1st year uni/halls. What to take?

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Eldest is off. Any tips on what to take? Self-catered halls of residence. He thought he was going to take the train with a rucksack, I told him otherwise. Where he is going is colder than where we live. It's 5 hours away, so he won't be coming home term time.

If I give him too much, he'll lose it or leave it on his floor. Any ideas for the bare necessities?

All I have so far are:

Duvet, pillow, covers etc
Bath mat, towels.
Laundry bag
Plates, bowls, few tupperware boxes (he uses those at home), cheap cutlery.

He tends to make his meals in one pan. I was never in halls, do they share a fridge, how is it compartmentalised?
 

Hi - hope that link works for you. My eldest is off too...when I went, we had a shared kitchen but things got pinched late at night, so I kept my toaster in my room and took it to kitchen when wanted. Pans tend to get used and left unwashed so he could keep those in his room with his crockery. There's usually a shared fridge but everything needs a name on, and late night guests and some flatmates will inevitably borrow some and neglect to replace it. I kept my food tins in my room simply because I couldn't afford to be replacing things the whole time if someone else ate them. With regard to clothes, he will need more underwear and socks than you can imagine as they'll end up under the bed and he'll run out. Having said that, he's going to have the time of his life!
 
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God, this takes me back.😁
Both of mine did there first years in self-catered halls and thoroughly enjoyed it. The large communal kitchen was usually a good socialising point as people muddled along, learning and teaching each other as they went.
Don’t send him with anything that you’re not prepared to be lost, stolen or broken. We ended up buying our son one of those small fridges for his room and a little cupboard unit for him to keep in anything that he deemed too precious to be left in the kitchen. This was mainly his protein powders and tins of M&S chilli. 😆

I’m sure that after he’s been there for a couple of weeks there will be a few texts with lists of stuff that he MUST have, or maybe that was just mine.
 
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Yes they'll be a big fridge or two and people will just divide it up amongst themselves so everyone will get a shelf or half shelf. Will be plenty with a bit of stacking, although often one or two get one for their room.

I think your list covers everything I can think of, although would add an umbrella and cleaning supplies if the room it has a shower. Anything extra he can just buy.
 
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Bottle/corkscrew opener. Bottle of booze ( best way to make friends on the first night)

The cheapest pans/ baking trays and utensils as they’ll get ruined by other people anyway

Laundry bag so it’s easy to carry clothes to the communal wash rooms

A little medicine kit with aspirin, immodium ( dodgy student cooking) plasters etc would probably be useful
 
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My youngest is also off - i am counting the days. The other two were girls and just got on with it, this one is a boy and it is totally my fault that he can do NOTHING for himself, and by nothing i mean that he cant even butter toast - i swear he cannot spread!

Am mortified that he is uttererly useless and take 100% responibility for it. He was a boy and my baby - guilty as charged. So I am hoping he will 'man up'.

Luckily his eldest sister lives in the same city so i can always send her round if disaster strikes. He knows how to make a pot noodle so as long as he has a kettle he will be fine. His sisters gave him a list and rules: (between them they have completed 8 years of Uni life, i was a mature student with 2 kids when i did my degree so had no useful info)

  1. Do not shag anyone in the same halls building as you :eek: as they will have a key and stalk you
  2. Beer
  3. Beer
  4. Beer
  5. Beer
  6. Beer
  7. Condoms.
I feel a bit sick now.
 
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These are random but throw some Spices in with his food haul - can’t make a curry without the basics 🤣
I’d be lost without black pepper, probably drop out and head home 😐
I lived at home during my uni days so it wasn’t an issue.

Grab one of those spare charger cables or charging bank in the pound shop 🤣 nothing worse than a broken charging cable.
Don’t last long but for a quid in an emergency it’s handy.
 
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My biggest tip, is if it's not included in the cost of halls, insurance. Make sure his belongings are insured.
 
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Not sure if you have an ikea near you but that had a student kitchen set at mine the other week. Full of everything a student would need for a kitchen, it looked brilliant.
 
I was in self catered halls (a good few years ago now!). I didnt have any issues with ppl stealing food but I was lucky with my housemates. We all had a shelf on the fridge and a cupboard each in the kitchen (decided between us).

A toaster and kettle came with the kitchen.

- I'd also add a collander if he likes his pasta (though he could easily drain it with the lid).
- Cleaning stuff if he's got an ensuite
- Depending on how particular he is about hygiene (or if he doesnt eat meat), he might want his own dish scourer
 
Condoms. Alka Seltzer. An alarm clock. Insurance to cover all his gadgets (phone/iPad/laptop etc) printer & ink, stationery, knowledge of how to budget his money - information on how credit cards and loans work and how an overdraft isn’t free money! I know that sounds silly but the banks bloody love to throw credit cards and overdrafts at naive young students who gladly sign up for anything without understanding it so try to save him from plunging into debt by arming him with the information!!!)
 
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Check if the kitchen comes with toaster, kettle, microwave and do not buy otherwise.
Set of pint glasses.
Padlock - my uni halls we all had our own cupboard with facility to lock with a padlock.
 
These are random but throw some Spices in with his food haul - can’t make a curry without the basics
Well if someone isn't up to buttering toast, I don't think a jar of sumac will ever be used ;)

I'd leave a note about budgeting and how long the student loan needs to last and no coming running if you spend it early. But I'm mean. The people I knew that got bailed out never learnt, the ones that had to live off smart price 4p noodles for a month did :D
 
Well if someone isn't up to buttering toast, I don't think a jar of sumac will ever be used ;)

I'd leave a note about budgeting and how long the student loan needs to last and no coming running if you spend it early. But I'm mean. The people I knew that got bailed out never learnt, the ones that had to live off smart price 4p noodles for a month did :D
😂😂😂 my old housemate used to have ran out of her three month loan the week it came in. We both had jobs as well though so she muddled through
 
Well if someone isn't up to buttering toast, I don't think a jar of sumac will ever be used ;)
Some kids have their tit together these days! Pretty sure I lived on dry cereal and yellow shortcake snack bars for most on my uni years 😐
But if there was steam coming off my food it needs pepper or cayenne pepper at the very least.
I will fight anyone of ANY age on that one 🤣

I don’t think I’d have it in me to give my child condoms going off to uni. 🤣
He would either need to buy them himself or pay maintenance on a child for the next 18 years. 🤷‍♀️
 
You get condoms free by the bag full at freshers fairS did at my uni anyway haha
Some kids have their tit together these days! Pretty sure I lived on dry cereal and yellow shortcake snack bars for most on my uni years 😐
But if there was steam coming off my food it needs pepper or cayenne pepper at the very least.
I will fight anyone of ANY age on that one 🤣

I don’t think I’d have it in me to give my child condoms going off to uni. 🤣
He would either need to buy them himself or pay maintenance on a child for the next 18 years. 🤷‍♀️
t
 
Some kids have their tit together these days! Pretty sure I lived on dry cereal and yellow shortcake snack bars for most on my uni years 😐
But if there was steam coming off my food it needs pepper or cayenne pepper at the very least.
I will fight anyone of ANY age on that one 🤣

I don’t think I’d have it in me to give my child condoms going off to uni. 🤣
He would either need to buy them himself or pay maintenance on a child for the next 18 years. 🤷‍♀️
My youngest is off this year <big massive sob> and despite me showing him basic cooking skills , he doesn’t enjoy cooking although he can do pasta and happily make a bacon sarnie.

It’s a steep learning curve and we’ll buy his groceries because he’s got just enough loan to pay the rent <another big massive sob>.

Anyway moan over 😉, I’ll send one decent big frying pan, one saucepan, a George Foreman grill , a couple of dinner plates and a bowl for cereal .

Bed linen , towel and toilet roll x 10.
 
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learning to cook is one of those rights of passage at uni. They don’t have a choice so they will work it out! Might not be the most desirable food to ever grace the earth but it will be edible and they won’t starve!! 👍