KEEPING YOUR ROOM CLEAN

The room is going to get messy. No, not Tommy Wiseau’s loveable train wreck of a debut – the one that you’ll be living in for the first year of university.

Flat photographers are clever, so don’t fall for those wide angles online that make the tiny bed look like a king-size. Your room will be smaller than you expect, and you’ll have so much stuff.

words Ben Townsend Did you bring a mini fridge, too? I did.

But keep calm. I shared a cramped single room with my girlfriend last year in Cambridge Halls but somehow, we still had enough space. We actually miss the place, would you believe. As a result, I feel qualified to share my top five tips for making that tiny room work for you.

1. SEND THEM BACK!

Listen to me, not Donald Trump. You won’t need half of the stuff you brought to university, so send it back pronto. Just don’t cry as the mini fridge goes back into the car; it’s not worth it.

2. GO BOXING

Get a cardboard box (a small one), take the top off and duct tape the sides to the wall. Or stick string through it and hang it up*. Suddenly, you’ll have zero-gravity storage space. You could even decorate it with nice sequins or something. *See no. 4

3. THE WORLD’S YOUR OYSTER

Who said that your room is the only place you can store stuff? Spread out. Shove it in the kitchen, the utility room, your locker at work, friend’s rooms, toilets, or the bin, just not the mini fridge; that’s gone.

4. INSPECTA’ GADGETS

Not everything in life needs to be DIY. Get online and find the latest storagetech to pimp out you room with. Some ideas:

• BED LIFTERS

If you’re not afraid of heights (or monsters), you’ll get more space under your bed if you just lift it up.

• STICKY HOOKS

Driving nails into the wall is frowned upon in most student accommodation and you can kiss goodbye to your deposit, so be cool and stick your hangers up instead.

• SHOE ORGANISER

I only ever keep one pair of shoes at a time, with plenty of holes. However, if you prefer plenty of shoes and no holes, keep those clogs in a shoe sack to save space.

The absolute last resort. Pick up everything, I mean EVERYTHING and pile it up in the corner of the room. Extra points if it touches the ceiling. But, defeat The Beast within the week, or you’ll never see your beloved possessions again.

Now that your room is clean, your stuff is stashed and your fridge is gone, all you need to do is add the golden four – house plants, fairy lights, posters and a rug. Sorted.