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Higher education

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

Original poster

Uni Packing

73 replies

Pembin · 15/08/2019 06:35

Hi
Please direct me if I’m looking in the wrong place and this is well documented elsewhere .... fingers crossed for this morning😟 any experienced uni parents got packing lists to offer ( over and above the door stop!)
HOPEFULLY she’ll be in fully catered halls ....
Been awake since 4 and (in theory ) I’m not even stressed!

OP posts:
Unbelievabubble · 15/08/2019 07:02

Not stressed here either Wink. I had been thinking there must be a packing list online.

BitOfFun · 15/08/2019 07:12

I think there must be loads of old threads with ideas- I've found one here that might help?

Eve · 15/08/2019 07:13

Loads of threads on this, it gets covered every year.

Original poster
Pembin · 15/08/2019 07:24

Thank you - I guessed it must but a search didn’t bring them up - probably because in bed and searching on my phone which I wouldn’t normally be doing .... will investigate ( anything to fill next 40 mins...)

OP posts:
EleanorReally · 15/08/2019 07:24

I have today bought DD a double duvet, which is a start, her halls are not catering.

EleanorReally · 15/08/2019 07:25

The most memorable seems to be a door stopper, for socialising in halls

EduCated · 15/08/2019 07:45

There’s a decent one on The Student Room. When she knows her accommodation, they may send her an inventory of what’s already there (or you might find one by Googling the name of her halls and ‘inventory’).

But tea spoons. All the tea spoons. Every single one. No matter how many you think, get more.

nagynolonger · 15/08/2019 07:49

Toilet roll. The newer student blocks with en-suites never have any.

We have packed new students off four times. Just pack the basics like bedding, towels and kitchen stuff (most are not catered now). Mine all took far too much for the kitchen and ended up proving for everyone else. If I did it again I would leave them to sort most of that when they found out what was needed. Leave everything for the room to them. They won't be on a desert island and there will be somewhere nearby to buy what they need. Do the big food shop there.

Also check if a clothes airer are allowed. Not all residences allow them and they do check rooms for airers and fridges. Washing and drying clothes is expensive. Make sure they have some of those wash pods for the machines Maybe go and have a look with them so they have some idea how the washing machines work. They often have to buy cards.

I sent stamps and envelopes as per various lists. They were never used.

nokidshere · 15/08/2019 10:21

I did my own for last year and, almost, all of it was useful here's a copy if someone can use it..

Uni Packing
nokidshere · 15/08/2019 10:22

The only thing that he didn't use was the printer although he thinks it will be useful in his shared house this year

RaptorInaPorkPieHat · 15/08/2019 10:26

I've got two lists copied into my spreadsheet (sounds far more organised than it is).

targetcareers.co.uk/uni/starting-university/385984-the-ultimate-uni-checklist-what-to-pack

www.mumsnet.com/teenagers/university-essentials-checklist

NotWavingButMNing · 15/08/2019 10:37

Lots of earlier threads. I've had two through uni and have lists for first, second and third year.

Just a couple of tips.
Some old lists may be a bit out of touch technology wise.
Everything is loaded onto their ID card - laundry, food etc so they don't need cash for those things.
This matters more to some students DS2 checked the internet before unpacking anything else than others Wink. The halls my DC were in at two different unis had very high speed internet (100mbps) both wired and wifi plus wall to wall sockets.

Mine took old household pots, pans and textiles and nothing survived three years at uni. When DS1 moved into a flat to start his new job that was when we bought all new stuff for him.

Bakeandyarn · 15/08/2019 10:38

We had a list last year and also bought three big lidded crates, one each for kitchen, bathroom and stationary - DS says they are brilliant, he’s at Oxford so has to clear everything out during holidays and it has made organisation and packing much easier. It’s also easy to check what needs topping up each holiday. You can set up their uni address on Amazon too if you need to send anything urgent! Another useful buy is colourcatcher sheets for laundry, DS just puts everything in together (I do make sure I’ve washed risky items a few times before he takes them too). He has some big zipped laundry bags and some ikea bags to pack his clothes in too, there’s often not room to store big luggage bags and these are great for just chucking stuff in to bring home.

Bakeandyarn · 15/08/2019 10:39

*stationery! What was I thinking!

Bakeandyarn · 15/08/2019 10:40

Also bought an folding clothes airer from Amazon that hangs over a door, also brilliant!

MyVisionsComeFromSoup · 15/08/2019 10:59

pack stuff into bags for life, makes it easier to squish things into the car, handles to carry into halls (quite often halls have older students helping to empty cars - with DD2 she and I went into the room, had a quick at where sockets were, turned round, and the car had been emptied into the room!), and are useful for shopping/laundry, and fold down to practically nothing, whereas a suitcase takes up too much space.

An over-the-door hanger for coats.

A double duvet (even if it's a single bed - doubled over is nicer to sit on).

A thick mattress pad (but wait till they're there and can measure exact dimensions, or take a tape measure with you, and measure before you leave).

Don't expect any kitchen stuff to survive, anything which comes back in the summer is a bonus - so IKEA/Wilkos/Argos/Home Bargains is your best friend here.

Original poster
Pembin · 15/08/2019 11:07

This is all so useful - thanks guys!
Started using Mumsnet when she was 6 months old... how time flies!!
I know she’s definitely in catered halls now so can cross off saucepans ... but seems like there’s an awful lot to add!!! I don’t remember it being so complicated when I went ....,

OP posts:
bizzey · 15/08/2019 11:28

Nothing to add yet ...just saving the thread.

bizzey · 15/08/2019 11:31

@nokidshere..i sae you on the other thread and you said your ds is starting 2nd year at Southampton.
Ds has got in ...so any tips for Southampton would be good .
Thank you.
Glad your ds has been happy there.

Familyband · 15/08/2019 11:44

I'm using the Mumsnet list linked above. DSs accommodation is self catering and seems to include almost nothing! Tesco have good offers on bedding today near us so I bought him a double duvet set and mattress and pillow protectors for £18.

SistersOfMerci · 15/08/2019 11:54

bizzey my dd is going in to yr2 at Soton. What halls is your DS going in to?

bizzey · 15/08/2019 12:04

Sisters...need to check .
He asked for the one i cant spell or prononce begins with G..

bizzey · 15/08/2019 12:04

Glen ..something ?

Littleduckeggblue · 15/08/2019 12:15

When I moved into my student accommodation when I was at university I took a big homemade chocolate cake. Worked really well as an icebreaker :)

SistersOfMerci · 15/08/2019 12:16

Glen Eyre, we looked around those but she ended up in Wessex Lane.