The story is different today. Six months in the hostel has built a new boy within me. Routine morning breakfast, strict lecture hours, timely lunch in the hostel’s mess and loads of assignments, these are now my best friends. With no television to pass time with, I severely missed those live cricket matches, serials like ‘Tito satya’ and ‘Meri Basyae’. For a few initial weeks, I felt like I was a bird being caged, literally. Furthermore, with hostel outing allowed only once a week, the situation developed was easy to be compared with “A Salt in a Wound”. Nonetheless these restrictions molded a different person within me. Now, I wash my clothes. I have understood how difficult it was for my mom to wash all our dirty clothes.[break]
Now, in the hostel, the bed sheets are properly done, and all my personal paraphernalia like cell phone, watch, shoes and apparel are in their respective places. My leisure hours are well spent reading novels. Apart from these habits, I now know the real value of money. I think at least three times before spending on anything. Albeit my parents wanting to send over as much money as I want, I just think it’s awful to splurge over unnecessary stuff.
The best part of my hostel stay, I must say, is the interaction with my companions. Compatriots from various corners of Nepal as well as Indian counterparts are now inseparable part of my life. Most importantly the horizon of one’s knowledge gets shared among different pals. Difficult problems are discussed and within the group we find an easy solution. Similarly the meaning of “sharing is caring” strengthens its height to the apex level. For instance, I’m using my roommate’s laptop to write this article.
Nevertheless I always miss my parents, relatives and my country. I miss my mom when I get sick and desperately want a bowl of soup. My sister’s absence is felt the most when I think of doing something stupid. Dad’s sarcastic but valuable suggestions keep occupying my mind. Moreover the amount of respect and love I have generated for my country, after being away from it, is tremendous. Couple of months ago, Kathmandu was the most neglected city in my life but now it’s the loveliest city in the world.
Though some people strongly believe that hostel is a gateway for developing certain bad habits, it’s not completely true. The statement holds some truth since many private hostels across our country have been shut because of disciplinary actions. But in such cases, the culprit is an individual student. On the contrary, hostel life has taught me several fruitful lessons which will definitely play a vital role in my near future. I find myself more disciplined, punctual and responsible than I was.
The writer is a student at Invertis University in India.
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