Essentials for first year halls and what is best bought later

[Busydoingsomething]

DS will be in halls for his first year. I’ve seen lots of online lists of things that are needed but am not sure how many of them are really essential and if there are any other things that people wished that they’d taken but didn’t…
Any advice from people, who have been there and done that, would be great.
He’ll be in an en suite room with a shared kitchen. I think there are 6 rooms in each section. Will they end up with 6 colanders? Is he better getting stuff like that when he’s there, if he needs it?
Any advice would be great.

To be honest, I think we have visions of them doing things like actual cooking and the realitly is very different. I bought very little new stuff.
a collapsable bucket (mine does that drink but if yours does - for puking, or washing or just stuff)
under bed storage boxes
four mugs
basic cutlery set x 2
wooden spoon
small saucepan
medium saucepan
fish slice
frying pan
microwave bowls
s small light
mattress cover
bedding - see what size bed. Also next year may have a double in a house.
an extension lead
possibly a gift card for local supermarket which has home essentials
towels
tea towels
oven gloves
cleaning stuff

honestly, don’t buy too much. They won’t use most of it.

That does depend on your child though DD loves cooking and I ended up buying her more stuff as she needed it.

But I agree most probably won't do much cooking. I'd add a non stick backing tray to that list if they have an oven. Halls don't normally have anything in them.

We didnt really buy much because we gave her some takeaway vouchers for the first few nights and she raided our cupboards for the cooking stuff and crockery she'd need.

The best things we got were

Good extension lead
Nice lamps (uni room lights are blindingly bright)
Mattress topper (we thought we'd get away with not getting one, but I think they stuff mattresses with rocks)

I would send bedding, bathroom essentials including cleaning supplies (can but hope) lamp (unless provided) bin etc for room.

for kitchen supplies I’d send the bare minimum ideally raiding the tatty stuff we all have or hit discount places/supermarket for value range because it will be wrecked. Send a frying pan, a saucepan or 2, wooden spoon, slice, a chopping knife, a chopping board, tin opener, corkscrew, oven tray or 2, 2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 knives forks and spoons, mugs, glasses of choice (my dd took wine glasses and margarita glasses!) if you want ease places like dunelm do a starter pack for the kitchen you can get delivered to the halls, any going by public transport will find this option better! If money is type do ask about because most of us have plenty of bits we could do with offloading but seems a waste to discard, eg not matching cutlery