Daughter Going Into Halls - What to Bring/Buy?

johnswife

We have just returned from moving DD2 into her halls and the kettle & toaster that were there needed to be thrown away. I don't know if they belonged to the hall or belonged to an ex student. she doesn't use a kettle but we bought a toaster from Tesco for £4.50.

I was disgusted with the state of the kitchen and I am glad we had some wipes and kitchen spray as her boyfriend and myself cleaned as much as we could. Believe me I am not that hot on housework but who ever cleaned it should have been sacked. Don't get me started on the fridge!!

crazy_saver22

probably too late for the orginal poster but may help others - i'm going to uni on the 26th as well and this is my list...
§ Provisional
§ Train card
§ National Insurance Number
§ NHS Medical Card
§ Cheque Book
§ Academic Diary
§ Dictionary
§ Thesaurus
§ GCSE and A-Level results/certificates.
§ Lined Paper
§ Printing Paper
§ Notebook
§ Pens
§ Coloured pens
§ Pencils
§ Highlighters
§ Post it notes
§ Paper clips
§ Permanent All-Surface Markers
§ White Tack
§ Scissors
§ Sellotape
§ Hole Puncher
§ Stapler
§ Pins
§ Ruler(s)
§ A4 Ring Binders or Lever Arch Folders
§ Plastic Wallets
§ Rubbers
§ Sharpener
§ Calculator
§ Extension leads Get Surge protected equipment
§ Laptop & charger
§ Laptop bag/skin
§ USB Pen drive
§ External Harddrive
§ Printer
§ Blank CD’s
§ Alarm Clock
§ Mobile Phone & charger
§ Digital Camera + charger
§ Batteries
§ MP3 Player/iPod (with charger and USB connector Speakers and Connector
§ Headphones
§ Hair Dryer
§ Hair Straighteners
§ Iron
§ Jewellery Box
§ Make-up
§ Prescription Glasses/spare pair (and a copy of your prescription)
§ Flannel
§ Prescription Medicines
§ Painkillers
§ Plasters
§ Antiseptic Wipes
§ Antiseptic Cream
§ Blister Plasters
§ Cold/Flu Remedy
§ throat Lozenges
§ Dressing Gown
§ Pyjamas
§ Slippers
§ Flip-flops
§ Swimwear
§ Normal, casual clothing
§ warm coat,
§ gloves, scarf, hat
§ unbrella
§ underwear
§ socks
§ Hand Towels
§ Bath Towels
§ Wash Bag
§ Nail Clippers
§ Tweezers
§ Hairbrush / Comb
§ Body Lotion
§ Razor
§ Shaving Gel
§ Moisturiser
§ Toothbrush
§ Toothpaste
§ Soap
§ Shower gel
§ Shampoo
§ Toilet roll
§ Anti-perspirant/deodorant.
§ Sheets
§ Duvet/Quilt
§ Duvet covers
§ Pillows
§ Pillow Cases
§ Mattress Protector
§ Cuddly toys
§ Hot Water bottle
§ Sleeping Bag
§ Kettle
§ Toaster
§ Small Casserole Dish
§ Small Frying Pan
§ Wok
§ Large Saucepan (with lid)
§ Small Saucepan (with lid)
§ Flat Baking Tray
§ Tin Opener
§ vegetable Peeler
§ Cheese Grater
§ Wooden Spoons or Spatulas
§ Masher
§ Microwavable Bowl
§ Measuring Jug
§ Colander
§ Whisk
§ Chopping Knives
§ Chopping Board
§ Tupperware (plastic) tubs
§ Glasses
§ Cutlery
§ Oven Glove
§ Tea Towels
§ Baking Foil
§ Cling Film
§ Sandwich Bags
§ Washing Powder
§ Laundry Bag
§ Clothes Horse
§ Coat hangers
§ Washing up Liquid
§ Washing up Sponge/Cloth
§ Kitchen Towel
§ Photos
§ Postcards
§ Cushions
§ Boxes, Holdall or Weekend Bag
§ Torch
§ Watch
§ Recipe Book

sorry the fonts a bit muddled - just where ive marked things!
list was adapted from the student room's list.

Blackpool_Saver

Great post jelly, really comprehensive

Rikki

I packed my son off with a doorstop as one of his many items. It allowed him to keep his door open to let know others he was there, rather than being shut in a room and not meeting new people as they arrived.

Fen1

Can opener.
Extension cables x2
Ear plugs.
Her own pillow.
Toastie maker.
A strong large plastic box: very useful for handwashing undies; temporary storage; occasional table; footstool...............
Good quality handwashing detergent for clothes ( laundry is expensive ), essential for undies and delicates.
Clothes horse.

pixie__girlie

EARPLUGS! if she wants to get any sleep :]]]

BigBouncyBall

a book of stamps!!

useful for birthday cards back to family. No excuse then!

BigBouncyBall

buy a decent can opener. Nothing worse than a cheap one breaking and then resorting to using a knife or something to try and prise it open which will lead you wish you'd packed a first aid kit.

sunshinejoclaire

yeah earplugs are a must.

(I've never lived in HOR, but I have lived in staff accommodation in a hotel which is much the same!!)

dogstarheaven

QUOTE=Talonaer;25029597]Hey,

Im a current UCL student, was in halls 3 years ago. Could I ask the halls names? Then I can give you some more details.

The only self catering halls that come to mind are Max Rayne, Frances Gardner, and Langdon close. None of which provide kitchen stuff except fridge/freezers, ovens, and lockable cabinets. Often there are microwaves and kettles from past inhabitants still there, so dont purchase these till you've been.

Do take:
Cutlery
Pans
Plates and Bowls
Mug
Glasses
Choping board
Spatula
wooden spoon
Chefs Knife
Can opener
etc

As for rooms, all are fairly small, you wont need much. A laundry bag is essential (I just used to use one of those big blue ikea all purpose bags) for going down to the laundry rooms. which can be pricey but at one load every 1-2 weeks for £1-2 its actualy not that bad.

Throw me some more information at which UCL halls she'll be in etc etc and ill happily throw some more information for you. Studying medicine perchance? If so yes she will definately expected to be out every night, this does not mean getting drunk/drinking at all if you dont want to, but for freshers week getting out and mingling is essential. As for other courses, same again! Freshers week is not a week for watching TV in the evenings! After that it'll all calm down.

edit:

Mini fridge : Not allowed in any UCL halls to my knowledge unless required for medical reasons i.e. cold storage of medicines.
Steamer: mmmm just get a stack of steamer pans, then at least you basically have a 2 collinders and a pan. A seperate self heating steamer will jsut take up limited space.
Having said that the best thing Ive ever had as a student, and wish id had in halls, which you can get for about £15-20 in tesco...is...a slow cooker! Honestly for budget cooking that can be just left on on low all day with no concern to come home to a tasty meal. A little daunting to start but seriously worth it ive found.[/QUOTE]
hi everyone who's replied so far (v pleased that you've taken the time to make suggestions)

time's getting so closer to the date and am getting more and more sad for our mother/daughter relationship to part . i don't know how i'll cope (she's my only child) as she's been my focus for the last 20yrs of my life and put a lot of effort in raising her on my own.

for talconaer:

she'll be studying maths at UCL and is going into a student house called Ann Stephenson which is on Camden St (i didn't know HOR means only those who are into 'catered rooms' whereas she's in self-catered which she'll prefer as she's into eating proper, nutritious, tasty food that she'd rather prepare herself than eating exhorbitantly, mass-produced bland packet/frozen stuff that she would get from the canteen).

the idea about getting a slow-cooker is a good one as i'd remember using one of these when i first went to full-time work years ago, but after a while, i must of got v tired of eating the same style of food everyday, that i must have chucked it out.. i know there's a revival in these cookers/pressure cookers as a way of eco-saving but i'm not too certain whether my daughter will be into it or not...:rolleyes:

the steamer that she'll be getting is a stove one as the one i use for family meals ( i can't understand the need for lots of useless gadgets) as previously mentioned the pan can be used as a normal pan for other things as well as making the pasta, and one of the steamers can be used like a colander..

re. mini fridges - all things electrical aren't allowed in the rooms inc. kettles, heaters etc... that's a real shame as i can well imagine there'll be lots of food stuffs will go astray v easily (i've got mini padlocks already!)

i thought the laundry at UCL was 50p a load which i thought was too cheap to be true.. can any confirm this pls?

has ever walked to campus from Camden St before as my daughter is planning to walk everyday, and then get the bus/tube in the winter months when it's darker at nights...? she reckons it'll take 30mins approx. but i can't imagine her doing the walk every day when she's so used to taking the bus here for school!

what's the best way of saving travel costs? is the Oyster Card the only method and do students get it any cheaper by any chance?

I thought that Fresher's Week would be lots of places to go to for reduced rates, but it seems there aren't any with the Fresher's Pack she's rec'd today... what else can she do other than clubbing/drinking.. are there no alternatives? i don't want her spending her first loan on alcohol...!!:eek:

a clothes airer is a really good idea. i'll have to look around for one.

i do have a problem with transport as i don't own a car so we'll be going down on the train and the majority of her stuff is taken down by her BF's mum (BF studying there too - how lucky) but i'm not sure if both their stuff will fit into a 7-seater Mercedes with all the seats folded down. apparently BF's mum has bought a lot for him tho' he's staying in intercollegiate catered halls.

guys and gals - how much of a car's capacity did your stuff fit? i've been told by daughter i can't load the car with too much weight as BF will have a lot too (i was thinking of all the heavy stuff like food stuffs, her toiletries and bulky items). what do you reckon?