Life in school can often be overwhelming especially as a fresher, and it becomes even
Life in school can often be overwhelming especially as a fresher, and it becomes even more challenging when you went to a school far from home and gets hooked up with accomodation issues. It is during these moments that you truly realize how valuable it is to have a place to return to after a long day of activities.
Living on-campus and off-campus both have their merits and demerits and most times these are affected grossly by your personality and what exactly you want.
For instance, someone who derives motivation to study from seeing other people reading might do well living on-campus rather than living off-campus but again, many factors such as availability of basic amenities can also affect your studying habits.
I have been fortunate enough to experience both lives before leaving the four walls of the university and personally I prefer living on-campus...
Here are my reasons:
- Closeness To The Library And Classes:
I have been living inside school hostels since my JSS1 because I attended a boarding school in secondary school, hence, going outside the school environment leaves the impression on me that I want to rest a bit. This mindset shift led to my inability to study effectively when I'm off-campus. In Secondary school, we weren't allowed to study in the hostels but rather, in classes making me to always visit the classes or other study areas but never in my room.
School hostels are just few miles away from classes and libraries which provides me with the adequate studying environment I want.
- Better Security:
Security is a crucial factor when choosing where to live as a student. Living in school hostels automatically makes the school responsible for your security, which gives you peace of mind.
- Basic Amenities:
Other basic amenities like light and water to mention but a few becomes the responsibility of the school rather than your worries as a students.
- Aid From Other Students:
Living in school hostels is like being part of a built-in community of people with like minds making it easier to socialize and make friends as well as getting assistance from your fellow students when the need arises.
However, living on-campus means sacrificing Privacy because privacy is the last thing living on-campus will offer you, worst when you've got inconsiderate roommates too.
Also, living in school hostels comes with some minor restrictions as guided by the school rules and regulations, for instance, in my school, if you're not inside the hostel before 11p.m, you literally can't enter again until it's 5:00 a.m in the morning which would not happen if you were living off-campus.
When I entered university, the school accomodations were already finished because I resumed late so I had to live off-campus.
I had a roommate who was in pharmacy then...
- Privacy Assured:
Living off-campus gives you one thing school hostels would never give you and that's privacy.
Things you kept remains where you left them even after being away for days.
However, living off-campus didn't favour me that well because:
The Distance entering inside school dressed up in white everyday was stressful, not to even talk about how hard we suffered to fetch water because Enugu state is a state still battling issues of water... Probably because of the terrain the state is located in.
Sometimes, my roommate's friend might visit when I want to read taking away the privacy it offers and you literally can't tell them not to discuss because you wants to read, that was where I developed the culture of reading with musics.
The choice of where we live as students greatly affects our student life academically and otherwise...
In conclusion, the choice between on-campus and off-campus accomodation is an important aspect of university life and, the decision depends on your personal preferences, lifestyle, and what you prioritize most in your university experience.
What matters most is finding a balance that allows you to thrive and make the most of your time as a student.
Thanks for reading and have a nice day 👍