Going off to university

[3littlefrogs]

Ds1 goes off to uni next week. He will be in university accommodation, (6 bedrooms and shared kitchen).

I have made a list of all the basics - cutlery, crockery,bedding, towels,cleaning stuff etc.

Does anyone have any tips for things that I should get for him that would be really useful but I might not have thought of?

Thanks in advance for all ideas.

There was no bedside light there either, now I think on.

We bought lots of kitchen equipment, including things like oven gloves & teatowels, peeler, sharp knives, grater etc. (You never know what those shared kitchens will include.)

I can't remember if the shower room had adequate shelves but you could get one of those things that hangs over the shower head, or the indivual corner shelves with suckers on.

Extension lead great idea, get one of the surge-protected ones with switched sockets.

Battery charger & rechargeable batteries for camera/MP3 player etc

Am I the only person who was dropped off at the gate of university with a suitcase of clothes and a 'cheerio' ?

I always found the hovering 'visit every other weekend and take the washing home' parents weird,

All this lovingly selected stuff will just it in a neglected pile - or perhaps get re-appropriated as an ash tray. If he needs it he'll buy it himself - when he needs it.

I agree with Kif, part of the fun of uni is standing on your own feet for the first time and it gives you something in common with everyone else.

You also tend to happily do without alot of things "proper grown ups" would think of as essential.

Alarm clock
Painkillers
Bag of change for the launderette
Data sticks (on offer at Staples at the moment)
Blank CDs
Tesco giftcard (or appropriate for whatever supermarket is near him) with £50 on it

I was the youngest in my family so when I went to uni it wasn't seen as a big deal and my parents never visited in termtime
PFB's had parents visit every month , I had £250 to last the whole term (we were living in catered halls), my PFB mate had £500 a month
The mates who had tv's in their rooms found themslves inundated with all us tvless folk, same with the ones with toasters and sandwich makers
I guess now everyone has all that clobber now though

Many moons ago I was just dropped off,(school of nursing, not uni) I felt very envious of those who had parents fussing around and helping them unpack. I was probably the least prepared and spent the next few months gathering together that I didn't know I needed until I hadn't got them to use....kettle,sharp knives, chopping board, teapot. The girl that had all the equipment was very popular.

An odd one, but some blackout curtains. All of my friends in halls had really flimsy curtains that barely even closed and didn't block out any light.

Might be best to wait until he's in though so you can see if they run on tracks or are loop tops.

A bed in a bag or cube bed from the futon company, ideal for when he has a friend over to stay.

lazy garlic, lazy chillies and a good set of spices and herbs.

A decent sized rucksack for his trips home (but not so big he can cram it with dirty laundry, lol).

A tourist guide book for the area he's moving to, I found mine invaluable and it was always good to impress new friends by taking them somewhere unusual.

A bucket is useful and also a washing up bowl.

Definitely extension leads.

Ummm posters & things to attach them with - we had massive pin boards on the wall to cover with pictures.

I only went away to uni 2 years ago, so I hope my advice is fairly up to date (although all unis/experiences vary).

I would say loo roll. Lots of loo roll. Tell your DC to stash it in their room. Not to be mean, but I can guarantee there'll be a time when they're all broke, it's sunday night and they've all been desperately clenching their bowels all day.

Student rail card is another good one, as long as they'll use the train enough to make it worthwhile.

Not too many clothes. Uni is a very casual place, people generally wear the same thing day in, day out don;t take five different ties/cocktail dresses.

Basic food supplies, including something that requires no cooking, biscuits etc for those days that they can't/won't manage even to boil some pasta.

Not too much- they're learning to stand on their own too feet, not be pampered from a longer distance.

In my freshers gift bag (I'm living at home btw) I got:

Some Snack a Jacks
Some Mars Planets
Some chocolate flavoured condoms I doubt I'll need those!
A map of the country with train things on
Some money off vouchers
A bottle of drink (non alcoholic obv)
Some shower stuff
Some sort of energy thing for when you've had an alnighter.

Can't think of anything else. These are just some of the things they could be given. I'll probably have more tomorrow (Freshers Fair!)

Ikea do a great basic cooking pan and utensil kit. Student cook book (penguin), a repetoire of fast simple pasta dishes to keep him healthy.

Phone card or mobile credit

paracetamol, alka seltzer.

Posters, photos of home and friends, an alarm clock, some 'extra' money for Freshers week,
box of basic food items (pasta, salt, pepper, herbs, bag of potatoes, etc)

If he is taking a TV for his room and there is a lock on his door (as in most halls), he will need his own Tv licence.

It's so lovely that you are thinking of him like this. I made my own way at 18, and trundled through the rain from a b and b to halls with my suitcase. Mind you I was happy to be there. Hope it goes well.

Then there are the things that money can't buy:

• ability to budget (money, time, sleep)
• awareness of alcohol tolerance
• genuine enthusiasm for the course

OK, let's get practical: screwdriver, 1st aid (hangover) kit, street map of university town/city, corkscrew/bottle opener

Hope he has a great time and makes some lifelong friends.

I feel old too now Flatmouse.

Thanks everyone. We are just sorting out a few bits and pieces now, and I have told him he can go and buy a George forman grill tomorrow (I will be at work all day).

He has worked through the summer and bought himself a laptop.

I will give him quite a lot of my old kitchen stuff/linen etc, as I plan to treat myself to some new things .

Grandparents have bought him a bedside lamp and an alarm clock, so he is doing very well.

gosh i am amazed. cant they go food shopping when they are there? why do you sent them off with pasta etc?

I won't be sending him off with food - I know he is a very accomplished food shopper!

I was really interested in the sorts of things that other people had found really useful, that I might not have considered.

You sound like a lovely mother, 3littlefrogs, and your son is v lucky

But..no offence...is he going to university in a desert or a warzone or something? I think if he is grown up enough and clever enough for tertiary education, he is also grown up enough and clever enough to sort himself out with everything he needs. That's what university is for, isn't it? Being grown up.

I think the camera idea was great though as the photos will be really nice for both of you to have in a few years.

I found having an airer really useful.

Most people come with lots of stuff because they are in a new place and not sure of transport etc so nice to have some basic food in while you figure out the shops and bus times !

My Daughter has just completed her first week at uni . I made sure she had all of the things that everyone has suggested, and more, guess she is a spoilt girl.
I have found that in the last week, she has called me and asked about all the things i told her in the week before she left and on the day she got there. It was all too much and it seems that she just plainly forgot every thing i had told her.
so i have been busy sending washing instrutions via emails and she has brought a simple cook book . She said that she was so overwelmed by everything she couldnt remember anything , including where i'd left the spare (just incase money), a nice suprise for her when i reminded her that i had left some for her.
god I miss her ..