My Views And Experience Of Campus Hostels And Lodges Around

Greetings to every one, hope you all are doing well. Its my pleasure to make an entry on this contest organised by @campusconnect. I appreciate the community for providing the platform for engagement, kudos.

Experience they say teaches us what we would have used many years to learn. My experience of the campus hostel has indeed thought me so many things in life that I wouldn't have imagined. If one can successfully coexist in a public Nigerian campus hostel, then, you can survive in any hostel in the world.

The hostel is where you can get to meet all sort of people, the calm, the lousy, the lazy, the smart, etc and coexist with them. Life in the hostel is always fun and there is never a dull moment in the hostel.

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Which did you do when you gained admission on campus, did you reside in the school hostel or not?

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When I got admission newly, I wanted to be around the school area so that I can familiarise myself with the school environment, so, I opted for a space in the hostel. At first, the hostel life was a bit strange to me, but with time I got rolling, and enjoyed every bit of it till the day I packed my bags and said bye bye to the hostel.

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What is the reason behind your choices ( why and why not did you pick the school hostel)

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My reason for residing in the school premises was clear, I wanted to get familiar with the school environment, I was also aware of the potential risk of cult activities within the campus, so I also needed to be very careful while exploring the school environment, in two weeks, I had known all the black spots and unsafe zones around the campus.

Another important reason why I opted for a place in the hostel was finance. Houses off camp were super expensive, I couldn't afford them at that point, so, I was made to settle for a place in the hostel.

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What are your experiences in the school hostel and in wherever you decided to stay (positive and otherwise)

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My experience in the hostel I will say was both good and ugly. The hostel thought me how to manage money, it was a place you have to make your own decisions and also respect someone else's own. Life in the hostel was never easy, I remember when I had only cassava flakes left in my locker and was made to survive on it for a week, thank God for the few good friends I had, they supported me with their little resources.

The only challenging thing about the hostel was that anytime the non academic staff embarked on industrial action, the hostel is always very dirty, the toilets too are usually in a mess during this period.

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Did you enjoy your stay there and why

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Of course. I really enjoyed my stay in the hostel. The late night arguments were always fun, we joked about everything in life. The unending gists about celebrities lifestyle, sports, politics and music was also a fun part of the hostel.

I really enjoyed the hostel because there was never a dull moment in there, even when you're broke.

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What do you think needs improvement

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Generally, the academic sector needs a major improvement, and the students accommodation and wellbeing should form a greater part of the improvement. Most public hostels in Nigeria are in dilapidated state and requires urgent attention.

The safety of the student should also be of great concern. Its annoying to say that most public hostels in campuses are poorly protected and robbers easily have access in and out of the hostels depriving students of their valuables.

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What are the advantages and disadvantages of living on-campus

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Merits

• Easy access to lecture venues and lecture halls
• paying less for space, compared to the exorbitant rent of off-camp houses.
• Coexistence with different people from different regions.

demerits

• high cost of meals as we are not always allowed to cook in the hostel.
• Restriction of movement from 10pm.
• Poor hygienic state of the hostels

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Conclusion

The hostel is a fun place to be in, it affords one the opportunity of meeting with so many people. I enjoyed every bit of stay in there, it was really a nice experience.

It is also worthy of note here that self discipline plays a very critical role in maintaining focus while in the hostel.