In a country where approximately 60% of the total population is constituted by individuals less than 25 years of age, it won‚Äôt be erroneous to assert that we are a country brimming with students. Every school-going kid sets sights upon a particular college or University to get into and much often, these do not lie close to his/her place.That‚Äôs where hostels¬†and Paying Guest Accommodations (PGAs) come to the young dreamers’ rescue and when we know that the new session is just about to commence, a horde of young aspirants would sure like to get the answer to the million dollar question-which one would be a better choice-Hostel or a PG?
With different lifestyles and customs to offer, both of these come with varying sets of pros and cons.
1. Stringency v/s leniency
We aren’t on unfamiliar terms with the strict norms and code that hostellers are supposed to abide by but what’s the fun in doing what you’re authorized to do? The students staying as PGs have much more freedom on this front. For instance, PGA residents can leave for their hometowns as and when they wish to, without undergoing the innumerable formalities that badger the hell out of hostellers.
2. The dreadful deadlines
Many PGAs also come up with deadlines or the maximum time till which one can remain outside but let’s not even talk about the amount of attention that is paid to ensure its execution. On the contrary, hostellers have to give their attendance that is meant to serve as testimony of their presence inside the Lakshman-Rekha.
3. The not-so-friendly food
The first priority of every student on the lookout for a PGA is quality food but not all the PGAs can provide a hygienic diet. This ensues in a drastic alteration in the eating habits of the residents who resort to ordering food from outside much often. Please note that the intent here is not to establish in any way that the hostellers can rightfully boast about being presented with a lip-smacking, finger-licking menu but at least you can count on the hostels in terms of hygiene.
4. Your auto, my foot!
Okay, apologies for the absurd pun there but on a serious note, when the PGA residents expend numbers to reach their respective colleges and coming back later, hostellers ostensibly consider their way to college a walking plaza. Getting up early for the class is such an excruciatingly painful task but that sentiment can never ever, ever be understood by those lucky hostellers.
5. The role of the ambiance
The hostel of a college means all the students are from the same college and that implies hostellers get to stay with their classmates and also, seniors of the same course. These two factors, if used dexterously and resourcefully, can provide huge academic capital. But history screams that classmates can collectively make some decisions, bad decisions which are called ‘combined-study plans’ in common language. And we’ve all tasted the fruit of such decisions. Need we say more?
6. My hostel, my Parliament
It doesn’t require much wit to comprehend the level of competition that would be there in an environment where all students are from the same college. The politics that is played in a hostel is not something we aren’t acquainted to. On the other hand, the PGA residents aren’t much amused by the happenings taking place in each other’s lives.
So if you‚Äôre one of those students tussling to make the right decision as to which, out of hostel and PGA, would be more becoming for you, we would just like to say that there‚Äôs no need to be so thankful. We’ve even larger hearts.
