Hostel Life vs Flat Life:

Should you invest in Hostels before you go to Pune?

The eternal struggle between freedom and comfort doesn't get more real than this. The ultimate question that perseveres through generations of Symbi students is if they should choose to live in a hostel or flat.

While most students do end up choosing the hostels, dissatisfaction and longing to have more freedom haunts them relentlessly. But then, there are two kinds of freedoms: freedom from and freedom to. And hostels and flats boast of only one of these two kinds of freedoms.

With endless pros and cons for both types of lodgings, identifying what is the pick for you can be daunting. As freshers you want to do everything right but don't really know much about the college. That is where we come in!

Here is a complete list of features of both Hostel life and Flat life. Read on to find out what will fit your lifestyle best.

Hostel Life: The Fettered Comfort Dome

1. Restrictions on Entry

You have to be back by 10 PM, but that is hardly a challenge right? Wrong. Symbi life comes with late night parties, icebreakers and even meetings. While you can choose to not attend any of these, you might be the kind of person who greatly enjoys them.

If you are an outgoing person who always has FOMO, the entry restrictions may annoy you. Yes there are ways you can draw circles around these rules and live anyway. But having to send that late night email or faking your parent's account is stressful. Living in a flat is definitely more freeing.

2. Food

Not good. But often not bad either. If you are living in Symbiosis hostels, food isn't that bad. Also, you can take as much as you want. They also cook you nice snacks sometimes and chicken is abundant throughout the week.

Sunday breakfasts are honestly something you look forward to. Despite all of this, people often end up eating out or ordering most of their meals. Essentially, you pay for every meal you eat out twice.

If you calculate and break down your mess fees day-wise, you will realise that buying groceries and cooking or getting a lunch service might be cheaper if you chose to live in a flat.

But the convenience that comes with always available cooked food, also healthy food is something you don't get easily outside.

3. Festivals

If you are one of the selectively social ones, you might not make plans for festivals and holidays. However, Symbiosis hostels do that for you. And not just Symbiosis hostels, most private lodgings always have a few people who are up to something during holidays. You don't feel lonely. Last year, the girls hostels in Symbiosis celebrated New Year, Janmashtami and Christmas (they took the girls to the Church at midnight) along with a few other events in the hostel. And if we are to believe any of our hosteller friends, they were pretty awesome.

4. Community

Those carrom boards, table tennis and pool tables are surely a fun way to foster sister/brotherhood between fellow hostellers. No matter what, you always have a support system around you. Even if you don't know most of your neighbours in the hostel, they are always willing to help.

5. Security

Perhaps the most attractive feature of the hostels, especially to parents, is its security. This doesn't just include the security guards at every entrance, but also an assurance of help during medical troubles. Especially Symbi hostels take security of the students very seriously, hence the curfews.

Flat Life: The Free Forest of Hardships

1. Freedom

Have we not mentioned this already? Having your own place makes you a magnet. You attract all the fun to your private lodgings with minimal restrictions. You can have friends over (of any gender), throw parties and come and go whenever you please.

These liberties are extremely sought after. But every star casts a shadow. Having your own place means that you might be encouraged to host parties, icebreakers at your place. While in theory it sounds fun, having to clean up the mess of co-Symbians is a nightmare.

2. Responsibility

Electricity bill, house help's salary, grocery shopping, petty purchases, maintenance costs, transportation costs yada yada yada. When living on your own, you have to manage everything yourself. Your vigilance level should be as high as your parent's (we know, scary right?).

That being said, you also end up learning a lot about domestic management which only helps you in the future.

3. Finances

It depends on the kind of lodgings you prefer to determine whether you will be spending more or less on the hostels. However, if you choose to have two or three people in a standard two bedroom apartment, the spendings come out to be about the same. All the costs included. But unlike the hostels, in flats you only pay for the meals you eat.

4. Evil Roommates

Okay you might find your soulmate in the first month of college. But like, they are NOT your soulmate and ten bucks say that you will have a fight within a week of living together.

Conflict between flatmates is scary and you have to live with the person for a very long time. Unlike in the hostels, where room relocation is quite convenient, in flats you sign agreements that last for months. We know of many people who get stuck with uncooperative roommates. And nothing wrecks a friendship like living together.

But if you can afford separate rooms, this risk is minimalized. And also this is a gross generalization. We also know of people who lived together for three years and still somehow love each other. They are scanty, but they are there. All in all, if lifestyle flexibility is one of your strengths, then it can be wise to take a chance.

There you go! Hopefully we told you most of what you need to know before making your decision.

See you in college :)