Don’t forget the slide rule.
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See above!
Ebor
I’d surprised if she welcomed your gift of a toolbox full of tools. I’m sure she doesn’t want to appear uncool; turning up to Uni with WD40 and 3 in 1 oil is uncool.
I’m sure she’d prefer a Swiss army knife with a bottle opener or a pair of Bose Bluetooth headphones. 
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‘A mallet to bop you on the head for thinking that sending me off to Uni with a toolkit was a good idea. A corkscrew and some condoms is what I really need.’
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A lovely thing to do for any child starting out.
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She’s going to Cambridge - I doubt that the definition of ’cool’ that some of you seem to be working to will necessarily apply. In any event, the iPad Pro she’s also getting will, I suspect, cover her in that respect.
Thanks for the assumption that I’m doing this without her input or consent, @mikehughescq, but I covered that with her about six months ago. This was just the ‘shopping list’ stage.
Thanks for all the suggestions - I’ve placed the Screwfix order now, so she can supplement it herself from here: I’m not a bottomless pit of tools!
Mark
At the risk of stating the obvious, I’m not getting this stuff because she needs it for the course - if Cambridge’s engineering labs don’t have any screwdrivers or hammers, we are really in trouble - but because she might need it for life in general!
Oh, and can I clarify that we are providing her with plenty of other things - yes, including a corkscrew - in addition to a toolbox!
Mark
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Excellent stuff, she will have a great time!
Is her course “general engineering” for a couple of years with a specialisation in year 3? I recall discussing this with one of Lou’s friend at Oxford (he was a second year I think). From my days on a dedicated (computer) engineering course I did find it strange that this young man was doing mech., Elect. & civil eng all at once, and asked where he was heading - he told me that at that time he didn’t really know.
OTOH, he probably ended up as a CEO, whereas I spent my working life as a low-life smelly elect. eng. building spaceships…hey ho!
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Exactly right - the Cambridge course has long been General for the first two years and then increasingly specialised from Year 3 onwards. It’s not for everyone, but certainly my daughter’s not precisely set on one type of Engineering yet, so it’s perfect for her.
The Oxford course is similar, but it’s Engineering Science which, historically, has been more theoretical and less practical. When Mrs Ebor did Engineering at Cambridge in the early 90s, she tells me the Oxford course was so unorthodox and non-practical that it didn’t qualify you for CEng. I don’t think that’s still the case, though.
Mark
You could be right. According to my daughter (who went to Oxford) Cambridge students aren’t very cool.
I remember speaking to her on the phone while she was in Cambridge for the weekend with her Cambridge cronies. When I asked her why she was fraternising with the enemy, she said, she likes to give them the opportunity to hang out with somebody cool. 
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A head torch leaves both hands free.
Spirit level, tape measure and torch are all covered by her smartphone for most uses.
I would also suggest that a good quality plastic toolbox is a better bet than a metal one, as lighter in weight, easier to clean, and no sharp corners. I also find that a lift out tray is far more convenient than the cantilevered system. Get a separate container to keep all the non tool items in because otherwise they inevitably all end up rattling around in the bottom of the toolbox.
I would add a selection of small cable ties and some adhesives such as PVA wood glue, impact adhesive and two-part epoxy.
As important as the selection of tools, is making sure that she knows how to use them safely.
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Ah, the very definition of an unbiased opinion!
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Wire strippers. A decent magnifying glass. Puncture repair kit. Blu tack. An old antiquated tobacco tin to keep random things in. 16 mm masonry drill bit.
Stylus alignment gauge?
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Is your daughter really going to be doing DIY and property maintenance at university? In my experience of many years and several teenagers such activities will be of no interest at all. Emptying the bin once or twice a term would be a major achievement! I think HH’s suggestions are the most appropriate.
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Forgive me but some of this list reads like it’s from the 1950s!
Think in terms of what might be fixed and work around that.
- Bike servicing (it’s Cambridge!)
- bike repair kit
- tyre levers
- oil
- Allen keys
- ratchet ring spanner the right size
- General
- measuring tape good idea, 8m is better and a decent one is worth it so you can extend it 3 or more metres and hold it out without it bending
- WD-40 yep
- spirit level
- a simple metal file
- Stanley knife - just get a bog standard box cutting knife that uses replaceable blades. Otherwise it needs sharpening which not many. (I do, for what it’s worth.)
- Screwdrivers - a kit of bits with a single driver, as others have mentioned, is far more useful. Make sure it includes square drive, hex (for opening laptops) and posi bits
- pliers - pair of each (long nose and snub)
- electrician’s wire strippers (a pair including a cutter) for wiring plugs
- fuses for plugs as you said
- electrical tape, gaffer tape I guess
- plumber’s tape for fixing a leak
- adjustable wrench
A large box is a pain. In halls soft bags or small boxes are much easier to move around and stash somewhere.
Don’t bother with:
- a square (lots of things do this if needed including A4 paper and Pythagoras’ theorem)
- Screws - don’t include these. Anything you buy that needs screwing comes with screws. or she can remove some from the dorm door hinges
- nails - ditto
For?!
Putting up an outside trellis for the tomato plant of course.
I would swap the stanley knife for a swiss army knife, the one with all sorts on it. More expensive than a stanley knife but with so many different things on it, it really is good. Perfect to go with something like a leatherman plier/multi tool. I have both that I keep in my car or when I go out on the bike along with some tape and amazing how many scrapes these 3 simple things have got me out of.