What do you send your dc to uni with?

[belfasteast]

Didn't want to derail the accompanying your dc to uni thread, but just wondering what you sent them to uni with in terms of possessions. We are in NI and dd wants to go to England so my plan would be to order bedding from the local Argos, do a shop once there to fill fridge/freezer. I hadn't actually planned on any kitchen stuff, I thought the kitchens would all be furnished? Everyone on the other thread is bringing pots and pans, is that a thing?

Also how much is storage for over the summer so that dd doesn't have to lug everything back home?

Yes! Sanitary products to last a couple of months. It wasn't the money as such, rather they have so much going on that first term term that that's the last thing you want them to worry about

We are still using in 2020 the tomato knife which I bought as my only knife for veg at university in 1979! It has done very well.

DS has just finished - and he didn't have that much stuff.

One frying pan, one saucepan. Cheap plastic utensil set.. Just two of each for crockery - so one in use, one in the 'wash' .. I gave him some of our old spares as they were easily identifiable as being his when in a shared kitchen . He went to the local Wilkos to buy more of any household items he needed.

You can usually order a bedding pack from the University.

Towels - DS used the Turkish Hammam Towels - they dry really quickly so don't hang around getting musty. These towel

Flip flops for shower. Decent toiletry bag which can hang/stand (depending on the shower room arrangement)

I gave my DS1 condoms for his 18th among other things. He thought it was embarrassing but took them to uni with him!

I’ve just bought some hammam towels for DS3, thanks!

I remembered another nice thing for uni, maybe more one for anyone who wants to get them a present. For my best friend's 18th in the summer before we went to uni, I got a little plastic chest, one of those craft ones with compartments, and filled it with bits like cute pencils, paper clips, heart shaped post its, blutac, pins for a pinboard, a few first aid bits, some chocolate and a mini packet of her favourite biscuits, chewing gum (inside joke), pens, glue stick, sellotape and so on. I can't remember what else, but it was basically a "uni survival kit" with a cute contents list and some reminders of our friendship. Apparently it was very useful, and meant she didn't need to find all those little extra bits that come in handy . I actually forgot half of it myself

If she is flying from Northern Ireland, I would use her luggage allowance for her clothes etc and just buy the kitchen stuff she finds she needs in University location; or arrange online delivery (Amazon)/Argos click and collect as you said.
My DC shared with 4 others in first year in a University Halls ensuite flat and no one pinched anything from the fridge nor broke stuff. 2 fridge freezers between 5/6 students was plenty of space, along with a locked cupboard for your food/essentials and a larger open one per person for other stuff. Kettle was provided but toaster wasn't, so everyone used my DC's. It was all much easier than I had been led to believe by threads here, although maybe my DC was lucky!
I would 'back pack' and find out from the internet exactly what is provided in her particular accommodation and go from there. Unless Oxford or Cambridge, you can usually leave stuff in your room over Christmas and Easter at most places. Good luck.

Just remembered that nestable products are good if limited storage e.g plastic food storage boxes so can keep your stuff separately in fridge easily and hygienically.

DS has just finished - and he didn't have that much stuff

Maybe because he is a boy? Yes, I know it is a stereotype, but among DD's friends the boys have hardly anything compared to the girls.

DD loves to cook. She is a vegetarian and is an imaginative cook. She hardle ever eats ready meals, and says that she finds cooking a therapeutic way to wind down. As a result she had more kitchen equipment (and used it all) and loads of store cupboard ingredients than all the other students in her flat.

We are still using in 2020 the tomato knife which I bought as my only knife for veg at university in 1979! It has done very well

I can't quite beat that but I still have a butter knife and a potato peeler from 1990 that I took to uni with me.

I am 54 and left university on 1987. I still don't own a butter knife. Or don't think I do!

I still have two soup bowls I bought in 1981, and a copy of Cooking in a Bedsitter.

I packed all mine off with a statiionery box, including stamps, envelopes, paperclips, pens, pencils, treasury tags, Sellotape, Post-its.

Don't send anything you will desperately miss - a sizeable amount of stuff won't come back!

pots and pans - the hobs will be induction hobs - took DS a while to realise why nothing was cooking!

a mattress topper - the beds arent very comfortable

Don't assume they'll be induction hobs. We had old fashioned electric hobs.

with regard to condoms .. when DS1 left for uni his younger brother give him a glass picture frame with a condom in it - and writing which said:

'Break glass in case of miracle'

A sauté pan or wok with a lid. DD has had hers for 4 years and it has been used by lots of housemates. Used for stir fries, curry’s, casseroles, chillis etc. Then a smaller saucepan for rice/pasta.

DD's accommodation didn't have induction hobs.

DS1 was in a big kitchen with 2 hobs, one normal electric and the newer one was induction. Good job I’d sent him with cheap steel pans rather than my old aluminium ones.

'Break glass in case of miracle'

Love that

I am 54 and left university on 1987. I still don't own a butter knife. Or don't think I do!

I'd managed about as many years on the planet without ever having lived in the same house as a pair of salad servers. Then one Christmas we were given two sets. One from someone who actually cares about such things and the other from a former colleague who has given me some lovely presents over the years and probably chose them because they were a bit 'different' and (even I will concede) attractive items in their own right. And still without a day's use over 6 years later...

Fortunately DD hasn't had an induction hob in her time so far, else my cast-offs wouldn't have worked. One of the pans is a not too large steamer pan which is good for cooking carbs in the bottom and veg on top.

I've still got stuff my DM gave me from her kitchen when I went to uni in 1979. The orange plastic measuring jug has been demoted to dog washing duties.
And one or two of her things got passed on to DD.

Don't buy bedding until you know what size of bed she'll have. DD1 has a double bed at home (DGM's old one that we ordered but DGM went into care then died before ever using it) but at uni has a single bed. DD2 has a single bed at home but a three-quarter size one at uni. We leave their beds made up at home and have spare ones that go to uni.