'Bottom Drawer' for Uni

Islandmaid

Hi all,

My youngest son is due to start Uni in September, the first in my family, and I would like to buy him a few items to get him started.

He will be in halls for the first year, and will have a lockable kitchen cupboard, a shared fridge freezer etc.

I'm sure lots of you have been through this, and I would appreciate any help or ideas.

So far I have thought of -

* Duvet, pillows and 2 sets of covers
* sack style laundry basket/bag
* plates/bowls/mugs/cutlery etc
* some basic herbs/spices lazy garlic/chilli
* bottle opener/cork screw
* starter shopping pack - tins beans, tin tomatoes, pasta etc

I don't want to buy a whole load of stuff he just won't use, I asked for his input and he was surprised I was thinking about it now, he thought we'd pop out and get some stuff the weekend before he goes :rolls eyes:

He,s working all hours at the moment to save some money for books etc, so he is doing his bit.

Thank you in advance

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peachyprice

Asda and Sainsbury's do student/parent gift cards, they're a gift card with two parts, one for the student, one for the parent, you can top it up any time you need to and at least you know your children can always access food.

https://www.sainsburysgifts.co.uk/meal_ticket_cards.html
http://asda-cards.magento.jml-staging.com/asda-student-shopper-card

Clytemnestra

Yes, that all sounds good. Two things I remember from when DD was in uni a few years ago:
She wanted to take "nice" stuff, I kept trying to push her towards cheap and cheerful - she found that her flatmates were not at all careful with her things, ruined saucepans etc; and she regretted not getting cheap tatty stuff.
Also, we got single bedding for the first year in uni accommodation; then found that in all the rental places she has lived in since the beds were double, so we had to buy another lot of bedding. If I had known that, I would have just let her take bedding from home for the first year (we have quite a bit of "spare". single bedding, not so much double).
To be honest, it is difficult to predict, because to some extent it depends on what those around him decide to do as well. Eg, sometimes they take it in turns to cook for a group; sometimes it's "fix your own pot noodle". Exciting times!

Fen1

1. Have you checked that he needs to take his own bed linen? Some universities do provide this, but not always.

2. Mattress and pillow protectors x 2.

3. His own pillow. Someone else's lumpy pillow is never nice. His own blanket. Adds warmth and 'home comfort'.

4. Ear plugs.

5. First Aid kit, including sharp scissors.

6. Mini Sewing kit with extra buttons.

7. Extension cables, extension cables, more extension cables. There are never enough sockets and none of them are in the right places.

8. Alarm clock.

9. Washing powder.

10. Toiletries with nail scissors.

11. Make sure he knows how to use the above. Does he know how to sew on a button? Can he cook himself a decent meal? Does he know how to budget?

Islandmaid

Thanks guys,

Peachy - I didn't know about the gift cards, that's a good idea.
Clytemnestra - we'll get him a double duvet and covers, and good idea about the pans, cheap has its place
Fen - we have him on a cooking training programme he can cook a few simple meals now, mainly pasta based and he was not amused when I told him I would no longer be doing his washing, as he needed to learn :rotfl: I,ve shown him our household out goings and how I budget, also smart shopping tips, stretching meals etc I hadn't even thought of extension leads or first aid kit, the list is getting longer

hatful-of-hollow

We got a box file for our son to take - in it we put his passport for enrolling at uni, spare batteries for alarm clock, spare phone charger, stamps, £1 coins for laundry, student finance documents etc... Also a diary with important phone numbers (banks etc), NHS number for registering at local surgery and NI number in case he was lucky enough to get a part time job.

Laundry capsules are a good idea - saves carrying a box of powder to the launderette - he can just take as many capsules as he needs.

To add to the first aid kit, maybe some flu/cold treatments and some sore throat lozenges as students seem to pick up every bug going..

Tiddlywinks

Storage solutions - but you need to see what his room will be like first.

We found the bed had lots of space under it so we measured it and bought Really Useful strong boxes that could slide under. We then used them to store boxes of noodles (not supernoodles/pot noodles but the more authentic style which you can buy cheaply in bulk), pasta, toiletries on 3 for 2 offers etc.

Storing stocks under the bed makes them less likely to be 'borrowed'.

I'd say don't buy too much until you see the layout and then make best use of what there is there already.

Anything that helps make the best use of space is money well spent.

Callie22

There's a very helpful list over on the Student Room forum, it's incredibly comprehensive!

It's a while since I was at uni but things that I found helpful were:

1. A mattress protector - some of the mattresses in halls were not pleasant ...
2. A small clothes horse - the uni dryers were really expensive and often out of order, so it was helpful to have somewhere to dry a load of washing.
3. Some of those cheap fleece throws from IKEA (or elsewhere!). These were so handy for covering up beds, chairs etc and making it look a bit more cosy, and were great for keeping warm. They also wash well and dry quickly.
4. A first aid kit, with plasters, pills, potions etc. This stuff is always needed and is surprisingly expensive!
5. Basic cleaning stuff - his room might not be that clean and some polish wipes/disinfectant etc will be appreciated. Same goes for some washing stuff, it's dearer than you think!
6. Loo rolls! It depends on the type of room but if he's going en-suite or into a shared house then take some loo rolls, as there won't be any there when you arrive
7. A hot water bottle - a cheap way to warm up!

I also agree about getting cheap kitchen stuff. It's really difficult in halls to keep track of your bits and pieces and you really don't want to buy decent stuff just for it to go missing. Pound shop stuff is absolutely fine when you're in shared accommodation.

Mojisola

I included rubber gloves, disinfectant and cheap version J-cloths in case anyone was sick in the flat during Freshers' Week.

PasturesNew

What I did once when I moved in somewhere I didn't expect to stay too long, for plates, was to pick up 2 Ikea 19p plates - on the basis they were cheap enough for me to leave behind when I left, rather than it being something else to pack/cart home. I also bought a 4-pack of melamine plates. Ikea plates are no longer 19p, but they do have cheap ones. Of course, you might not be near one, most people aren't. But 2 plates is enough .... he won't need a full set. Also ONE mug. That way you have to wash it up every time you want to use it. No glasses - not needed. I drink from my mug, or one of a cheap set of plastic cheery coloured beakers I got from Ikea. I also got one pasta bowl to eat from, good for soup, salads, curries .... and even actual meals.

Examples:
Plates, 50p: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/30258913/
Bowl, 50p: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80258915/
Mugs, 35p: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/60252293/
Beakers, 90p for 6: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/10192956/

Melamine plates are great if you're "eating something that's not mucky", like toast or a sandwich ... they don't break and they're easier to wash up. I eat a lot of food from plastic picnic plates, cheaper, unbreakable.

Andypandyboy

Washing up bowl, useful for many things, including bouts of sickness(!)
Top up the card he will probably need to use for the communal washing machine.
Bulk pasta/rice.
Take some passport photos as they are useful to have.
Freezer bags,
Storage boxes.
Stationery
A heated airer - we bought a really cheap one for our first uni goer and it has lasted through to to the last one, and all the flat use it!