The cheat sheet to hostel survival – 5 things every hosteller needs to know
Staying away from home comes across as a common practise in a country like India, where each year, millions of students switch places, leaving behind the comfort of home for better education facilities. Sometimes, it is a fifty kilometre distance to the nearby university, and in some cases, as in mine, it can be a gruesome half a day journey to our homes. And no matter how near or far it is, hostel life, by the rule of thumb is a hard nut to crack. From the bantering for the washroom to the messy food from the infamous mess; life is a war at the hostel. Here presenting a list of five things every hosteller must need to know.
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Stock your food
Yes, you hear me right. Stock and save. I know it is tempting on jump upon and munch away all the goodies overnight once they arrive from home, but trust me, there will be hungry sleepless nights when you will definitely crave for something to munch upon. So, always keep an emergency supply of biscuits and homemade goodies for your own good. For you never know when hunger calls. And by any chance you have a gas stove to your service, the ever faithful packet of noodles should enjoy a special corner in your cupboard you know :P
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Do your laundry on time
You know what is worse than stocked up laundry? The STENCH of stocked up laundry.
I mean however hard you try; the sight of two bucketful piles of clothes can bring a nervous breakdown to even the strongest at heart. So, buckle up and don’t keep the laundry pending. A pair of clothes daily is much less of a toil than two bucketful, stinking piles of clothes that will screw up your whole weekend plans. Every single time.
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Roommates are family
Yes, you are going to eat, pray and live with these souls every single day for years to come. The sooner you accept the fact, the better it is for you. However awkward it might seem at the beginning, you’ll wonder at the fact that how attached you get to your room mate(s) even before you know it.
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Do the cleaning
Even if the hostel brochure mentions a daily maid at your service, be ready to brace the broom. Because if you want to live healthy, it is advisable you learn to do the cleaning yourself. It is probable that your maid might not turn out everyday and even if she does by the rarest chance; take no chances on the hygiene. You’ll always find that one dirty corner her magic broom always manages to avoid and is a cow web jungle.
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Was that your toothbrush? Oh shit!
Exactly that is what is going to happen with every single thing you own; for years to come. From your toiletries to your favorite dress, be ready to get it mistaken by somebody else as theirs. Do you know how and why does it happen? Because everything is here and there, and the conversation goes like “Her brush was at my table, how could I know it wasn’t mine! THAT was my table!” And as obvious, such conversations will never end in a feasible conclusion for either parties. And the only option is to err.. forget :P
So now that I have let out all the secrets, it is your time to step out, keep behind those homesick memories and enjoy your hostel life to the fullest. Make new friends, do crazy stuff, study hard and be ready to rock the whole wide world.
For, there is no life better than a life lived on your own terms, and what better than a hostel to start yours :)
Image credit : http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/21717-lifeatahostelcover-1398330263-561-640×480.jpg
About author : Debjani Chakraborty is a 1st year Mass Communication and Video Production student at St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi.
