New Uni Student 2022 - tips?

ivrytwr3

ivrytwr3

ivrytwr3

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Son is (hopefully) off to Uni this year and we're starting to put together stuff he may need - this will also help us next year when daughter (hopefully) goes to Uni.

This is what we have so far - please feel free to chip in on what we have missed and what you helped you through Uni. Any decent software that will make his life easier ie note taking software/organiser etc?

20 May 2022 deadline for student finance. Reapply once a year.

31 Jul 2022 deadline for accommodation.

Student Content Insurance - do we need this? Any recommended providers?

Student Bank account - either Santander

0% overdraft:
- Years 1-3: £1,500
- Year 4: £1,800
- Year 5: £2,000

Perks:
- Four-year 16-25 Railcard

or HSBC

0% overdraft:
- Year 1: up to £1,000
- Year 2: up to £2,000
- Year 3 & beyond: up to £3,000

Anything better?

Packing list

bed linen, including sheets, duvet, blankets, pillows and pillowcases
towels
clothes for all seasons, plus smart wear
coat hangers
extension lead
personal items such as toiletries
kitchen items and some food to keep you going for the first week
stationery, including pens, pencils, notepads and highlighters
PC/laptop and any cables and chargers
USB stick
notepads
mobile phone and charger
medicine
washing detergent and cleaning items
games and sports equipment
umbrella
a list of important numbers, in case you lose your mobile phone.

nives and a chopping board
saucepans and a frying pan
baking tray
plates and bowls (microwavable ones are a good idea)
cutlery
glasses and mugs
corkscrew and bottle opener
tin opener
vegetable peeler
measuring jug
grater
cling film
tin foil
tea towels
dish cloth
student recipe book.

pens, pencils and highlighters
lever arch files
A4 file paper
ruler
eraser
stapler
hole punch
diary/personal organiser
different sized notebooks
Post-it notes.
 
Josh said:
Don't forget those little name tags for all his clothing, seems like you'd be all over that already but you didn't list it.
Click to expand...

This in a nutshell. Great that you're trying to be really pro-active but let him him figure these things out himself!

Bank account - If intending to travel by rail more than a couple of times a year, the rail card is a decent perk!
 
My daughter is starting this year. One tip I've heard is to get one of those memory foam toppers for the bed - it makes it more comfortable and it means they aren't sleeping directly on a used matress.

We've seen a few of the on campus accomodation and it's tiny. So try to avoid taking anything unnecessary.
 
Maybe it's the old school me, but when I left to Uni - I got dropped off by parents and had to figure it all out myself.

Best thing that ever happened - Forced to be independent at 17, put into a flat on campus with 5 other guys that I'd never met before - we just had to get on with it between us all - cook, clean, finances, relationships etc etc..
 
Josh said:
Don't forget those little name tags for all his clothing, seems like you'd be all over that already but you didn't list it.
Click to expand...

Macky said:
This in a nutshell. Great that you're trying to be really pro-active but let him him figure these things out himself!

Bank account - If intending to travel by rail more than a couple of times a year, the rail card is a decent perk!
Click to expand...

Oooooof!! Harsh :( We're just trying to get him ready, get him out of the door and so when he arrives he can crack on with his studies and his Uni experience - also selfishly, the better prepared he is, the less issues he should be coming to us with. Surely learning from others experiences is beneficial?!
 
Hades said:
My daughter is starting this year. One tip I've heard is to get one of those memory foam toppers for the bed - it makes it more comfortable and it means they aren't sleeping directly on a used matress.

We've seen a few of the on campus accomodation and it's tiny. So try to avoid taking anything unnecessary.
Click to expand...

Top tip! One of the Uni students we spoke to mentioned this - forgot about that.
 
I'm not usually a 'everyone's gone bloody soft these days' kinda person, but Christ almighty, he is an adult now, if he can't pack his own bags to go to uni he probably shouldn't be going.
 
Laptop and super noodles; not sure what all the other stuff is.

For kitchen stuff - go absolutely bare minimum as it'll end up being borrowed and not washed. And if he is as soft as you let on then he'll get offended and it'll cause arguments.

Best bet is to give him 50 quid and send them all to Wilko day 3/day 4. Then it is all communal stuff and no one GAF if it gets destroyed.
 
mid_gen said:
I'm not usually a 'everyone's gone bloody soft these days' kinda person, but Christ almighty, he is an adult now, if he can't pack his own bags to go to uni he probably shouldn't be going.
Click to expand...

No-one is packing his bags (although the wife probably actually will :cry:). He doesn't work, so he couldn't afford any of the stuff in the list - we're just trying to make sure he is as well prepared as possible.
 
ivrytwr3 said:
Surely learning from others experiences is beneficial?!
Click to expand...

Was it you that said your son was a bit coddled by your wife recently? Now is a good time to try and change that, in small steps.

It's great you are supportive but there is a fine line between that and being over-bearing. Let him make some mistakes himself, if you have taught him well he won't (hopefully) make big ones and will learn from the little ones he does make!
 
dLockers said:
Laptop and super noodles; not sure what all the other stuff is.

For kitchen stuff - go absolutely bare minimum as it'll end up being borrowed and not washed. And if he is as soft as you let on then he'll get offended and it'll cause arguments.

Best bet is to give him 50 quid and send them all to Wilko day 3/day 4. Then it is all communal stuff and no one GAF if it gets destroyed.
Click to expand...

That's what we're trying to avoid - get the stuff now and he doesn't need to worry and can focus elsewhere; the local shops are a bus ride away. As stuff gets nicked/damaged, it will be down to him (or Amazon Prime) to replace.
 
Your son is moving into student accommodation, not a new house.

At best it’ll be as big as his room is now.


The thing to do is start with the bare minimum. Basic clothes, basic kitchen equipment, basic wash stuff.


Otherwise, not only will he find that he has a LOT of stuff, people will just steal it anyway :-)


For me, some handy things I wish I’d taken:

Good mattress topper -
https://www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-partners-synthetic-soft-touch-washable-dual-layer-6cm-deep-mattress-topper/p1519431?size=double,-135-x-190cm

A pack of cards. Bottle opener. A good bowl for cereal. Oxford campus notebooks are the nicest quality. Basic biros in black, blue, red.


Don’t bother with the recipe book. You’ve got something called the internet.



The important thing is don’t overthink it, and let him figure out what he needs :-)
 
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