‘Hostel’ is oftentimes one of the most dreaded words for a child or teenager to hear. Don’t believe us? Just speak the word aloud in the presence of a child or teen, their facial expressions are most likely to agree with what we just stated.
Google defines a hostel as “an establishment which provides inexpensive food and lodging for a specific group of people, such as students, workers, or travellers.” That means, a hostel constitution of a living situation, replete with beds and other infrastructural facilities. The term ‘hostel’ is mostly used to refer to residential dorms that students in a boarding school stay in. And it is the negative connotation that is often associated with boarding schools that makes ‘hostel’ a dreaded term for most kids.
However, contrary to the negative connotation that is often attached to boarding schools, boarding and hostels have emerged as great tools that have helped in shaping students into mature and responsible adults. Living in a hostel, and studying in a boarding school can be a rewarding experience- an experience filled with adventure and learning.
What makes Hostel Accommodation the Right Choice for Your Child?
As mentioned above the term ‘hostel’ is often used in close association with boarding schools. In fact, the term ‘boarding’ itself refers to “food and lodging”, thus referring to a school that provides children with meals and lodging facilities in addition to taking care of their learning requirements. Off late, boarding schools have grown to be quite popular, with several parents opting for a boarding school education for their children. And with the popularity of boarding schools, the popularity of hostels, too, has grown, as more and more people are gradually recognising the benefits of hostel accommodation for their children.
Here are a few reasons that highlight why hostel accommodation can be the best option for your kids.
- A Life of Discipline: Living in a hostel helps students in leading a life of discipline. Staying away from their families, students in a hostel are required to follow the rules set by the hostel administration. The hostel administration lays the most importance on orderliness and the right utilisation of time, as the students live through fixed schedules, doing specific stuff at specific times. Such orderliness and obedience to rules help inculcate in them the importance of a disciplined life.
- Growth to Maturity: At hostels, students are away from their families, and thus have to be responsible for all that they do. As a result, they learn to look after themselves, even in the absence of their family. They learn to manage their time, take their own decisions and even take care of their health. They have to do things on their own, things that were earlier done by their families. Children living in hostel thus grow self-reliant and are even known to mature before age.
- Conducive to Learning: One of the major reasons behind the growing popularity of boarding schools, and thus hostels, is their invigorating learning environment. Filled with students of different grades and different academic backgrounds, students often help each other out with their studies in a hostel. Further, residential schools have teachers on campus 24X7, making it easier for the students to reach out and get their doubts cleared even after the end of school hours.
- No Time Wasted: Students that live in hostels live in close proximity to their school or college. This means, that they do not have to waste time or energy travelling to and fro. As students in hostels remain under constant supervision, they are encouraged to do all sorts of activities that promote their development in different spheres. Productive sessions such as yoga, reading classes, and adventure sports are some ways in which time in hostels is beautifully utilised.
- Living New Experiences: Living in a hostel brings along a host of new experiences for students. First things first, living in a hostel, away from families, is itself a new experience, Though thrilling and anxious at first, the new experience of hostel life quickly becomes exciting and worth it. As days pass, students learn to take on challenges, all the while experiencing growth in themselves. And as each new experience passes by, students become more and more prepared to take on whatever life throws at them.
- Tight Knit Friendships: Friendships are an essential component of hostel life. Living away from home, friends are the only family that students in a hostel have. It is these friendships that help them warm up to their new hostel life. It is these friendships that help them get through tough times, to keep on grinding while empowering each other to work towards their goals. Friendships such as these last a lifetime, making tight-knit alumni a popular benefit of studying in boarding schools.
Taking a look at the reasons cited above, living in a hostel is surely a wonderful experience, something that you could call a must once in a lifetime. Sure, sometimes it can seem like a difficult decision to make. After all, no one wants to send their child far away, but when it is for the best, why not?
If you are someone who is still dicey about opting for boarding school education for your child, boarding schools in Shimla are something that you should definitely watch out for. Shimla has always been a top priority among parents when it comes to deciding on a boarding school for their children. And rightly so, as Shimla is home to some of the best boarding schools in India.
Situated in the lush greens of the beautiful city, these boarding schools are known for tier calm and serene surroundings. To add to that, most of the boarding schools in Shimla were built during the time when the British ruled over India, and these schools, to this day, bear testimony to the beautiful vintage British architecture.
So, what are you still worried about? Do not miss out on the chance of redefining your child’s educational experience! After all, your child deserves only the best!
