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Has anyone got anthing yet for uni?

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I have a few spare things from when my brother went to uni but I'm really waiting after results day to buy everything else
Original post by Origami Bullets
If you scavenge a bit I think you'll be fine. Take the bedding from your own bed, and charity shops usually have pans and crockery if you really can't borrow some from friends / family

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Thank you :smile: I'll do that, my biggest worry is if I can't buy food until I get my student finance
Reply 22
I bought literally everything except the bedding back in March after results.

Now to hope I get the grades in August, oops :tongue:
Original post by SophieSmall
Thank you :smile: I'll do that, my biggest worry is if I can't buy food until I get my student finance


Food can be pretty cheap - I'm sure your mum / dad will be able to give you some ideas.

If you want something to worry about, then worry about the cost of freshers week tickets & drinks, though in fairness by that point your overdraft should be available by then

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Original post by Origami Bullets
Food can be pretty cheap - I'm sure your mum / dad will be able to give you some ideas.

If you want something to worry about, then worry about the cost of freshers week tickets & drinks, though in fairness by that point your overdraft should be available by then

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Oh I know how to get food cheap and all that, it's just I literally have no money and my mum can't help since she now doesn't get child benefit she can't really afford me now :frown:
I'm not worrying about drinks and freshers tickets though since I don't really drink and all the freshers events seem to be in night clubs which I hate :P
Reply 25
I'm an IB students so I got my results just over a week ago, and since then I've got super pumped and have started writing a list of all the stuff I want.

But I gotta wait til I'm back in England before I buy it, otherwise I'll just have to pay to ship it over. Oh and also payday, cause I'm broke.
Few points from experience:

(1) Ask your parents if they have anything spare, even one fork and one spoon is better than nothing. My parents had some old pyrex dishes (they were my grans, so 50 years old lol) which they let me have.

(2) I agree with spreading out the buying. I was lucky enough to find some comfy and pretty duvet covers, bedding etc. in the sale from M&Co. When I bought all the essentials for cooking from the Tesco value range with a printer it cost me £200 so that's a rough guide. I also went to car boots and bought egg cups from Jerusalem for 50p, some photo frames and I also met someone who did the same course as me and I bought some of her old books.

(3) To be honest, you won't be starting studying officially for at least a week and by that time your student loan would've come through. If money is short then buy essentials like stuff for cooking, bedding etc. Leave buying books until you're at uni and you have your syllabi for that year - in my case a lot of the syllabi changed and the books we use change every week so some of the books I've bought I haven't helped me on my course. Amazon marketplace and ebay are also good for buying books and ask if there are any second hand bookshops. I know for philosophy there is a list of second hand book shops in London so similar searches may be of use. If you can buy anything, I would recommend a printer (with as few ink cartridges as possible and cartridges which are cheap to replace like Kodak). My halls also had a sale on the first day of things which the previous residents left behind so I managed to buy a plastic tower storage unit on wheels, some books relevant to my course, an alarm clock etc for 50p-£1.50 each.

(4) Last thing to consider is transport. Do you have enough room to carry everything? Things like duvets etc. can take up a lot of room.
Reply 27
I'm going abroad so I can't buy anything yet as I wouldn't be able to get it over there. I'll pretty much be turning up with just a bag of clothes and my laptop.

I'll have a hell of a lot of stuff to buy once i'm there, at least, if I plan on eating, sleeping or washing...
I'll be waiting until after results day before I buy anything, JUST IN CASE. But I think I'm going to start making a list soonish!
I made list of things, already had my place confirmed. As I had my results due to taking a break from studying. I was just waiting for confirmation of my room at uni. Which I got through last week. I haven't really got much yet except duvet cover, fitted sheet and pillow cases. Will be starting to get things over next few weeks. There be the odd thing that I will get when am there. Which are things i don't need straight away.


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Before Uni I didnt prepare much, all I bought was a couple of pens and pads of paper.
My Mum has been buying a couple of extra things for me everytime we do the weekly shop (and so has my grandma). We already has 3 full cardboard boxes! My Mum gets worried - she thinks we'll starve! I'm going to uni with my twin sister though, so we do need two of everything.
Original post by Willbean
I mean what you need to take such as cutlery, plain books, washing stuff etc for September?

I'm looking at lists now on what to take but we still have a month and a couple of weeks left to get ready. I feel it's too early to get prepared.


Not yet, working every single day for 11 hours... And I'm coming from Poland so I have to worry how to bring the most important things in a suitcase... All things like cutlery etc I'll just buy when I'm there.

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I haven't bought anything yet but I'm already worrying about it. I know I'll forget something. :P

I wasn't really planning on taking any food with me... I think my mum said she'd take me to do a massive Tesco shop once we got to the Uni.
Am i the only one who's already bought almost everything? The only things i'm missing are duvet and pillows, saucepan, frying pan/wok, chopping board and stationary.

I've been slowly collecting stuff all year to spread the cost, i got an unconditional and firmed my place in january so...
Reply 35
All I've bought is crockery atm because I don't know what accommodation I'll get yet so I don't know what size bed or what's already included. I've gone for a red theme though so people know it's mine

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Reply 36
Original post by lastlullabyy
Not yet, working every single day for 11 hours... And I'm coming from Poland so I have to worry how to bring the most important things in a suitcase... All things like cutlery etc I'll just buy when I'm there.

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Good luck to you, when are you coming to the UK? Yeah you are better of buying it over here, you will probably be charged to hell if you brought over too much.
Reply 37
Original post by DinoRaveStation
Am i the only one who's already bought almost everything? The only things i'm missing are duvet and pillows, saucepan, frying pan/wok, chopping board and stationary.

I've been slowly collecting stuff all year to spread the cost, i got an unconditional and firmed my place in january so...


Some others have brought the majority but missing a few odd things.

I need to get everything really. I got jot pads, academic journal, pens and equipment etc.

I think my family will give their old crockery for me. I might buy some cheap duvets from Asda or something.
Original post by Willbean
Good luck to you, when are you coming to the UK? Yeah you are better of buying it over here, you will probably be charged to hell if you brought over too much.


Around 15th-16th of September I guess.... :smile:
Remember a couple of things :

1. You will only have a small bedroom in Halls, usually with very limited storage space. You will be moving out again in June. Do not take everything you own.

2. Take only the basics that you will need for the winter term with you. There are shops in University towns, and once you've been there a few weeks you'll have a clue what you actually need to buy, or can pick up on a visit back home.

3. If you are in self-catering, you will be sharing a small kitchen with half a dozen other people. You will have one small cupboard and one shelf in the fridge to call your own. And no work-top space (because it'll be full of kettles/toasters/washing up/other people's cr*p). Leave the pannini press at home.

4. Dont buy matching stationary at Paperchase. Its makes you look like a Rah.

5. Buy a 'college bag' big enough and strong enough to take an A4 file, three hefty library books, your laptop, diary, notebook, pencil case and your lunch in. Anything smaller is a handbag.
(edited 10 years ago)

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