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Some fortunate people grew up as mama’s kid or papa’s kid. They don’t have to worry about running out of resources as they were always provided. Being a hosteller teaches one to restrain themselves from exhausting their resources. When a kid, who grew up with their parents providing them with money when needed, becomes a hosteller, tries to adjust the expenses based on the allowances provided. It’s not that their parents would give up on them. But the student decides not to ask for more than they need. The more a student works on their finance, there is a chance for them to try to minimize the financial burden to their parents. Independence comes at a cost but it is called progress when one can identify their mistakes and rectify those mistakes themselves.
Of course, home food can never be replaced. But, living in a hostel is learning to live your life on your own. Not every time things go your way. Not every time you can call a parent to complain about the food ask them to make a dish. That’s where we learn how to makes things happen the way they should be. Imagine being in a hostel with very bad food. One might think that skipping meals would make it better but it won’t. Learning how to explain the problem with the food to the management is when you learn to deal with problems in a diplomatic way. Discussing the issues in the hostel whether it might be food or maintenance, and pointing out the areas of improvement teaches one to stand up for what is right. Learning how the management handles the issues teaches one the very first management lessons.
Diversity isn’t something new. We see and talk to people from different cultures every day. But in hostels students from different cultures get to live together. Students still meet and talk in colleges, many might become good friends too but in hostel life when living under one roof, sharing things and looking out for each other creates a strong bonding. There is a scope to learn about different cultures and traditions. We get a chance to identify and minimize the illusion of difference and stay united.
A student has many nightmares, assignments, lab records, or a test. Although a day scholar’s schedule is arranged and there won’t usually be any unexpected time condition, the advantage of time is always with a hosteller. At the end of the college day, hostellers have the advantage of time which they can use without bothering themselves about travelling home or catching a bus. Instead, a student can use the time to spend in the library, on the playground, or in any other productive way. It applies to the morning as well, hostellers can attend the classes on time in the morning without facing any hassles like traffic.
With the advantage of time, a student living in a hostel can deal with any issue he/she may face academic wise. A hosteler doesn’t have to carry the problem to their home and deal with it later in the night. They can get required support from their peers at the end of their class. Life in a hostel helps a student to obtain an optimistic nature. Living with different people, facing different challenges, standing up for themselves, and learning from mistakes are the experiences required for gaining perception.
Everyone has friends at different points in their lives. Friendship in a hostel is special in every way. A hostel is a temporary home. At the end of the day, we adapt to it and make ourselves comfortable. At that time, we create a bond with the people around us to make our lives easier. In hostel life, we share our vulnerable moments with our friends, we trust them with our secrets, we share our happiness and ask for their support when needed. Some are fun and act like clowns to spread joy, some share their wisdom and help others. The memories a hosteller creates with the friendship they have stays with them for a very long period of their lives. It is always cheerful to have someone to have our back when we need it.
Being someone who spent his four years of undergrad in a hostel, I choose to live in a hostel than being a day scholar any day. There are debatable factors regarding life in the hostel. However, the benefits of living in a hostel are higher compared to being a day scholar.
I would like to take this opportunity to share my experience of living in a hostel for four years. Being brought up in an orthodox family and developing introvert nature, the day of admission into the hostel was filled with anxiety. For 17 years I was a day scholar living with parents travelling to school every day no matter the distance. Coming to undergrad, getting admission in an engineering college in a different district, for personal reasons, gave no choice but to accept the hostel life. There are moments in life that change a person into who they are for better or worse. I must say, my admission into the hostel was the best thing that happened to me so far.
Hostel life took me out of my comfort zone, taught me to be economical, to stand for what’s right, to share happiness or a shoulder when needed. It also gave me good friends I could cherish all my life. What makes a person call a place home which isn’t home? People. When you are surrounded by the right people, you don’t have to call it a second home, you know it is. It doesn’t happen every time where we meet people who live with us, teach us, compliment us, support us, and stand by us no matter what. It may happen to everyone but it might not happen every time. Life in a hostel is an experience in life worth having, it depends on us if we want to have it or not.
