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Broadening horizons, meeting new people, making new friends – that’s what everyone says Uni’s all about right? But what about actually living with all these new people? It can seem daunting at first, but all you need to do is get yourself prepared by bringing a few essentials along with you. Trust us, it might not seem like it now but clothes racks, bedding and organisers for all your notes are your secret weapon for settling into Uni life. They’re also your best friends in helping you get on with your new flatmates – we’ve even pulled together this guide to show you how these items can help keep the peace in your new home.

IKEA have partnered up with us on this, too – where better to pick up those essentials, right? They’re experts in helping you work around those tricky flatmates with clever furniture. To smooth out your transition to student life, they’re even giving one lucky winner £1,000 voucher to spend at IKEA along with five more £100 vouchers too, so be sure to enter now!

1. The messy one

Dishes lying unwashed in the sink for weeks? Cups mysteriously going missing in their room? Sounds like you’ve been blessed with the messy flatmate. They’ll occasionally move stuff around in the kitchen and claim they’ve done their share in the flat, but after months of living together they’ll ask ‘do we have a hoover?’ A dish drainer is your best friend for managing mess like this and will help you keep track of where those mystery cups keep going.

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2. The master of ceremonies

This is the person who’s named themselves the unquestioned games master. Cards galore, they’re always trying to get some kind of game going before you all head off out on a Friday night. Sure, they might get a little too into it, but who else has that kind of energy? To round things off, we recommend these glasses (you’ll thank us later).

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3. The gross couple

A tricky twosome to say the least – they met during freshers and they’ve been inseparable ever since. Approach their room with extreme caution. Some LED tealights for their room might encourage them to keep their PDA's to romantic zones only.

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4. The Gamer

Surfaces sometime late afternoon. Can be spotted making dinner (or is it breakfast?) before skipping off to mumble into their headset into the small hours. If you want to lure them out of their room, why not get a basket hoop so you can join in and take the gaming offline.

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5. The Mum/Dad of the group

An absolute lifesaver. They make sure everyone has their keys, safely stows you in a cab when needed and will even head home with you to make sure you’re okay. They’re also very good post break-up to make sure you’re not texting your ex. Never let them go, and don’t forget to keep them sweet witha nice pot of tea now and again.

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6. The one who has a BF/GF back home

As soon as you meet them, they’ll drop it into convo that they’ve got someone back at home. They are never in the flat on weekends because they’re spending quality time with said person, and when they are in the flat it’s non-stop video calling with them. Use of headphones is recommended. A memo board will help them keep all their pictures and love notes tidy (and out of communal areas!)

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7. The studious one

They brought the contents of a small library with them and already started stressing about the reading list back in July. Most likely to be caught saying ‘Have you started the assignment yet?’ or ‘No, I can’t, I’ve got to finish this before tomorrow.’ Sure, their work ethic makes you feel a bit guilty, but they might just let you borrow stuff from their superb stationary supply. Why not return the favour by picking them up an inbox to help them sort out all those lecture notes?

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8. The one who's been travelling

Went on a gap year before uni or spends the summer travelling and ‘finding’ themselves. Can be seen walking around the flat in patterned harem trousers and often reverts all topics of conversation to ‘this one time when I was travelling....’ All is forgiven for their cooking skills though – they learnt some killer dishes abroad. All you need is some quality cookware and you’ll be all set.

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9. The party animal

This one always wants to go out and spends the day rallying the flat to ditch their plans for a wild time. You usually end up having a great time, but can’t keep up with their energy. They’re a music master and always know how to get the good vibes flowing. Pro tip – get on their good side by supplying the speaker, then you’ll have first dibs on requests.

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10. The one who steals your stuff

After they’ve been on a night out, your chicken nuggets mysteriously disappear from the freezer. And that T-shirt they borrowed for a costume party back in freshers? It’ll turn up in a year as a pyjama top. At least you’ll know where it is in the end. Just make sure to keep a close eye on the clothes rack, as that's where your t-shirts will tend to reappear.

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But unlike these flatmates, you can always count on IKEA for the student essentials. Just pop in-store to find something that’s stylish, affordable and made to last throughout your time at Uni. And don’t forget to enter our competition - it’s up to £1,000 in vouchers at IKEA that’s up for grabs – good luck!

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