Student survival kit - ideas please.

I think the OPs grandson has graduated by now! The thread started in 2017.

Give him some money or vouchers and let him do his own shopping once he is there and discovers what he needs, and if he blows it all in the student union bar, that is student survival.

A few simple favourite family recipes. Basic spice kit if he likes curries/chillies. Bottle of his favourite booze. Condoms. Paracetamol. Anti-histamines. Gaviscon. Nail clippers. Hair brush/comb. Razor/Razor blades. Pack of cards. Emergency £50. Spare socks/pants. Card telling him how fab he is and how proud of him you are.

I agree with Bagatelle. Keep it simple.

One of my DC had his sandwich toaster stolen within the first week week of use in the communal kitchen. Also some students just seemed to help themselves to other's food and milk from the shared fridge, despite labelling. It was a bit of a jungle really. There were always dirty dishes (sometimes my DC's, used by someone else) piled high in the sink. Another of my DC was faced with a lad with a large meat cleaver, hacking up a couple of frozen chickens with great gusto. (They actually became good friends, but it wasn't a promising start.)

However, this was 15-20 years ago, perhaps they are more civilised now.

It's amazing how resilient they are at that age. One of my DC was terribly home sick but stuck it out and gradually adapted. It feels terrible after they've gone though.

I think that you need to collect a first-aid kit, all the necessary items for survival in the wild, this type of quests for students is very interesting, I would also gladly go on such trips, but at the moment I work in a writing company uk.papersowl.com/ and I don’t have time for This, but in the summer I plan to go with friends to the mountains.

We have two elder grand daughters at (ironically same uni although doing different subjects) one in halls, older one in house share. They seem to lack for nothing! Eat well, go out (not excessively-or at least they don't tell me!), yesterday they both went for afternoon tea, if you please, at nearby (quite posh!) garden centre as it was on offer! They're certainly not roughing it in any way that's for sure!

Just the tin opener, a microwaveable bowl, spoon, toothbrush, a cheap duvet (by the time you see it again incineration will probably be the only option) and the address of the nearest hardware shop. He'll have forgotten all about cleaning and ironing within 24 hours of arrival.

You need to have something he can lock his medicines in or to lock the refridgerator so that that they stay where he puts them.

I gave my ds a Student Cookbook. Basic cooking i.e. a meal in 15/20 minutes.
He phoned me once - how do you bake a potato? He'd bought a sack of spuds.
Again phoned me about cooking rice - he'd bought a bag of 4 kgs long grain rice in an asian supermarket.

DD1 was always grateful to find a bottle of vodka in her case.

When I was shopping I would buy BOGOF non-perishable goods, usually tins of stuff, so one for me and a freebie for son. By the beginning of the next semester I would have nice hamper of convenience foods made up for him at no extra expense to send him back to uni with.

The Student room has a great list about what to take to Uni, here. It looks most comprehensive to me. I hope you find it useful.

bit.ly/2vi0AOz

Do a student a favour and tip them off about forming appropriate friendships. I found this novel warning Freshers about partying too hard.
- 'What If I Go?' by Polly White
Best of luck, Fiona

A mini fridge was very useful for all 4 of our children. A tin of biscuits also useful and a couple of mugs, plates, glasses, sets of cutlery. I found packing 2 rather than just one of these a great way to be sociable from the beginning...but it does depend on what is already included in the accommodation. And hangers for clothes......there are never enough of them.

In my university days the halls of residence usually had storage rooms you could leave stuff in over vacations, at your own risk. My parents lived abroad when I was at university and I dumped stuff in the storage rooms every vac, as I flew to and from home, which meant limited luggage.

Nowadays they could always hire a a small commercial storage space. Not too expensive when only done for a few weeks.

Be careful what/how much you buy as most halls require students to remove all their stuff in the holidays as the rooms are used by others then. It may all have to be carted back and forth.

Many thanks everyone. Auntieflo I have bought a Lakeland loo rim brush and some rim blocks.

Never thought about the bag! it was only cheap so perhaps I should replace it with a plain one.

Not for putting in your GS bag, but when DS2 started in shared accomodation, there was no loo brush. !!!

For things that fit inside the bag I would pop into a pound shop and fill it with little ideas that you will get as you go along. Emergency snacks for when too busy but need comfort for missing you all might be an idea. I agree about the bag notaggran55 BUT he might secretly love having it when feeling far from home and students are funny things can become trendy like when the papers reported that lots of themwere into teletubbies because it was a happy silly thing for them to simply enjoy.

A mattress topper as beds are brick hard and you dont know who slept in it last. A mini fridge for his room as nothing is safe in a communal fridge. George Forman grill with removable plates, can be used for toasties aswell as grilling other food. Underbed storage containers as storage is never enough. crockery pots and pans-cheap and cheerful as you definately will not be using them for a second year-
Good luck, try not to worry to much.

I would wait until he has his accommodation allocated before buying a fridge . My 2 sons are 20 & 22 and neither of their unis allowed anything like that in their rooms / flats for safety reasons . Kettles, toasters , sandwich makers etc all had to be in the kitchen .

( PS . My boys would have died from embarrassment to be given a bag with that message on it , despite how well intentioned it was )

You may be interested to know that this thread is linked to FB.
It is obviously very topical.

Air freshener, odour eaters, fly spray, domestos, brillo pads, ear plugs and plenty of sticky labels saying 'Hands Off it's MINE' !'.

Hope he has a good time shysal.

Coffee mugs, a plate and bowl and a few basic items of cutlery

When our eldest DGD started at Uni I was looking for a simple cook book for her and came across "Nosh". Absolutely brilliant! She used to send us photos of the first meals she did prompting me to reply asking who she was and what had she done with our DGD!
Need to check if fridges allowed I think.

Plastic boxes for the fridge in case he has to share a fridge/freezer with others; he can label the boxes and hope others don't pinch his food.

Or is he catered?