourselves for shared self catering? How does it work? Is he likely to get his own cupboard? Presumably share part of the fridge? Do people label stuff? Do they share milk?

Presumably no equipment is provided e.g. toaster, kettle, pots and pans etc. Dd just finished uni and had a studio flat to herself last year so we have loads of this stuff. How will it work in a shared kitchen?

So many questions!

Anything else we should know?

Flats as a whole will be fined if they're not kept tidy in the communal areas, so he needs to pull his weight in that respect: not just cleaning up his own mess but being aware of the necessary shared tasks such as cleaning the oven, putting out the rubbish, cleaning the fridge. Don't just let the girls do it.

Some university halls also fine students - again, collectively - if the smoke alarm goes off. So he should learn to cook without causing smoke & burning food. I know it sounds obvious, but one place I worked at, we were amused by the almost daily visits of a siren-blasting fire engine for the first few weeks of term racing past the Department to get to a residence hall.

I remember one year where my group of tutees told me about the fun they had cooking Sunday lunch as a group. i think it helped home sickness, and they had fun.

Thanks for that. Holly. Lots of things I hadn't thought of! If he "lets the girls do it" I will be horrified!

BizzyFizzy when dn had to take the train, she took one bag with her and ordered the rest from online places which had free delivery, her halls had a reception and they allowed it all to be delivered before she arrived so it was there ready for her and saved her walking back from the shops with bulky items

BizzyFizzy when dn had to take the train, she took one bag with her and ordered the rest from online places which had free delivery, her halls had a reception and they allowed it all to be delivered before she arrived so it was there ready for her and saved her walking back from the shops with bulky items

You may find an online walk through of the accommodation on youtube. Ds kitchen included kettle and toaster, for example, and duvets/pillows/mattress protector were provided. Get some plastic containers to keep food separately in fridge. They will work put their own dynamics. There may be a fb or Whatsapp group for the accommodation so he can find housemates in advance and agree who brings what.

I think as others have said it all depends on the personality of the flat mates.

Both my DDs took all the basics for cooking and had a cupboard each in the shared kitchen and a shelf in the shared fridge.

Dd1- because of others' allergies and religious preferences, all 6 of them cooked separately. (She also had a medical student who used to "borrow" food ).
Dd2- students were much more into communal cooking and eating. They were like a little family, with agreed "jobs". They had a shared kitty and 3 of them bought/cooked the meals and the other 3 were in charge of keeping the kitchen clean and tidy. It worked really well for the whole year.
Both are still close friends with most of the people in their first flats.

Just tell your son to expect to do everything for himself but he may find people who want to share tasks. The most important thing he should do is make sure he tidys up after himself- expecting others to do it will cause friction.

I think it's partly because ds has loads of second hand stuff accumulated over 4 uni years for dd. So we could kit out the entire kitchen. But...,

Does he know people he's sharing with yet? They can usually find each other on FB. He could always ask if they want stuff?

My DC Both found a shower caddy style thing it container for all toiletries to go in useful for shared bathrooms and took bath robes and flip flops so they could walk to and from comfortably.
Also dd found a dinner tray super useful as her kitchen was on ground floor and she was on the third, when she wanted a drink and meal it made it easier carrying it all back to her room in just one trip !

If you Facebook there's a great group with lots of tips and ideas on just this sort of stuff.

All anonymous as no one knows who anyone is but come join us!

m.facebook.com/groups/488235648182391

What I wish I knew about uni

You might be able to find out on the uni website, what equipment is provided.
I bought ds1 a mini fridge for his room when he went. Unless the cupboards are lockable, I wouldn't recommend leaving anything in the kitchen, at least until he gets to know people.
Don't buy too much initially. He can always buy more stuff later.

My ds got so fed up of there never being a clean plate for dinner he bought a big packet of paper plates. He is not brilliant by any means but is conscious enough of others to wash up. He also taught himself to cook different stuff off utube and became quite adept.
You can be lucky with mates or very unlucky but l think overall its good training for life and he will be fine.

Some unis ban mini fridges

I am not sure fridges are allowed in rooms either. Really no need. Label everything. Just go with the flow re basic items. Check out what's there in advance if you can. Take stuff and bring it home if it's not necessary as you already have gear from DD. Nothing lost by that. Loo brush? No one ever remembers a loo brush!

He should liaise with the others in his flat beforehand and agree who is bringing what in terms of kit. Once the students have all arrived they can see if they all want to chip in for anything like a microwave. Agree with underbed storgae box for tins,pasta etc. Any biscuits or cakes left in the kitchen will be eaten by someone else.

Thanks these are great! Ds says hasn't yet found anyone from his house on Facebook.

I think I started this because useful to pool all knowledge and I hoped I could pass on suggestions to ds so he doesn't get off on the wrong foot with others.

I have a toilet brush bought for dd but she'd already got one!

Can imagine ds reverting to use of disposable cutlery and crockery fairly early on. Plus living off cornflakes, coffee, Jacobs crackers and lumps of cheese....

@mirage937 where did you get a shower caddy? Ive been looking for ones for the DTs who both have shared bathrooms in halls but I cant see any online anywhere

I'm going to buy some paper plates for DS as a little joke present