Major S.D Singh Ayurvedic Medical College & Hospital

When talking of hostel life, the first image that might pop up in one’s head would be of difficult schedules, overtly strict wardens and uncomfortable beds. While this might be the popular picture of hostels painted by movies and television, the actual story is quite different.

Hostels are facilities maintained by educational institutions for students to live in, under the supervision of an administration. Hostels have a particular way of working, which is mainly schedule-based. There is a fixed time for everything, be it the wake-up call, attending the study hall, having food or even recreation. 

Unlike their homes, when students are in a college with hostel facilities in Gurgaon or some other city, they learn the quality of self-reliance, a value that shall benefit them life-long. From managing their studies to managing themselves, students learn to shoulder all the key responsibilities in the hostel, all by themselves. Hostel life teaches a child how to get accustomed to a new environment and look after themselves.

There are extra classes in the evenings which focus on certain problem areas in specific subjects. Students can seek help from other students in the hostel with a topic or subject they find difficult. Group studies for exams is also quite popular in hostels. Notes, additional books and model test papers can also be obtained in a similar manner.

Hostels thus serve as fit platforms for bringing together children from different backgrounds and giving them an opportunity to interact with each other, and learn about cultures other than their own. Sharing meals and stories in the hostel courtyard eventually boost the sense of empathy among students. This eventually prepares them to be citizens of the world at large

One of the most common benefits of living in hostels is that students do not have to waste time and energy in travelling all the way to their colleges. They can instead use this time to indulge in something productive such as morning yoga sessions, reading classes or sports. Various colleges with hostel facilities even have fitness centres, playing fields and libraries which students can use in their free time