Introduction
You have worked hard, graduated high school, and accepted into university. You are excited about all the new experiences you will have and the new people you will come across. But most of all, you are happy to meet the challenge of finally living alone
When you arrive on campus, move into your dorm and meet with your roommate. For some having a new roommate is a new experience, it is important to get along with your roommate as best as possible; otherwise find someone else. If you are living in a single room, you have to learn how to manage yourself like keeping the living space clean etc.
Whether you are moving into a dorm for the first time or getting an off-campus house with friends, the tips in this article will assist you to face the challenges of campus life.
Before you depart from your countries, better check the current situations in the campus. Contact your academic office to seek your advice, they should be able to point you to the exact office that manage the students’ accommodations. Or you can reach the international students office or international students union if you are moving out to a foreign university.
Gradual transition to independence
Your first year or two of campus life, this usually means living in a dorm. Even if it’s a little more expensive than renting your own apartment off-campus, living in the dorms during your first year has tremendous value. offers a lot of experience.
For starters, you're in the middle of all that. If there is an interesting event or conference on campus, you can probably walk. And if you and your dorm-mates want to go for sport activities or friendly tournament, it’s easy to organize or attend.
While it may seem a little intense, it’s one of the easiest ways to make friends right from the start. If you go directly to live in an off-campus apartment, it can be much more challenging to build these crucial first-year connections.
As well as social benefits, living in dormitories also facilitates the transition to independent living.
You have more responsibilities, such as doing your own laundry, scheduling and getting along with your roommate or roommates. But you also have a meal or snack plan to keep you alive, a short journey to your classes, and less responsibility overall than living in an apartment.
How should someone who lives in a hostel handle their everyday tasks with their limited resources?
You can’t say that there aren’t enough resources in a hostel. Because everything you require in a hostel is more of a necessity.
As far as needed, the basic chores in a hostel, perhaps are dishes, clothes, going shopping for supplies once in a while, and so on. So you can buy any detergent, soap bar, or liquid soap for utensils you want, but not in large quantities. Because you’ll only need them for yourself in a hostel, i.e., just one person, they won’t finish as quickly as they do in our homes. So there’s no need to be concerned about that.
There are a lot of options for daily meal puchases in the campus, you can purchase or have a meal in between the lectures and another for the dinner in the evening. Moreover, do designate a certain day or two days each month to purchase for yourself the essentials, such as bread etc. Make sure, nevertheless, that the majority of them are both affordable and healthful. Eating those great cookies, Maggi, etc. won't make you any healthier to do your chores, studies, or work. However, sometimes consuming them, or doing so when you're depressed or want to thank yourself for a job well done, is fantastic.
Everything will be arranged once you have determined which duties you are required to perform. Try to focus more on the products you will actually need rather than the ones you want.
Managing money in a hostel
Many students find it helpful to list the things they’ll need to spend money on at the beginning of the month or week and keep track of how much they’ve spent.
When you have little money at your disposal, learning to manage your finances is essential. For example, when you’re a student living in a hostel, there are many things to pay for, such as hostel fee and stationery. You will have to learn how to make the money you have stretch as far as possible so that you can cover all of your expenses for the month.
A young student's experience living in a hostel is often their first introduction to the real world, where they must make their own plans and take care of their own needs without supervision. For students, this shift can occasionally be challenging. Making this transition can, at times, be difficult for students. Learning to handle money is a complex process that takes time and practice. Click on the link below for more tips.
How do you plan your time?
Attend the lectures and tutorials over the semester, and (typically) complete the homework assignments. In addition, between semesters, you must study for tests. You’ll be able to divide chores and projects into digestible portions by allotting fixed time for studying. Additionally, you will discover that you are more equipped for assessments. You get two to three weeks without lectures at the end of the semester, during which time the examinations are administered. Since the examinations are often spaced a few days apart, you may study for the next exam, take it, and then begin preparing for the one that follows.
Following the exam period, you get 6 to 8 weeks of “holiday” (which is really just a time without lectures, but during which you are typically required to write papers, complete projects, etc.).
Be open to communication
One of the most important things to remember when living with others is to communicate openly. Don't allow things reach to that stage since most disagreements and confrontations start because of a breakdown in communication. Effective communication is a major challenge. Here are some tips to help you:
- Establish communication as a habit
Everyone will be more likely to do so if you and your college roommate(s) make an agreement to inform each other when anything is troubling one of you. Without that discussion, problems may go unaddressed.
- Listen more.
It only works if the other parties are willing to listen when you share your difficulties with one another. This does not imply that you should just allow the words to penetrate your ears.
When you truly listen, you take in what the other person is saying and, if you don’t understand, you clarify your understanding with questions. Above all else, attentive listening is refraining from making snap judgements or criticising the other person before giving them a chance to explain.
- Put the problem first and not the individual.
Putting blame on someone else is not the answer if you want to solve a situation. This will do nothing but put the other person on the defensive. Instead, be honest and upfront about what is upsetting you.
- Stay modest
It is simple to believe that you are correct and know what is best when approaching someone about a disagreement or problem. This is a mistake, though. Whatever the situation, you owe it to your friends to hear them out before passing judgement. You won’t ever be able to get along without it.
Confidently Embrace Independent Living
For the most part, going from living with your parents to living by yourself is an exciting change. It’s a major milestone for you as a person, and it can be a lot of fun when things go well. Still, it’s important to remember that living on your own isn’t always easy. If you find that all isn’t well in your new, independent life, contact our Residential College Committee (RCC), fellows or assistance fellows and we can help in any way we can.
Finally, remember that you’re not alone if you don’t feel ready. Some people may have similar anxieties about going independent for the first time, but that doesn’t mean anything is necessarily wrong with them. Don’t be afraid to ask others for help if you need it.