The best university essentials, according to Telegraph readers

To add to the store cupboard list, Eric, 66, from London, insists on equipping students with an “emergency pot noodle supply plus a large bottle of peri peri sauce”.

“Both our sons went to university many years ago,” says Nigel, 64, from the South West. “One of the most appreciated parental contributions was the big supermarket shop on arrival.”

You can’t go wrong with a simple cookbook, according to Brenda, 78, from the South East. “My son still has the basic recipe book I gave him when he went to university 30 years ago.” She also advises “a supermarket gift card, basic crockery and cutlery and loo rolls”.

Small kitchen appliances are also practical and long-lasting gifts. An air fryer is a popular choice, according to readers like Jay, 48, from the West Midlands: “It is the only thing [his son] has asked for.”

Communal living comes with its trials as discovered by Deborah, 65, from the East of England, and her son, but she found a simple solution. “The food we’d put in the communal fridge, only an hour or so before, was nicked while I was driving home,” she says. It was also down five flights of stairs. “I got him a small fridge for his room. It made his life so much easier, especially for breakfast,” she explains. “Over 10 years later, it’s still going strong, particularly at Christmas, when a bit more fridge space is needed.”

For Terence, 85, from the North West, his son and grandson’s most used item was their George Foreman grill: “Toasted sandwiches are easy and quick.”

Bedding and laundry staples

Easy-care bedding and laundry staples are popular suggestions too. One reader from the South East insists “a heated clothes airer is absolutely essential”.

“It was the first item on our list. There is no way to complete a degree without one of these,” they add.