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Nimisha Jaiswal, BA Journalism student
Currently resides at LSR College hostel, New Delhi
Having lived in a school hostel for eight years of my student life, I swaggered into my new college hostel with a trolley full of luggage and a shameful amount of confidence, ready for my own two-seater, after my eight-people dormitory in school. I passed by what seemed like several storage rooms and arrived at Room 4 – wait a minute, this was another storage room! Since my roommate was already there, I got the lower bed, which could be pulled out when in use and tucked away neatly below the other.
My first year was spent coping with a difficult roommate, but then all hostellers suffer tiffs with new roommates. The trick is to give a little as well as hold a bit of your own. A change in set routines has to be made from all sides, and however oceanic the differences, the least expected points of civility are never too hard to achieve. Many a time, your new roommate and neighbours may very well go on to become your best friends in college, much closer, I feel, than school day scholar friends could ever be.
A small but constantly expanding hostel library, a computer and internet centre, laundry room, two television sets, our very own games cupboard and movie screenings on every weekend, are just a few of the luxuries which have become an integral part of life in the Residence Hall. Farewells, freshers, ‘hostel nights’, though few and far between, are essential outlets for many of the boarders.
And, of course, the degree of freedom in a college hostel is much more than was ever possible (or even advisable!) in a residential school. Weekends, a set number of night outs,and permission for daily outings never let us feel bound and chained.Special provisions for ‘day-scholar leave’ (where if your parents are in town for a few days, you can stay with them during the week), special leave and study leave are also provided.
And the occasional ice-cream treats by the mess staff always made my day! And though you might not find yourself being pampered with the luxuries of continental and Italian, the hostel mess definitely goes the distance in its Indian culinary efforts. Te four-meal menu we are provided with every day as opposed to our PG friends’ constant struggle against expenses (and starvation!) definitely has us counting our blessings.
I had continually heard about the latest, stringent DU regulations against ragging. But since, I have never been trusting of rules, many a new batch mate was received with the utmost respect just in case she was a senior. But I was never ragged. In fact, as a second year we were so threatened by the possibility of expulsion, we were advised not to talk to our juniors at all! And we didn’t.
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