10 Guaranteed Tips To Make Hostel Life Much Easier

Photo credit: Tartu hostels

Life in the hostel can be amusing cause definitely you will get to meet different people from all walks of life, people with different kinds of lifestyle and temperaments - the phlegmatic, melancholic, choleric and of course the sanguine. Read more about temperaments HERE. You can learn how to relate with each and every one of them. Not only that, it create an avenue where you get to taste the bitter and sweet side of being free and independent. Though it's been accompanied with its own ups and downs.

Living in the hostel can be a bit tough for first timers - like those who are just moving into the hostel for the first time away from home. It takes time before one can fully adjust to it - relating with strangers, adjusting one's system to hostel food and also making friends with your roommates as well.

I wouldn't really say I've had the opportunity of staying in the hostel cause practically I have lived in different hostels for close to nine years. Starting from high school to college so I understand the hostel life so well. I have seen all kinds of situations- the good, bad, worse and ugly. Anytime I get to interact with people and we come to the topic of staying in the hostel and they are like

"No I cannot survive a day in the hostel"

I tell them "you can", of course anyone can stay in the hostel. If you think you can't, let's look at it from these angle: You are travelling away from home - let's say to school, college to be precise. You've got no one to go stay with and you can't get accommodation off campus, so definitely the hostel is your only option. Then you see that you've got no choice than to adjust to it.

You don't have to read this because you have plans of staying in the hostel but it's necessary in case you happen to be in a situation beyond your control and you find yourself staying in the hostel, you will remember Maryanne gave you some tips that can make the hostel life much easier for you, most especially as a first timer. By the way, I happen to be a melancholic in case you don't get to see the party and crazy kinda life in there, but that shouldn't dull your maps - go crazy and have fun while living in the hostel. So here are your simple tips, don't worry you can thank me later wink

#1 Everything starts from your room
The room allocated to you is where you will sleep in the night, wake up in the morning and return to after you've had a long day. Try as much as possible to relate with and understand those living there with you cause most at times they can contribute to how your day starts and ends.

Decorate your room the way you want it to be and if you feel homesick often you can put up pictures of your family members and loved ones.

SHOP YOUR HOME DECOR

         

 
#2 Hostel food is not home food
You should know that the food you will eat in the hostel can not be the same as the one you eat at home. You will have to train your system to adjust to that. There are days you will have runny stomach and spend your day in the toilet either vomiting or doing otherwise lol. Don't be scared! You will get used to it, at those points your system is still doing gragra but will definitely adapt and get used to the food. But if you know you can't survive the training then you need to stock up your cupboard with some provisions that can keep you going or patronize the eateries.

#3 Learn how to share
It is in the hostel that the saying "there is love in sharing" works more cause no matter how you try people will still use your things with or without your permission. So when you're able to accept that sharing of stuffs is something you can never avoid then you will make living in the hostel less stressful for you but that doesn't mean you shouldn't also know when to say no - because you refused to share your expensive stuffs with irresponsible people doesn't make you a stingy person.

#4 There are people you should avoid
When you get to the hostel, at first you need to know the people around you, how they talk and the way they react to situations, from there you will know who to get closer to and those you should avoid - it is not everyone that you have to be friends with especially if you guys don't see eye to eye.

#5 Practice how to sleep with noise
If you happen to live with most especially extroverts, sanguines or party lovers you need to learn how to live with noise and how to sleep with noise even if it means listening to music with your earphone plugged to your ears cause no one is going to keep quiet for you to sleep even if you desperately need to.

#6 Respect yourself and others
Self respect is a necessity in the hostel, you might meet those who were there before you and people will come after you. You will also meet those who are older than you and those that are younger than you as well but if you respect your very self and also the opinion of others then no one will have any reason to disrespect you.

#7 Try not to showcase your belongings
At your early stage of staying in the hostel, try as much as possible not to show off your properties cause you don't know people's attitudes yet. You can't trust anybody until you've stayed with them and you've known them.

#8 Know how to handle conflict
No matter what there's no how two or more people can stay together without having misunderstanding. At some points you guys may not seem to agree and problems may arise, you need to know how to handle those whether it is between you and your roomie or between two other of your roomies

#9 Save up some bucks
It is so easy to go broke while living in the hostel so for every income that you get try to save up atleast 20% while you spend the rest on food, your wardrobe and other of your needs cause if not, everyone in the hostel will come to see you as a debtor, I'm sure you don't like that even one bit. So save up what I call 'emergency money' it can be helpful in times of emergency.

#10 Go crazy and have fun
I know I said you wouldn't find something like this in the tips but let me smuggle this in. Of a truth the hostel life can be so boring especially during the weekends and the extroverted ones find it hard to survive, for me in as much as there is source of light then I can't be enveloped in boredom but for those who can't, it is good you go out and explore either by yourself or with others. Spend some time in a crowded and noisy place then when you return you will get your energy back.