Once the admission hurdle has been successfully crossed, the nagging question on every out-station student’s mind is the thought of moving to Delhi and living away from home. The prospect of moving induces both excitement and fear in equal measures— it is up to you to ensure that one does not overwhelm the other as you make your way through the first few months of college. Here are some thoughts to keep in mind as you take this big leap forward:
1. It’s alright to agonise over it
But just for a while! If you’re nervous and anxious about moving, vent. There are several others, your seniors for instance, who have gone through similar changes and pangs of homesickness. Seek help and support. At the end of the day, you always know that your family and friends have got your back.
2. Learning to adjust
You may have had a room to yourself at home, with the liberty of watching T.V. till 3.am. In hostel, the realisation will instantly dawn upon you that these simple pleasures have been rudely wrenched away from you. Some hostels may not have ACs or heaters. You will have to adjust, sometimes with roommates who may want to go to bed at 10 p.m, while you feel like the night has just begun. Learn to adjust and compromise. At the end of the day, the very same roommates and friends are the people who will become your family away from home.
3. Keeping an open mind
When most of us entered college, we were coming from schools with a more-or-less homogenous population, with classmates from similar backgrounds as ourselves. This will certainly not be the case in Delhi University which attracts a diverse crowd. In hostel, you will meet and live with people who may be very different from you, or have varied views and opinions. Hostel provides valuable lessons in keeping an open mind and learning to accept people for who they are. You will realise that there is a great deal you can learn from the people around you.
4. The concept of ‘private’ space may cease to exist
Your friends or your room mates’ friends will walk into your room like it’s their own. Afterall, what’s yours is theirs and vice versa. If you require alone time to work, find a place where you can do so, like the library. That being said, a significant aspect of living in a hostel is helping each other out when in need. Isolating yourself is not a good idea.
5. Acknowledge all the perks that you have
The easiest way to come to terms with the fact that you are no longer living at home is to look at all the positives of living in a hostel— you’re very close to college or even within the same campus, and that gives you ample opportunity to be a part of every college activity. Societies, fests and other extra-curriculars— you can wholeheartedly engage in everything without having to worry about the travel time on the metro, or making it back home by a certain time. Moreover, when you go home during the semester breaks, you will be showered with extra love.
Tip: Try not to hoard too many things in your hostel room, particularly if you take the flight home and you have a baggage limit. When you need to pack all your things up, you will regret having bought a lot of things that you never really needed.
Living in a hostel is an enriching experience by itself, and at the end of three years you will be able to look back and congratulate yourself on having accomplished the task of living away from home. You will have learnt a great deal and done a lot of things that you have never had to do before (like washing your own clothes, or sleeping without an AC in the glorious heat of the Delhi summer— yes, that is an accomplishment). If you’re worried about the homesickness, I can assure you that in no time you will be too busy to be homesick.
Image credits: www.thebusinesscourier.co.uk
Abhinaya Harigovind
