list for university

eternal_optimist_3

sockospice wrote:

I'm sure your heart is in the right place but isn't going to uni all about branching out on your own, making your own mistakes? As a student you get pretty astute at budgeting pretty quickly, and in my experience the students who had the most financial trouble were those who knew that their parents would be buying them food/paying rent etc. If you know that you have to make your money last and that there is no back up you soon learn to spend wisely.

As to what will be needed, in student accomodation most things (kitchen equipment, washing powder etc) are shared anyway, so vouchers for argos or something similar are always useful.

Going to Uni IS about branching out and gaining independence, but surely every parent wants to ease their child's way? My daughter went last year and I wanted to send her off with every thing she could possibly need. When I visited her I realised that she probably had a lot more stuff than most but she's still a very level headed, responsible, thrifty student. She does my head in buying all the economy ranges in the supermarket! (Lots of them I wouldn't put in my mouth.) They need to learn about the value of money long before they reach Uni stage.

As for stuff being shared; not where my daughter is. every one has their own pots, pans, boxes, mugs, cutlery, etc. And washing powder is definitely personal property.

shaggyaberarth

No Student Should Be Without The "student Grub" Book By Jan Arkless.
It Has Some Great Easy Recipies In It, You Don't Need Weighing Scales As It Is All Done By Spoons And Cups. I Have Daughter Who Has Been In Uni For 1 Year And Swears By It, So Much My Other Daghter Who Is Off To Uni This Year Also Has One. It Can Be Bought From Any Bookshop About £2 Or The "works" Shop.
Dont Be Fooled Into Buying Full Sets Of Everything, 2 Of Plates, Cups Etc Should Be Enough. The Kids Have Very Little Storage In Their Rooms And Only A Small Cupboard For Food In The Kitchen.

tee2x

i'm in the same boat - my daughter leaves in 2 weeks!! (sob sob and at the same time hooray!! don't know if you feel the same)
i have done the same little collection of decent toiletries etc. and after speaking with a few colleagues have now added:
floppy discs
paper - printer and lined
batteries - for mp3 player and data stick (if she hasn't already got one these are brilliant!!- about 15 quid)
pens - can never have enough
alarm clock
academic diary (£3 asda)
i think the most important thing you can give her is support. we have sorted out train times, bus times etc. plan of action just in case she needs to get home, hospital,dentist etc. we didn't need to go through washing temperatures etc because she does her own now but it may be helpful if she hasn't .
i agree with most of the above listings that they have to learn to stand on their own 2 feet and maybe i too have gone ott but at the end of the day these little snippets of advice will save a little of their phone credit cos if she is anything like my daughter the first thing she does in a crisis is 'phone mum'. (did you know orange will give students 1000 free texts a month if they buy and use an orange sim card ( costs £1)

anyway, hope this helps and good luck to your daughter (and to you - i've been told she will never speak to me again if i cry when i drop her off!!!!)

Bennifred

Yep, definitely got the mixed feelings thing happening here, too! :rolleyes: DS leaves a week on Saturday :eek: Glad you mentioned the printer paper - one thing overlooked!
Is that Orange text offer applicable if you are already with them, or do you have to buy another Orange sim card? Am desperately trying to persuade DS not to change from PAYG to pay monthly - I know what his budgetting is like!

Savvy_Sue

and I don't care who calls me overprotective!

Quilted polyester mattress and pillow protector. If he finds these are supplied, and they look half-decent, my DH can bring it back again. But I've been using these on the beds since they were young, and I KNOW where our pillows and mattresses have been!

I'd especially urge this for anyone whose son/daughter suffers from asthma/eczema.

Still playing hunt the cheese-slicer!

Bennifred

With you on the mattress/pillow protectors, Savvy_Sue! Cos unless that pillow is brand new........ :eek:
Only 3 days to go. Tissues on BOGOF at Boots

Savvy_Sue

Bennifred wrote:

Only 3 days to go. Tissues on BOGOF at Boots

:T :rotfl:

I don't think I'm going to be allowed to go with him: normally I would drive him but I'm not allowed at the moment, and my DH says there won't be room in the car for me and all his stuff.

So at least he won't be embarrassed by me. Yet. I think his little brother would like to visit at half-term ...

Got the cheese slicer! Not quite what the kind I wanted (mine came from Denmark so I've told him to look out for Danes!) but it does the job. And he also likes my favourite knife, which he can't have, but it proves he has impeccable taste!

nearlyrich

Bennifred wrote:

With you on the mattress/pillow protectors, Savvy_Sue! Cos unless that pillow is brand new........ :eek:
Only 3 days to go. Tissues on BOGOF at Boots

Neither halls my children have used supplied any bed stuff except thin plastic covered mattress so get them to pack those pillows, quilt and mattress protectors. I got a quilted one in Matalan for £4.50, reduced from a fiver, due to having been out of the packaging and being the last one in store;).

Instore do a quilt and pillow pack for £9 single or £12 double.

My son has already gone back, but he keeps coming home says it's boring till the rest of the housemates move in next week. Daughter goes on Sunday, I think we will have the same problem as Savvy_Sue with room in the car. I can see me having to go over again on Monday with the less essentials stuff, fortunately I have customers in the area.

I know you have been threatened with allsorts if you cry but you probably will, think first day at school but you are leaving them there for 3 months. :eek:

I will be packing my tissues because I remember driving back last year with tears roling down my cheeks. This year it's worse as they will both be gone and I don't have anymore, however on the plus side the washing basket will be less full and I will be able to keep food in the fridge for longer than 2 hours after I shop!

Savvy_Sue

nearlyrich wrote:

Neither halls my children have used supplied any bed stuff except thin plastic covered mattress so get them to pack those pillows, quilt and mattress protectors. I got a quilted one in Matalan for £4.50, reduced from a fiver, due to having been out of the packaging and being the last one in store;).

I have checked the 42 page handbook from his halls (available online) and it says they provide pillows, sheets and blankets but not duvets. Given that he is going on Saturday and the second half of the alphabet goes on Sunday, and given that I KNOW there are various cheap places to shop nearby, I will trust that what they say is right.

I'm glad I did check the handbook: found he would need everything for the kitchen! Well, between them they will, and fortunately I've got spares of most things but not saucepans. So his belated 18th birthday present from his aunt is a set of cheap saucepans!

Funnily enough, I didn't cry when any of them started school, not even the youngest. Probably still recovering from the terrible twos, which I never enjoyed - used to wonder if it would be better if one didn't have a baby as well as a two year old, but it wasn't!

On the food front, have just realised I will now be able to put onions into everything! Hurrah! And choose any vegetable confident that it will be eaten!

belfastgal

My daughter goes on Sunday...Its awful been crying all week.But thanks to this site got loads of info and hopefully we've packed everything.A kot of the things we probably wouldnt even have thought of taking.