A quarter of all phones taken to university will be smashed or misplaced by the end of students’ freshers year, new data revealed on Tuesday.
The study by Endsleigh Insurance Services involved 2,000 parents of current university students.
Additionally, as many as 16% will also lose house keys.
Almost one in ten students have already lost their purse or wallet this term and 10% have already lost their phone on a drunken night out.
The data shows that, regionally, students who attend universities in London lose the most during their first year, followed by students from Plymouth, Birmingham and Liverpool.
Indeed, according to Endsleigh Insurance Services, students attending universities in London lose as much as £1,094 worth of equipment, whilst those from Plymouth lose £835, Birmingham £655 and Liverpool £604.
“Anything’s possible when you head off for a new life at university, and it can come as a real shock to young students who have been used to living with their parents for their whole lives,” Julia Alpan, head of marketing at Endsleigh Insurance Services commented on the data.
“Whether it’s learning valuable new life skills, looking after finances, or just taking care of personal belongings and valuables, it can take some time to find your feet and adjust to that new-found independence, without the help of mum and dad,” Julia Alpan continued.
Julia Alpan said: “For many students, it’s re-assuring to know that parents or relatives are just a phone call away, and always on hand to offer support and guidance when things go wrong – just like a good insurance policy!”
Earlier this year it was reported that almost half of adults still rely on their parents for financial support. Indeed, over the last year adults have borrowed a total of £708 from their parents, with university fees included as one of the areas the cash is used to assist.