Shopping for the right uni at Ikea

If Dean David Levison had foreseen the recruitment opportunities in Edinburgh's Ikea store, he might have sent some application forms along with his students. Five medical students participating in a weekend "live-in" competition in the top Swedish retailer's showroom were approached by a local pupil interested in studying medicine in Dundee.

The girl, who heard on the radio that the students were to be in Ikea, made a special trip to the store to ask the students' opinions on the medical course and student life in Dundee. The five medics were keen to convince her in the relaxed surroundings of their temporary living room that Dundee University was the top place to study medicine.

Suvi Stenback, Euan Vorenkamp, Ricky Mistry, Anna McLelland and Jen Blythe applied for the Ikea weekend only four days before the deadline and were shocked when they discovered that plans for their prize money would be realised. The students lived with the other competitors in the store's showroom, slept in the bedroom department and ate in the luxury of leather armchairs with food and beer provided by Ikea.

Ricky claimed he put on several kilos and said, "We did nothing but eat for four days."

The students participated in a furniture challenge, facing the task of assembling four chairs on a podium in the store for the customers' entertainment. As their reputation spread they discovered that one of Ikea's interior designers was a Duncan of Jordanstone graduate and had "lived in every street" in Dundee.

All five medics agreed that the weekend had been fantastic and are now making their selections with the £2,000 prize. Ricky is opting for sensible items with a bed and mattress on his shopping list while Suvi and Euan are buying an indoor greenhouse complete with plants for their flat.

Pictured in Ikea from left to right are; Ricky Mistry, Jen Blythe, Suvi Stenback, Anna McLelland and Euan Vorenkamp.

Next Page
Return to December/January 2000/1 Contact