ARTICLES

Hostel vs Off-campus: Which one is the best? Advantages and Disadvantages of Living in the School Hostel

There are two systems of housing in the university, polytechnic, or college of education: hostel housing and off-campus housing. Hostel accommodation is a system of accommodation located inside the school, while off-campus hostels are those lodges located in the town or city hosting the institution, which might be close to or far from the school.

After getting admission and when it’s time for you to secure an accommodation, you have to decide whether to stay at the school hostel or to settle for accommodation off-campus.

The question of which is the best housing system has come to the mind of many students, especially the newly admitted students hoping to make the best choice. Here are the 7 advantages and disadvantages of living in the school hostel.

ADVANTAGES OF LIVING IN THE SCHOOL HOSTEL:

1. HOSTELS ARE CHEAP.

Hostels are very cheap and affordable. Living in the school hostel has limited the spending of many students, as hostel fees are mostly affordable compared to renting a room off-campus. The major reason why students opt for hostels is money, as most of them can’t afford #60,000 to #70,000 rooms outside the campus, which leaves them no other choice but to subscribe for the school hostel.

Perhaps it is good to cut your coat according to your clothes. If you don’t have much money to spend on renting an apartment outside the school, I will advise you to go for the school hostel. Like the electricity bill, the water bill, and other things in the school hostel are free, and this alone will enable you to have savings on campus.

ALSO READ: How to Pass Any Examination on Campus: 12 Tips to Boost Your CGPA Without Stress

2. NEARNESS TO SCHOOL.

Imagine having lectures at 8 and waking up around 7:30. It is much easier to catch up with lectures on time while living in the school hostel than staying off campus. This will also reduce the stress of trekking to school every day and even spending unnecessary money on transportation.

ALSO READ: Everything You Need to Know About Diploma, ND, HND, Full-time, Part-time, Morning, Evening, and Other Polytechnic Programmes

3. SECURITY.

Living in the school hostel will give you peace of mind with no worries of robbery or an attack on your life or properties, unlike living off campus. Arm robbers can’t just invade the school hostel like that; it may happen, but it is rare, so living in the school hostel is safer than living off-campus. By the way, if your things got stolen at the school hostel, it is easy to retrieve them if you report to authorities on time.

Earlier this year, I learned some students at a particular school were lamenting the rate of insecurity in the polytechnic community as they lost their valuables to theft. It is the duty of the school management to safeguard the life and properties of students living in the school hostel, so one of the advantages is security, as you don’t have to worry about your hostel being burgled.

ALSO READ: 8 Reasons Why Students Join Cultism and the Consequences

4. HOSTEL IS ALWAYS LIVELY.

The school hostel is always lively and fun, as there are always people to talk to and interact with. You will meet different people from different backgrounds, cultures, and religions. You can never get bored while living in the school hostel because that place is always lively and fun almost every day. Even during exams, you will always feel the gyration. What if your boyfriend or girlfriend broke up with you? Don’t worry, those HOSTELITE will keep your company to the extent you won’t even feel anything. The hostel is always sweet and full of good vibes.

ALSO READ: 13 Smart Ways to Make Money Online, Earn In Dollars, and Cash Out Quickly

5. FIRST-HAND INFORMATION.

Living in the school hostel gives you access to first-hand information. You will be able to get the latest updates, gossip, and gists on campus because of the hostel’s proximity to school. If anything happens on campus, students who reside in the school hostel will be the first to know before it gets off-campus, and this can be very helpful to your academics. Should a lecturer not come to lecture, you can easily return to your hostel without the frustration of wasting transport money. What if your lecturer announced emergency tests and assignments? That means you will be able to meet the 70% attendance threshold, which contributes to academic excellence.

ALSO READ: WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN GOVERNMENT POLYTECHNIC AND PRIVATE POLYTECHNIC?

6. LIVING IN THE SCHOOL HOSTEL IMPROVES YOUR KNOWLEDGE.

Living in the school hostel will boost your knowledge in the sense that you will meet students from different departments and faculties, which will familiarize you with school life and other departments. You will also learn about tolerance. Sometimes you may wonder if your roommates are from this planet due to their attitude and behavior. Well, living in the school hostel will make you understand how to interact with people, build relationships with them, and take them for who they are.

For example, if there is a borrowed course that isn’t clear to you, it’s quick to find someone to teach it in the school’s hostel. If you can live in the school hostel, then you can definitely live anywhere in the world.

7. NO ELECTRICITY AND WATER BILLS.

As stated earlier, you don’t have to pay monthly bills for electricity and water supply in the school hostel because they are free. There is also a steady supply of power and water in the school hostel.

ALSO READ: “I Want to Go to School But Have No Money” Here’s What to Do If You Have No Money to Sponsor Your Education

DISADVANTAGES OF LIVING IN THE SCHOOL HOSTEL:

1. NO ROOM FOR PRIVACY.

If you are the type of student who loves doing things alone and in your own way, I will advise you to stay away from the school hostel. Living in the school hostel will make you lose your privacy as you will be sharing a room with others. What if you want to make calls with your partner, family, and friends? You will have to excuse yourself from the room. If you want to enjoy your privacy, then a school hostel is not the best option for you because there is no room for it.

2. STEALING.

Living in the school hostel exposes your foodstuffs and gadgets to being stolen by hoodlums. People who stay in the school hostel usually lose their properties to theft. Anyway, it also depends on the school, but no matter how secure the hostel is, if care is not taken, you might still lose your valuable properties.

ALSO READ: Lists of the Items to Take to School as a Fresher

3. DISTURBING RULES AND REGULATIONS.

There are too many disturbing and annoying rules and regulations in the school hostel. For example, male and female students are not allowed to visit each other. You may find it difficult to knack your girlfriend in the school hostel, especially the ones that have been eating your money. Isn’t that annoying? An electric stove is not allowed.

Imagine if you are living off campus and you see this weather for two like this, you and your bae will be enjoying each other, but for those living in the hostel, it is weather for tea. You can’t bring in friends anyhow to the hostel because there are visitation hours, etc.

ALSO READ: LIST OF THE TOP 40 FASTEST POLYTECHNIC IN NIGERIA

4. EMERGENCY VACATION.

In every tertiary institution in Nigeria, there are sometimes when emergency breaks may be announced, as a result of which you will be asked to vacate the school hostel within 24 hours. Yes, it does happen, and what if you are from Kano state and schooling in IMO State? How will you cope even when you have no money to travel back home at that moment? This is one of the disadvantages of living in the school hostel.

ALSO READ: HOW TO GAIN ADMISSION TO POLYTECHNICS IN NIGERIA

5. NOISE POLLUTION.

You can’t have peace of mind in the school hostel due to noise pollution from every angle. The majority of those you find in night class are students living in the school hostel because they can’t cope with the noise pollution in the school hostel. There are times you just want to be alone, sleep, or take a nap, but this might be impossible due to the noise coming from the hostel.

ALSO READ: LIST OF THE POLYTECHNIC IN NIGERIA AND THEIR SCHOOL FEES

6. BAD INFLUENCE.

Living in the school hostel exposes you to bad influences from your roommates. So it is possible to change from good to bad and vice versa. They say bad friends corrupt good manners, and the same thing applies to living in the school hostel. For example, if your hostel mates are cultists, they can influence you to join them.

ALSO READ: HOW TO WIN STUDENT UNION (SUG) Election

7. DIRTY ENVIRONMENT.

Some of the hostels in Nigeria are bad, ranging from the toilet, bathroom, and hostel environment, which can breed bed bugs and cause infections that will cost you lots of money to treat. The toilets in the school hostel smell so bad that some students had to go to the bush to poo. With the number of students cooking simultaneously, you could imagine the heat that would be generated from the hostel. Living in the school hostel comes with lots of discomfort, and a dirty environment is one of them.

Hostel or off-campus accommodation: which one is the best?

It is up to you to decide whether to live in the school hostel or not, but I will advise you to stay off-campus because living off-campus with a roommate is far better than living in the school hostel with roommates.

ALSO READ: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT JAMB REGULARIZATION

FACTORS TO CONSIDER BEFORE STAYING OFF-CAMPUS.

Staying off-campus is the best accommodation but it also has its own challenges. If you are to stay off-campus below are the factors to consider.

1. NEARNESS TO SCHOOL.

If you are staying off-campus, make sure you get accommodations close to the school, as this will reduce your stress and also make you have access to information about what is happening on campus.

ALSO READ: How to Graduate Without Going or Resuming to School

2. FINANCIAL BUOYANCY.

As I stated earlier, the major reason why students stay at the school hostel is money. So before you get accommodation off-campus, make sure you have enough money because off-campus accommodations are costly, and you may have to spend money on transportation daily to catch up with lectures.

ALSO READ: Top 21 Polytechnics in Nigeria That Are Cheap and Affordable

3. POWER SUPPLY, TOILET, AND WATER.

Don’t rush to pay for house rent or an apartment; ensure that you check if the apartment or street you will be staying in has a steady power supply, water, and toilet. These factors are very important because you can imagine roaming the streets to fetch water and spending extra money charging your gadgets after a hectic day in school.

ALSO READ: Everything You Need to Know About Crown Polytechnic Odo, Ado-Ekiti (Odo Poly)

4. ENVIRONMENT.

The type of environment you find yourself in has an influence on your life, either positively or negatively. So, make sure you make little findings if the environment you are staying in is decent. There are some lodges off-campuses that are known to be notorious for crimes.

CHALLENGES OF LIVING OFF-CAMPUS.

Living off-campus is stressful as you spend lots of money on transportation, especially if your lodge is far from the school, and this may affect your punctuality.

ALSO READ: Here Are The TOP 25 Most Popular and Populated Polytechnics in Nigeria