From basic dorms to fully managed hostels: The evolution of student living
Kunwar Gaurav Giri
In the world of student accommodation, the scope of change has increased drastically within the last few years compared to the previous several decades. Where once new students saw their first year of school as being placed into a four-wall era of existence with a common bathroom and a bed to sleep on in a PRIVATELY OPERATED HOSTEL, students now expect to create the same experience for themselves in their new dormitory or private residence by creating an organised environment. This allows a student’s academic growth (i.e., homework), helps classmate(s) through their coursework, prepares them for any competitive examinations, helps them socialise. Therefore, changing the format of student accommodation from basic dormitories to complete and/or full-service hostels.
A modern-day student has more to manage than just school (academically); they are also balancing their coursework by balancing their schoolwork depending upon their years, GPA, future career goals, etc., while also participating in extracurricular activities and managing an active social life.
With this amount of activity taking place within a student’s life, the location of their student accommodation becomes more than just a residence—it is also a student’s base of support for their daily living experience at college/university, as well as their home away from home (a place of personal support).
Dorms Catered to Low-Cost Housing
Historically, student dorms were designed to accommodate low-cost housing and be designed in a compact manner. This resulted in overcrowded spaces, little to no storage, and an overall lack of planning regarding the facilities. The management was informally managed, and the level of service provided to students depended on the individual in charge at the time.
As a result, students often experienced inconsistent care, uncommonly provided meals, low to no discipline, and poor conditions of sanitation. Many students accepted such experiences as a “normal” part of dormitory life.
With urban growth and education hubs such as Noida and Greater Noida being developed, there has been an increasing rate of student transportation between states to attend better schools and coaching centers. As a result of this growth, parents now have new consumer demands for improved dormitories, including increased levels of safety, stability/attractiveness, and alignment with current lifestyles.
Therefore, parents are going to be asking several questions about dormitory design/management, including, “Is there a safe dormitory to stay in? Is the dormitory clean? Are the meals prepared and served according to the standards of normal health/hygiene? Is there proper supervision? Is the environment conducive to study?
Fully-Managed Hostels Meet Students’ Needs
With this new mindset came the creation of fully managed hostels, which are much different than traditional, converted student rental units. A fully managed hostel is purposely built to meet student needs through the use of systems, staff trained specifically for working with students, and consistently providing the same type of service for every student.
A fully managed hostel does not just provide a bed for the student; it also provides the student with peace of mind. The most noticeable difference that students will see is that today’s fully managed hostel has an enormous amount of stability compared to the old-style hostels.
Due to the hostels being professionally managed, students do not have to worry about their daily living issues and can concentrate on their education. The safety of the students living in hostels has become one of the most important elements in the evolution from the old-style hostels to today’s fully managed hostels.
Historically, many hostels offered no method for monitoring who came in or out of the building, had weak access control, and/or had no rules governing the use of the premises. The care and supervision of students today is one of the main priorities of hostels so that there is a safe environment for students and activities to take place, as well as discipline to ensure that the rules and regulations of the hostel are followed. Parents pay for their kids to live in a hostel and expect their children to receive adequate supervision (care) while away from home.
Cleanliness & Hygiene
The level of student hosting today reflects the same improvements made in both hygiene standards and cleanliness as those achieved throughout the 19th century. Hostel accommodations can be smaller than a typical single room due to having too many young children per room.
If the young children who are supervised do not have appropriate hygiene practices and keep themselves clean, then they do not maintain good personal health or have the required energy to do their homework.
Managed hostels will perform many scheduled cleanings of the communal bathrooms, keg areas, and common areas (lounge areas/game areas), as well as perform several cleanings of external surfaces of the common area (e.g., rinse showers and wipe tub & sink taps with bleach) regularly to help create a clean, safe & secure environment in managed hostels. Therefore, providing cleanliness to students contributes to the overall health and well-being of every student who lives in the hostel.
Quality of Food
The quality of food is another contributing factor to the overall student living experience. Traditionally, food served in hostels was considered to be merely a basic necessity, receiving little to no attention to nutritional value, taste/texture, and consistency in preparation and delivery.
Today, as students become more and more health-conscious and parents become more concerned about the well-being of their child(ren), the delivery of food has changed significantly. The implementation of meal plans, structured and hygienic kitchen operations, and the establishment of regular feeding schedules have combined to create a positive food experience for all students living in hostels.
Providing students with quality food will result in higher energy levels for students, better immune system function, and, therefore, better academic performance.
Students’ concept of ‘comfort’ has also changed, as students want furniture that is better than what they currently have, in addition to having more organized layouts and better living conditions. The number of students attending post-secondary institutions (colleges/universities) in Noida/Greater Noida and their respective overall population continues to grow.
The college/university campuses in both Noida and Greater Noida are predominantly occupied with engineering and law students, but also with students preparing for various competitive examinations. A student conducts a variety of activities during a day (academic, social & athletic). So, it is critical for students to have a conducive environment to work and develop a consistent routine of study from day to day as well as the ability to feel secure.
A student can be distracted in an uninformed or chaotic hostel, while an informed and controlled hostel environment encourages a student’s self-esteem and encourages a student to remain successful throughout his/her educational pursuits.
The Three S – Safety, Security, Support
We believes that student housing should include such elements (safety, security, stability, and support) within each accommodation so that accommodations provide students with a home but also give a safe, comfortable environment for their parents to be assured their child will be cared for.
The transition to hostel living for students may lead to some significant changes to their daily routines and lifestyles; however, it can be made smoother by creating a more conducive environment. Therefore, taking care of yourself will help make your transition easier overall.
The student wants a place to study without interruption, sleep without concern of being disturbed, and live in a constant state of adjustment to new things. This is what the concept of fully managed student housing was designed to do.
Changes in dormitory housing have evolved from being standard single occupancy to a variety of other living options, including managed hostels. This shift comes about because the level of competition among educational institutions is increasing, demands placed upon students are becoming greater, and expectations for student accommodation continue to climb as well.
There is an expectation from students and parents alike for improved standards of living and parental assurance regarding where and how their children will live during their education years. Professionalism, comfort, and caring will define the future of student housing.
Managed hostels have transitioned from being accommodations for students to being places that help create positive experiences in developing as a result of these experiences.
Well-managed student accommodation is critical not only to the development of students during their education process but also to the overall development of the student transitioning into his/her future with increased confidence, healthiness, and strength.
Kunwar Gaurav Giri, Chairperson, Annapurna Hostel
