Planning for son going to uni

RAS

You can get a lot of stuff from charity shops or freecycle; use these to save money for the stuff he needs to buy. Do the buying closer to the time.

Get him more than 2 mugs; the person who can actually provide for more than one friend at a time will be person who gets to meet other people in the first week.

Chopping board so he can use different surfaces to prepare food when things are busy.

Timer so he can put supper on and go back to his room if he wants.

Teach him skills if he does not have them.

A basic rotating two week menu plan which is cheap, varied and within his cooking skills will mark him out as competant.

Does he know how to change the fuse in a plug, wash his clothes safely, do basic mending, basic first aid?

Check if the uni has a job shop and encourage him to think about PT work from the off.

Shelldean

silvercar wrote: »

Before you start buying food, check that he won't be living in a catered hall!

Also check on one of the student sites whether parental income will mean that the student won't get the full entitlement to maintenance grants and loans.

this was going to be my question catered halls or self catering??

DD went in catered halls but had to provide her own lunch.

All she had was one set of cultery one dinner plate and one side plate. She had a few glasses and a few cups.

She also took a sponge couple of teatowels plus an old hand sanitiser of washing up liquid.

She had her own bathroom but it was cleaned daily for her!!!!!
but she did take some all purpose spray and a spray bleach.


DD found her airer invaluable as was her mini fridge kept under her desk, there was a communal kitchen ( tiny) with fridge but things tended to go walkies. Sh had a locker in the kitchen to kept her crockery safe

rachhh

When I was preparing for uni, this is the list that my parents and I used. We printed it off and ticked things off as we got them, hope it helps!
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/What_To_Take_To_University

sulkisu

If he can't already do so I would teach him how to cook and prepare cheap easy meals, how to shop like a grown up e.g. buying real food not ready made and how to bag a bargain in supermarkets, plus how to wash/mend/iron his own clothes including basics like sewing a button on and getting stains out. My nephew and stepson are both students and the amount of money that they waste because they are inept in the kitchen, shop like fools and pay good money for service washes in the laundry, is staggering.

kelfen

Mini alarm clock so he gets up for lectures
Teach him how to budget especially when he finds out how much finance he gets

silvercar

kelfen wrote: »

Mini alarm clock so he gets up for lectures

I've yet to meet a student who doesn't use the alarm clock facility on their mobile phone.

Tish_P

Good luck to your son! I hope he has a great time and gets a lot out of his time at university.

If he's going into catered halls, a teapot, kettle, teabags and coffee, plus some decent biscuits and a door wedge so he can prop his door open and "entertain" when he's feeling sociable. Also something from home (framed photo of family / pets?) because everyone gets homesick.

If he's making his own food, a sharp knife, chopping board, tin opener, toaster, small saucepan, wooden spoon and a student cookbook (the Grub on a Grant series were good, back when there were grants).

Don't go overboard on the cleaning supplies, students don't clean much...

onlyroz

I'd suggest looking in Tesco/ASDA/Sainsbury's for a basic pan set. A sauce pan and a frying pan will be enough, along with a spatula, a wooden spoon, and a few kitchen knifes. And possibly a baking tray, although not all uni kitchens will have an oven. For crockery and cutlery I'd suggest checking out the local charity shops - he'll need a few each of dinner plates, side plates, bowls, mugs and glasses, spoons, knifes, forks.

Depending on your budget and how much space you have in your car, you could also get him a small fridge/freezer, and a microwave, kettle and toaster for him to have in his room. These are by no means essential, but would make his life easier.

Wyre

Check out the rules for what is allowed in the rooms for the uni's he is looking at. In my girl's place if it isn't your laptop, printer or hairdryer (small items basically) it isn't allowed.

Michelle63x

- Crockery/cutlery from Charity shop/car boot or freecycle. 3 of each. 1 in use, 1 in the wash and 1 spare.
- Towels/tea towels from charity shop/freecycle
- Nigel Slaters Real fast food book
- Ask relatives to give supermarket gift cards for B'days etc
- Teach him cookery basics and also do some menu planning etc in advance
- A slo cooker has been really useful for my kids. You can make job lots of stews/chillis etc with little work and portions can be frozen for future use.
- Duvet/pillow/sheets bedding etc either from home or cheap in sales
- Stick blender is really useful and costs about a fiver
- Start buying BOGOF deo's etc and keep a store for him (he can take some and top up when he comes home)

AND make sure on moving in day you get to Uni early so he gets the first pick of freezer and fridge and drawer/cupboard space!!!