Mini #1: Ikea Staples
Welcome to the first RU mini! Before I get into talking about everyone’s favourite (but not boyfriends and husbands) homewares store, I just want to introduce this series! Mini’s are designed to be slightly shorter articles that you can read in less than a minute and still gain a lot of information from. They might stay here on the blog in the future, or be added into newsletters, but for now, enjoy!
Nobody loves Ikea more than me, I grew up spending way too much time wandering the maze that is Ikea, so you could say I know a thing or two about the things you should definitely get your hands on for uni. I have compiled a short list of only my top 10 items, all with links that I earn nothing from, just for you to be able to get straight to the good stuff!
MIA’S TOP 10 IKEA STAPLES:
Clothes hangers - seemingly a very obvious one for you to need but I still managed to show up with none and needed to go get some! I like these Ikea ones because they aren’t as slippery as plastic or metal ones, but any hangers will do.
Resealable bags - something that you’ll go through at a rate of knots in your kitchen! They get used for all sorts of things but most commonly, if you’re trying to take something to campus and don’t want to deal with a big chunky container, these resealable bags are absolute lifesavers (and they come in so many different sizes!).
Laundry bag - every uni student’s staple; a laundry bag with handles to make it nice and easy to get your laundry to and from the laundry at your halls. The last thing you want to do is have your arms full of warm, clean laundry when it’s pouring rain, so a nice big laundry bag with good handles like this one is a must.
Lint roller - I know I mentioned them in my last article, but these lint rollers will truly save your life when you’re running out the door and have clothes covered in fluff from the halls laundry! Trust me on this one, having a lint roller easily accessible is an absolute must.
Food containers - another essential for if you’re meal prepping or just have leftovers you need to store in the fridge. These food containers are stackable and easy to clean, making them an absolute staple for your kitchen and, similar to the resealable bags, also come in various sizes to suit your needs!
Door hangers - a less obvious staple, but for hanging your winter coat and waterproof (and maybe even your towel if there aren’t any other hooks in your room!), having a door hanger is a must. This one has several hooks and neatly hangs over the back of your door, or these hooks are individual and can be easily moved along the top of your door to wherever makes the most sense!
Food clips - of everything on this list, I would say these are the most important to get your hands on. In my flat last year, we always had a shortage of them and used them absolutely everywhere whether that be to close a bag of crisps, bread or anything else, having these food clips is an absolute must and you will be the hero of your flat for bringing them!
Monitor stand - the last thing you need is to have a hunched back from sitting at your desk working all day (which I’m sure you’ll be doing...), so having a monitor stand like this one, or if you want something different this one is great, is incredibly helpful to make sure that you’re not hunched over your work! You might want to also consider getting a keyboard and mouse to make working a little easier, but I’ll keep suggestions for those to myself until our next mini of Amazon staples...
Magazine files - you’re probably massively underestimating the amount of paper you’re going to end up collecting from various workshops and seminars over the course of your first year, so having somewhere to put all these pieces of paper (that you probably shouldn’t lose) is vital. These magazine organisers have been a staple for me since doing my A levels and are pretty sturdy!
Wardrobe organiser - finally, wardrobe situations vary between universities, but often have limited organisation, so something like this will be so helpful to make sure that your wardrobe isn’t a complete mess when your mum inevitably visits and wants to see how you’re keeping everything clean!
I hope these staples of mine have been helpful for you, if you have any other questions or want any recommendations on anything else, comment below for me to include it in another RU mini!
Thanks for reading, I hope Freshers’ Week has been good to you so far, and see you tomorrow for the next instalment of our Freshers’ Week specials!
Mia