Flat living at uni is most people’s first insight into living with your friends and co-living with others. (Unless you’re one of the many Edi students who have developed this skill at their respective boarding school). Knowing what to buy can be an overwhelming experience, and let’s be honest, most of us still have those pointless bits of storage hanging around from halls that we still haven’t put to use yet.
This little guide might provide you with an insight into the bits and pieces I’ve learnt throughout the years and what I think are worthwhile investments.
1: Radio:
Hear me out, I too, wasn’t sure whether or not this would flop when I brought it to uni. However, it is something my flatmates and I have decided is an essential. Bonus points if it has an iPhone attachment, so it can double up as a speaker. We have collectively agreed that during the day, when we’re lounging around at home, we are too occupied with other things to be playing music of our own. Being able to put the radio on has been a really nice form of background noise and makes the kitchen and everything just feel so welcoming and homely. In the evening, when we’re all in the kitchen cooking, we just put our phone on the doc and play our own music, but during the day, the background tunes of ‘Heart and Smooth’ have been really enjoyable and a novelty!
2: TV:
Within my second year flat, we decided not to make the investment in a television, and if I had my time again, I would definitely change this. Since having a TV and bringing up an Amazon fire stick (which allows for the likes of Netflix, BBC iPlayer etc, for only £20), we have found our living room to be the heart of our flat and we are always lounging out by the TV in the evenings watching the next episode of Love Island. I definitely think having a TV means that you get so much more use out of your communal spaces.
3: A Wii:
Following on the theme of the TV… a Nintendo Wii. Before you judge too quickly, most of us still have our unused Wii at the back of our cupboards at home and giving mine a new lease of life has been the subject of so many conversations and a great way to socialise with friends. My flatmates and I, at this point, all have our chosen characters and bike, and most Mondays include the weekly Mushroom Gorge championships.
4: Mugs, Glasses, Cutlery, and anything else you can scavenge from home:
I have found most HMO flats in Edinburgh seriously unequipped in the Kitchen department. Especially on a student budget, when we limit ourselves to a weekly use of the dishwasher, you need to make sure you have enough cutlery to go around. Alongside this, if you’re wanting to have a big dinner party with lots of your friends to welcome in the new year, we have often found ourselves using spoons as forks and vice versa. Having enough cutlery can make your day-to-day life so much easier when at uni.
Hopefully, this guide will be of assistance to you. I have definitely been dragging boxes back home full of the unnecessary equipment I brought up for freshers. Who thought I’d need three separate sets of bed linen?
Photo Credit: “IKEA Haul” by Zoe Corkhill is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.