What to take when starting university?

[Fretfulagain]

I thought this would have been asked many times before but my search terms must be wonky as I can't find a thread.

DD starts university in September and is a long way from home. She will be in Uni accom for the first year - it's a self catering flat for five, with en suite shower rooms and a shared kitchen.

The Uni has given quite a brief list of essentials but I thought the wisdom of MNetters who have gone before me might help me get it right. What do the official lists miss? What is on there but never used? Do we need more/less of anything which we might not anticipate? Anything in particular that your DC thanked you for - or asked for when they came home after the first term?

Any other tips?

All advice welcome 😀Thank you!

I completely agree with this. We over bought for DD in hindsight. I would suggest having a look at the What I Wish I knew About Uni Facebook page for anything specific to the accomodation itself. For example, my dd's was boiling hot so a fan was needed. Otherwise don't worry too much, it's easy enough to buy things as needed.

A really good mattress topper as the beds can be quite poor quality. Two sets of towels.

DSs both really liked having a floor rugs, throw for over the bed and a couple of lamps - desk and bedside, to make the rooms look homely.

Fancy dress accessories for fresher's week (wings/stripy t-shirt/toga/tiara cover a multitude of characters)

First aid kit (Lemsip/paracetamol/throat sweets/hot water bottle) for Fresher's flu.

I don’t disagree with anything on this list and other things people have mentioned but having sent 3 to uni and pretty much packed up for the 4th (I know I know) I would add…

1. a nice big plastic jug to mix pres in. Like vodka and lemonade. Nobody else in the flat will bring one and my kids all say it is very popular. Good to buy now when picnic/outdoor stuff is in the supermarkets.
2. I would go for more than 2 big towels if they are at uni near the sea (Exeter, Plymouth, Swansea, Portsmouth eg). Add in another big towel and maybe a hammam-style cotton towel too.
3. Squeegee if they have an en-suite PARTICULARLY if a wet room. Crucial for getting rid of loads of water without soaking towels/cleaning shower of soap scum without much effort.
4. Agree don’t go for masses of equipment like air fryers in the first instance.
5. Has anyone said lidded Tupperware? One or two are useful.
6. No to printer. They don’t generally print and can do any limited printing in the library.
7. Pack everything - and I mean everything - into these bags, not boxes or suitcases. Currently 2 for £9 on Ocado. Perfect size as swallow everything without being too heavy to lift, they all fold flat and can be stored without bulk, can use one as a laundry bag, can use another for storage of excess clothes like bulky sweaters whilst keeping moths out, and can even use them to bring things home on the train like dirty washing).

Food for the first few days packet rice, tins, etc
Flip flops / sliders for the shower if sharing

Ok my bags didn’t load

Crocs or flip flops if communal shower.
tracksuit bottoms and a long coat (for midnight firealarms better than dressing gown)
wipes for the toilet
cleaner for the shower
big sealed tub like a bread bin for snacks in your room
sauces

Plastic crate that we used to transport DCs kitchen stuff was used as under bed storage for ‘cupboard’ food. As pp has said one wall cupboard & one floor cupboard is soon full even when taking just the basic kitchen supplies let alone food so they had a good stash of extra bits in reserve in their room.

A well stocked medicine box - painkillers, cold remedies, piraton for allergies, plasters, sterile wipes, dioralyte, Imodium as a bare minimum. Every single fresher gets ill in one form or another before half way through the first term - guaranteed!

A thing for the plughole to trap hair! Once we’d checked out the room we bought over the door hooks for coats and a shoe shelf which have moved around various accommodation.

Water bottle to take to lectures.

Toilet brush if they are in a room with ensuite (the silicone ones are great). And a bathmat.

Possibly an extention lead if there isn't a plug socket to charge a phone next to the bed.

I second the first aid kit. They get so ill in the first term.

If you're getting crockery from Ikea, put some nail varnish on the back of each item so they know it belongs to them (lots get Ikea stuff and it can get mixed up).

I wouldn’t go to ikea. A big sainsburys has great stuff just as cheap.

Why cant your daughter find this info out ?
she should be making a list and sourcing these things
mist family friends and random folk in community will have items they can give her

it’s her job now she’s a big girl

A fan, short pjs, uni accom gets hit very quickly

Try going on to WIWIKAU (What I Wish I Knew About University) they have a list of suggestions plus good advice from parents of existing students. Much of which is included here.

It can be very useful in answering any questions you may have. Also you can join facebook groups for your YPs specific university.

Definitely second taking as little as possible and buying stuff from local supermarkets when there. Both my 2 went into hall and after the first experience we were able to pre warn 2nd child that the room would probably look like "a prison cell" (to quote older child) at first. We were prepared and job one was to put bright cheerful bedding on bed and a poster from home on the wall.

Those big laundry bags are great for taking all the stuff there with you and then when empty, folding up into the one big suitcase, so you don't have more than one big luggage item to put away.

Yes bedding is the most important thing I think. Something jolly. And I always put the duvet in a cover and pillow in a pillowcase and the whole lot into a zipped bag so that when you get there they can make the bed in 2 secs. You can then leave them to it, to sort out the rest of their unpacking, safe in the knowledge they have a cosy bed to get into.

Laundry sheets if they need detergent - much lighter weight

Same for cleaning stuff - get one of those refillable bottles and a few re fill tablets of multi cleaner. Take up much less storage

a voucher for local supermarket - they can then buy extra essentials to start off like spices, condiments and oil and other things they won’t usually have to buy weekly.

Basic medical bag

suction hook extra bathroom storage and hooks - once she knows what’s there if en suite.

h and m is also nice for storage items, baskets and things and slightly different from ikea

One of my DS's favourite things is a set of rectangular Pyrex dishes with plastic lids, so that he can batch cook, freeze, defrost and rewarm (and probably eat!) all in the same containers. Like many young people these days he is quite environmentally conscious so tries to avoid single use stuff and food waste so found these very good. I think I got them from Dunelm and they weren't very expensive and have been in more or less continuous use all year.
Scissors. DS says he is the only person in his flat who brought a pair and people are always borrowing them!
A laundry bag with waterproof interior so that they can bring wet stuff back from the laundry without it dripping on the floor. On that subject, an airing rack that will fit in the shower if they have an ensuite so that wet washing doesn't drip on the carpet.
DS has a table top ironing board that he finds useful. There wasn't one provided in his flat and a full size one is a bit bulky.
Toilet roll. There'll probably be one roll there when they arrive but that soon runs out and is the kind of thing that they don't think about until they realise they don't have any!
Prescription medication. I made sure my DC got their repeat prescriptions just before they left, as it does take time if they need to register with a new GP and it takes a bit of pressure off if they have plenty of any regular medications with them at the beginning of term.
But as others have said, unless they're going somewhere really off the beaten track it's not usually difficult to get most things fairly close to University so it's not the end of the world if they don't have absolutely everything at the beginning.

DD is in self catered accomodation. Things that she's found useful include:
A door stop
Something to use as a laundry bag
A laundry egg https://www.ecoegg.com/product/laundry-egg/
A rice cooker (these are very popular, can be used as a slow cooker as well)
An insulated coffee mug
A bedside lamp
A box of 18 museli bars from amazon
plugs with usb ports

Slightly easier on the wrists than cast iron, all of ours have had (hopefully still got) a previous incarnation of this casserole
https://www.prestige.co.uk/products/9-x-tougher-stockpot?variant=40211151814830

We bought one of these and a larger one for ourselves, then got a new 24cm one for DS1 as a present when her was in 3rd year. DD then got our 24cm one as a (good quality!) cast off when she started university, and we did the same again when DS2 started a couple of years later. So for, we've only had one broken lid, when DD forgot that it shouldn't be 'oven cooked' at above 180°C (she got a pyrex-type replacement).

Tbh, though, unless they are really into batch cooking, or cooing with / for friends, I probably wouldn't bother with something even this big to start off with in university accommodation.

The one thing my DS asked for after a couple of months was a potato masher. Apparently mashing potatoes with a fork is not fun. And another vote for crocs/sliders/flip flops if there’s a shared bathroom. Or indeed any shared facilities.

Perex dish with a lid is great. I think pasta bake was my main meal and this meant I could pop it in the fridge to have the other half the next day.
There really isn't a lot of room so don't try and get loads of food and things in advance.
A bottle of something and some chocolate/ biscuits helps to break the ice with flatmates on night 1.

Agree with this advice and also work on the basis that a lot of stuff never makes its way back home again!