1. Clothes Horse
I remember filling up my Mum’s estate car with all kinds of junk when I made my first journey up to York two years ago. I even brought a fruit bowl. However, of everything that made the long trek up the country I can safely say that there is nothing I have been more grateful for than my clothes horse. You are now probably thinking that I am the world’s most boring man, but the reason why I love my clothes horse oh so dearly is the amount of time it has saved me. See, if you hang your wet clothes over it you not only save a useful pound or so a pop on tumble drying, but you also save yourself from the laborious task of ironing – possibly the worst of all household chores. With my clothes’ creases all falling out effortlessly on their horse I am free, not to iron them, but to spend my time writing articles about them instead. See – not boring at all.
2. Doorstop
Warning: If you do not bring a doorstop to University you will make absolutely no friends and spend your first year crying alone in your bedroom. Whilst this is not strictly true it’s surprising how much a little wedge of plastic can help break the ice during your first few days living in halls. Knocking on a total stranger’s door and asking them if they want to come out and play isn’t really the done thing at our age, so the doorstop can instead be used as a symbol of openness – a plea for friendship that is as acceptable as the eight year-old’s knock on the door of the so-far-unknown potential playmate down the road. If the majority of your flat brings one it makes for a great atmosphere along the corridor and everyone gets to know each other much quicker. However, if you don’t want your own perfectly decorated room being trashed by stampeding others, perhaps take advantage of your flatmates’ open doors as much as possible – the doorstop does tend to single out the odd room as a corridor lounge. This can be great or a bit annoying depending on who you are.
3. House Plant
As you will probably know (after one day coming up with the world’s most incredible plan ever of buying and bring a micro pig to uni and having it live in your room, before checking the University website and feeling a surge of disappointment) you are not allowed pets at university. A plant is not exactly an alternative, but is a nice thing to have in your room. It brightens up what can be quite a dull space and gives you a level of responsibility probably just within reach of the average student – water once a week. Not only that but it oxygenates the room (if you want to make friends don’t go shouting that) and supposedly helps you concentrate when those essays come around to ruin your idyllic first year life for a couple of days a term. If you’re really brave your plant could even help you pull: “Do you want to come back and see my Japanese Peace Lily? No? Fine. I’ll enjoy the oxygeny goodness on my own then.” Perhaps not.