What’s needed for self catered halls?

[fedup21]

We are writing a list of what is needed-any tips gratefully received!

Kettle
Toaster
Toasted sandwich maker
a couple of plates/bowls/glasses
mugs/knives/forks/spoons
Saucepan
Frying pan
Chopping board and sharp knife

Agree with most others that in my experience the kettle was provided. My uni didn't allow toasters as they set the smoke alarms off all the time so we just made toast using the grill.

I wouldn't go buying too much....chances are the group living together will probably go and buy what they want together once they see what they have and what they need/want.

Also check if you get anything when you move into halls. I got a starter pack which had crockery, a couple of saucepans, bedding, towels and cutlery in. It wasn't super fancy stuff but it did the job perfectly. As few of us in our flat ended up with duplicate items as none of us knew about the starter pack so we took the excess bedding and towels to the local homeless shelter.

*You don't even know where your child will be studying
*
Not always the case. The OPs child could have already accepted an unconditional offer.

It's an expensive game getting set up for uni. I think planning early and buying as you go along is a great idea...also helps build the excitement of going to uni slowly adding to boxes of "moving in" stuff.

As others have posted too I'd really recommend a box with store cupboard items. My family did this for me when I went to uni and although it only contained stuff like spices, pasta, tins of stuff like chopped tomatoes etc it was a great start. Also having a bottle of something as someone suggested will be a great way to break the ice with child's new roommates.

For my first night in halls my parents did me a couple of huge lasagnes that just needed heating up and I took a crate of beer and a couple of bottles of wine. It ended up being a lovely first evening where all of us in the flat sat down together for a meal and got to know each other.

Everyone is nervous on their first night in halls at uni and the meal was an excuse for us all to have to sit together and get to know one another.

It ended up becoming a bit of a tradition and we made a point as a group (there were 6 of us - sometimes more if boyfriends/girlfriends were about) to sit and all have a meal together once a week.

I'm 10 years out of uni now and we are all still in touch

If you start looking now, you can probably find most stuff in charity shops rather than adding to the mountain of stuff bought new by students that ends up in landfill. It also makes it possible to have different crockery to the Argos/Tesco student packs that year meaning flatmates won't use it!

Towels, dishcloths and oven gloves are always useful.

IKEA is your best bet for all the kitchen stuff ime,also Wilko's.

Ds loves is toastie maker as do all his house mates. The kettle provided was rubbish so they clubbed together to buy a new one.

Other handy things -
Big bag to carry laundry
Door stop to keep door open
First aid kit - lemsip, Imodium, condoms, sick bowl - Uni students pick up every bug in the first term and the infamous freshers flu!
Store cupboard food definitely inc treats!
A sharpie! Handy to label milk / butter
Sandwich bags / tin foil / Tupperware because shared fridges can be mayhem
Dressing gown! My uni halls had fire alarm pranks at least once a term and sometimes running out in the middle of the night it was much needed
Big box of antibac wipes
Weekend bag to come home / visit friends
Sleeping bag (it's a bit extra but I once soaked my duvet by accident and I'd have been lost without my back up!)
A bottle of something to break the ice on day one
Playing cards
Washing tablets / fabric softener - scope out the washing facilities. Is it funded by change?
Decent coat / shoes/trainers for the rain as lots of walking at uni
Reusable coffee cup / refillable water bottle

If the uni have a "new to XX" facebook group it might be worth asking on there (or mine do a "chat to a current student" session fairly regularly).

Otherwise I'd just wait to see what is there when you get there. The one I would say, from the sheer number I saw being carted back from the city centre across campus during the first couple of weeks of term is some form of collapsible laundry airer to dry washing on.

Sporks? SPORKS @Bronzegate ?!

My jaw hitteth the floor

FridgeOffal

He sometimes cooks two portions of pasta, eats half for dinner, refrigerates the other half and then takes it into campus the next day as a packed lunch. The spork is for that.

So nothing a reusable plastic fork wouldn't so then

*I'm only jesting because I think they're bloody pointless clumsy to use things)

I don't think it's odd getting ready early - I couldn't afford to kit my DS out all at once, I made a list and bought a couple of items a month , so I didn't feel the cost. I started well in advance, it helps saying goodbye when you know they're well sorted.

Ignore the bitchy comments on here OP, you've has some great advice.

These uni threads bring out lots of nasty comments from people who seemingly just put their DC on a train to uni and let them sort themselves out. (Did you ever read the thread last year about the uni backpack!)

I started a thread last year asking for meal ideas, cheap and easy meals we could try together so I sent him off with a repertoire of meals. I got some really nasty responses 'well if he can't cook by now what type of a mother we you' etc. But I got some great suggestions too, and he added a few of those recipes to his existing favourite meals to make (I did too in fact!) and he and his flat mates enjoy cooking together (they even did a full Christmas dinner, stuffing, pigs in blankets, Christmas crackers and all!)

I wouldn't have thought you need all that. Equipment is usually provided in the kitchen.

I started a year before too, it's very expensive kiting them out and if they take everything from home then they haven't got it when they come home for holidays so it's like kitltng out a new flat. Spreading it out and starting early it's perfectly normal.

I still remember one poster last year who very sneeringly told everyone on a uni thread that her child had only taken an old mug with them and that was fine and what on earth was the fuss about. What she failed to mention was that her child was in catered halls

Thank you so much again for all of the helpful comments and from those people who also are thinking way in advance-I really appreciate it.

I wouldn't have thought you need all that. Equipment is usually provided in the kitchen.

The bare minimum will be a hob, a fridge and freezer and some form of oven, either a 'normal' one or one of the combined microwave / oven sort.

Most self-catered kitchens will have a microwave. Some will provide kettle / toaster / iron, some not.

None of the self catered accommodation I have looked at (quite a lot) has provided cutlery, crockery, pots and pans or kitchen utensils. If you know of university accommodation where these things are provided as standard, please let people know, so they can get their DC to prioritise looking at them, assuming that their DC aren't currently in year 13 and are already in the throes of the UCAS process.

Do the universities concerned also provide a full kitting out service for subsequent years' privately rented accommodation?

Make sure the glasses, crockery and cutlery are identifiable, ie coloured handles, rims etc or you'll never find it.

Washing up gloves and about 7 gallons of fairy liquid and sponges(a bottle in reality) so there is no excuse.
Possibly a couple of wine classes if offspring is a wine drinker? Plastic ones perhaps - I care about!a nice glass but if your mission is to get drunk it's probably not important!

Extra set of bedlinen (although not sure how often this gets changed- send pack of washing powder for the hint!)

DS took-
Cutlery
Plates
Mugs
Glasses
Bowls
Frying pan
Saucepan
Colander
Untensils
Sandwich toaster
Iron
Baking trays/pizza tray
Laundry bag
Duvet and pillows
Bedding
Cushion and throws
Lamp
Saucepans
Towels
Tea towels
Coat hangers
Tin opener

Tin of celebrations and some beers to share with his new flat mates

He took 3 plates,3 bowls etc not a whole dinner service. He took 6 mugs though.

I also got a box together of tea/ coffee/sugar/ pasta/ rice and some pasta sauces.

** multi purpose cleaning spray
Fairy
Washing up sponge
Washing powder and conditioner
Shampoo and soap
Toothpaste

Oh and one of those fireproof/ waterproof envelopes is good for documents/passport.

fedup21

Ignore the,"what already?" comments, I spent over a year getting bits and pieces for my niece, I'd buy one thing a week.

One tip - get plates from a charity shop, everyone takes IKEA and then there are arguments about who owns what and who broke who's plate.

Toaster and microwave are usually supplied. Some halls have machines where you put £1 in and you get a hot toastie out.

Basic cleaning materials.
Tin opener and bottle opener / corkscrew.
A largish place mat, if they want to eat in their room it stops food getting spilled on books.
A washing up bowl in case the sink is full of other people's mugs, keep in bedroom with washing up liquid.

Basic cook book - depending on her skills.

Are you just looking at the kitchen?

If sharing a bathroom flip flops for the shower.

Spare bedding as well as basic, some halls have heaters on timers so you have to keep pressing a button in the night, extra duvet sorts that.

An 'emergencies' tin - basic first aid bits, needle and thread, batteries, spare USB lead, emergency chocolate, paracetamol, sellotape. You can get a mini first aid kit for £2-3. I have one in my handbag, it has scissors, plasters, gause alcohol wipe.

You might want to include condoms, sanitary protection, you might not.

Names and dates of family birthdays and a set of cards to send.

A list of phone numbers in case a phone is lost/stolen

Coins for the laundry.

You can get a very basic PAYG phone for about 10, with will have £10 credit - it might be useful to have one permanently charges and left in the room so you always have a way of contacting each other.

Socks or slippers even if they are never warn at home, student hall floors can be nasty and you don't want to keep putting shoes on to make a cup of tea.

Depending on how far away they are and if they are likely to be coming home mid term then an overnight bag.

Remember to pack a coat, hat, scarf, gloves - they usually arrive when the weather is good but don't come home until December.

Important for all halls (whether catered or self-catering):
Up to date vaccinations, particularly mumps and meningitis.

If you consented to everything in the childhood and school vaccination schedule then they should already have these.
The mumps vaccination was included in the MMR offered when they were little.
The meningitis vaccination for strains A, C, W and Y was included in the vaccinations offered at secondary school (for current Y13s this was probably in around Y10).