Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 64 total)
  • Visiting my niece at uni next week…. What 'emergency kit' should I take
  • womble72
    Free Member

    She’s a bit home sick and I want to take her a little box of goodies to help cheer her up. I need to keep up my ‘cool uncle’ image so nothing rude or offensive

    jimdubleyou
    Full Member

    Bottle of Vodka?

    Definitely not Gin if she’s feeling homesick.

    sandwicheater
    Full Member

    Something cooked by her parents or in the style of. Pie etc

    perchypanther
    Free Member

    I need to keep up my ‘cool uncle’ image so nothing rude or offensive

    Big box of johnnies Sorry, I got nothin…..

    nemesis
    Free Member

    Anything like home made cakes, etc if that’s something she would have had at home.

    And booze is generally well received of course.

    Or a big portion of WTFU. 😉

    jambalaya
    Free Member

    I think company is what she needs to cheer her up. It can be hard to fit in and first real experience of living away from home. So my 2 pence is that having some fun, taking her out for lunch/dinner at a nicer place than she could normally afford to or getting her to show you student haunts. Bottles of spirits for someone who’s a bit depressed doesn’t sound like a great idea to me nor indeed home make cakes to remind her of what she’s missing.

    So gifts I don’t have much, something small. How about flowers which will brighten up her room, girls generally like flowers (excuse cliche). You might need to buy a cheap vase too as she won’t have one.

    dangeourbrain
    Free Member

    my ‘cool uncle’ image

    You don’t have this, no one does.

    40mpg
    Full Member

    getting her to show you student haunts

    This. May make her appreciate how much she is learning about the area / settling in

    bruneep
    Full Member

    You don’t have this, no one does.
    [/quote]

    pjt201
    Free Member

    The best present I received at uni was when my sister sent me a tube of berocca in freshers week.

    joshvegas
    Free Member

    I’d say take her fotr dinner.

    Doesn’t have to be fancy or anything.

    Wine tasting or cheese tasting?

    Anything which she is unlikely to afford and is a break from people and usual student stuff.

    And a toasty maker. A real one none of this sandwich press nonsense.

    mrsfry
    Free Member

    If you want to be the ‘Cool’ uncle, take her a box load of tampons or sanitary towels, hot water bottle (with a cute cover) a all in one PJ and a unhealthy amount of anything chocolate.

    wrightyson
    Free Member

    No offence but wine or cheese tasting. She’ll get destroyed if her uni mates find out…

    Milkie
    Free Member

    Alcohol, Rizla, tea bags, milk, sugar, some of her favourite sweets, etc and anything you may want while visiting.

    bruneep
    Full Member

    when we visit our son, only thing he asks for is some home cooking food.

    Normally batch cook stuff and divvy it into single portions and freeze also take him out for food and drink/cocktails.

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    Some home baking and a really nice framed photo of her family and friends that she has left behind.
    Once she has cried herself to sleep for a few days ,she will be reet. 😉

    Bruneep,is Kev your uncle?

    freeagent
    Free Member

    Take her out to dinner somewhere nice (i.e. not Pizza Hut)

    Chocolate/food/etc, i’m sure would be well received.

    bruneep
    Full Member

    He’s everyone’s uncle

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

    🙂

    Kahurangi
    Full Member

    Take her out, away form the university environment. Away for the stresses and the worries that are otherwise surrounding her.

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    my ‘cool uncle’ image

    You don’t have this, no one does.

    I can think of at least one example, right here on this forum. On this thread even. Maybe even in this post 🙂

    perchypanther
    Free Member

    Take a big bundle of your mail.
    Gas bills, electric bills , council tax, mortgage statements, BT, SKY. whatever you have to hand.
    Let her read through them and watch as the horrific realisation dawns on her of how much it actually costs to live in the real world.

    I’m sure this lesson in perspective will make her “homesickness” problems pale into insignificance.

    Oh….. and a big box of johnnies.

    lunge
    Full Member

    When I was away, agreeing with much of what has been written, I liked it when my folks turned up and took me out for dinner somewhere a little nicer than I couldn’t normally afford, perhaps even a little out of town where I wouldn’t always go. I normally get left a baked at home fruit cake which was good too. They would also take me shopping allowing me to fill my fridge with nicer food than the crap I normally bought, this shop would generally include a bottle of vodka and some beers of course.

    Assuming you’re not too old, being shown around the student bars is no bad idea either, though it will be a real test of your “cool uncle” status.

    maccruiskeen
    Full Member

    I’d actually reverse the tables a bit, rather than you take the best bits of home to her – get her to show you the best bits of being grown up and away from home – show you the sites and places to go, or ,with your company for reassurance, find and try something new to do.

    Keep it all forward looking.

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    You don’t have this, no one does.

    I manage it quite well.

    To quote a 3 years old “I like uncle Sam, he gets me” 8)

    Take her out, away form the university environment. Away for the stresses and the worries that are otherwise surrounding her.

    +1, uni becomes quite insular if you’re car-less and can’t get more than about 3 miles from the campus/halls.

    No offence but wine or cheese tasting. She’ll get destroyed if her uni mates find out…

    Depends who your mates are, if you’re not up for doing new stuff at uni then when are you? We got upto all sorts of odd things (including cheese and wine tasting).

    ransos
    Free Member

    I’m sure this lesson in perspective will make her “homesickness” problems pale into insignificance.

    Yes, and there are children starving in Africa.

    Alternatively, you could show some empathy, and perhaps remember what it was like when you first left home.

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    Take her shopping for food, clothes and stuff, i.e. just have a day out and chat about things.

    Get her to show you round the place and make sure you pay attention..!

    Promise – and ensure you’re good to your word – to visit again.

    cloudnine
    Free Member

    Dont forget Big bars of cadburys chocolate and some biscuits.

    wombat
    Full Member

    Promise – and ensure you’re good to your word – to visit again

    Or possibly… Promise – and ensure you’re good to your word – to NEVER visit again.

    Whichever is most appropriate

    grum
    Free Member

    Coke and hoo….. Oh no hang on, sorry, wrong thread.

    dooosuk
    Free Member

    Where’s she at Uni? Does she like the town/city she’s in?

    If she’s struggling with the place she’s moved to, I’d be researching fun things to do in that area and take her out to some of them to show her the best bits of where she’s moved.

    That way she gets to experience her new environment and possibly do stuff she won’t do with other freshers.

    badnewz
    Free Member

    A housemate’s dad used to bring up ganja, out-of-date food, and Swedish pornography on his visits.
    He would also start jamming in our living room by playing the bongos. Our house parties didn’t get so busy after.

    Definitely go for a drive, sometimes I would go for months on end as a student without being in a car.

    duntstick
    Free Member

    ourmaninthenorth
    Full Member

    Where’s she at Uni? Does she like the town/city she’s in?

    Given the number of threads here about “what’s X town like to live in” and “where to go for a day/night out in X”, this might give you some useful suggestions of things/places to do/go.

    Don’t pressure her to introduce you to her friends – she might not have (m)any. University life for lots of people isn;t one long string of parties and “poking” a pig’s head….

    mrsfry
    Free Member

    PS Don’t wear your ‘Driving Slippers’ when you go to pick her up 😳

    yunki
    Free Member

    Hash, cider and johnnies

    freeagent
    Free Member

    oh, and don’t shag any of her housemates – it will only make life awkward for her.. ;o)

    thestabiliser
    Free Member

    How about a T-SHirt saying

    IT’S OK
    DON’T CALL POLICE
    I’M HER UNCLE

    Junkyard
    Free Member

    we used to love it when a mates mum turned up with loads of cakes

    We used to love it when a mates dad turned up with loads of hash*

    Pick one of these and we know what the cool uncle would do 😉

    *We would have really loved it had it been the same week

    Rubber_Buccaneer
    Full Member

    Tube of Canesten.

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