Hostel Life
Rahul moves into the college hostel for the first time and learns to live independently, sharing a room with a new roommate.
Key words and phrases
Useful sentences
- Ask What time is the hostel curfew?
- Answer The curfew is ten o'clock at night.
- Ask Where do we eat our meals?
- Answer We eat all our meals in the mess.
- Ask Are you finding it hard to adjust?
- Answer A little, but it's getting easier every day.
- Ask Do you feel homesick?
- Answer Sometimes, especially during the weekends.
- Ask How do we do our laundry here?
- Answer There's a laundry room on the ground floor.
- Ask Is the Wi-Fi fast in our room?
- Answer It's decent, though it slows down at night.
- Ask Have you paid the mess bill this month?
- Answer Yes, I paid it along with the hostel fee.
- Ask Do we need a night-out pass to visit home this weekend?
- Answer Yes, you must get it signed by the warden.
- Ask Is there space in the cupboard for my books?
- Answer Yes, the bottom shelf is empty.
- Ask Can visitors come to our room directly?
- Answer No, they must sign in at the gate first.
Dialogue
KaranHi, I think we're roommates this year. I'm Karan.
RahulHi Karan, I'm Rahul. Nice to meet you.
KaranHave you met the warden yet? He checks the curfew every night.
RahulNot yet. What time is the curfew here?
KaranIt's ten o'clock. Also, the mess is just downstairs.
RahulThanks for the help. I already feel a bit less homesick.
KaranNo problem. By the way, did you pay your mess bill and hostel fee yet?
RahulNot yet, I'll do it tomorrow. Is the Wi-Fi password the same for everyone?
KaranYes, it's written on the notice board in the common room.
RahulGreat, thanks. I'll set an alarm so I don't miss the mess timings tomorrow.
Common mistakes
- Saying "I stay with roommate" instead of "I share a room with my roommate" or "I live with my roommate."
- Writing "home sick" as two words — the standard form is one word, "homesick."
- Saying "I will do washing" instead of "I will do my laundry" (laundry is the natural word for clothes-washing here).
- Saying "There is current gone" instead of "There is a power cut" (avoid the colloquial "current gone").
- Saying "I have to give mess bill" instead of "I have to pay the mess bill" (use "pay," not "give," for bills).
- Saying "Someone came to meet in room" instead of "A visitor came to see me in my room" or "I had a visitor."
Quick quiz
1. What do you call the person in charge of a hostel?
2. Complete: "We eat all our meals in the ___."
3. What word describes missing your home and family?
4. What do you call official permission to stay outside the hostel overnight?
5. Complete: "There was a ___ in the hostel last night."
6. Where do students relax together and watch TV in a hostel?
Practise speaking and listening
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