The Nurturer

During the course of your study you will be living somewhere. Those from near the campus could opt to commute from home but those coming from far will need to make some arrangement on where to live-within the campus or outside the campus. Most private Universities are able to accommodate those willing within the campus though it is not always obvious.

With the government not pegging University admission on bed capacity, the number of students admitted in public Universities keep increasing each year yet the bed capacity remains more often constant. Therefore as a student you may get accommodation within the campus at some point in your study and you would be forced to get off campus accommodation at other times.

Different Universities have different policies on accommodation. For example some public Universities give priority to first years so long as during admission they have completed paying their fees for that semester. Then when they move to second year of study very few get campus accommodation, they will have to look for alternative accommodation outside the campus. Other Universities give priority to continuing students and so first years have to look for alternative accommodation outside the campus save for the special category like students living with disabilities also depending on the nature or severity of the condition.

In other Universities, it is on first come first served and so the early bird catches the worm. Others give priority to government sponsored(KUCPPS) students as opposed to private sponsored students.Various Universities may also give preference to some courses for example those taking nursing or medicine. What am telling you in short is familiarize yourself with accommodation arrangement in the University you have been admitted to. Each arrangement has pros and cons and so we will look at each.

Campus accommodation

This is where students live in University hostels at a relatively cheap fee compared to rates of hostels in the neighborhood. The hostel charges in most cases is paid alongside the fee. In most Universities you will only be given a room in the University if you have completed paying your fee for that semester. The hostel charges are inclusive of water and electricity.

Different hostels may have different rates depending on various factors among them the facilities in the room. For instance, self catering hostels might be charged more compared to non catering ones. Similarly, a room shared by four people might be cheaper than one shared by two people. It is therefore prudent to find out about the types and charges of different hostels in your University before hand so that if on arrival you are given a chance to choose you are able to make informed decision. If you are not able to get information prior to reporting, ask at the accommodation desk during admission.

On the same breath, different Universities may have different procedures but in most cases you will be informed about the room you have been allocated to on the reporting day during admission and  then you will be sent to the house keeper in your respective hostel for allocation of other items including mattress, room key, waste paper basket etc. Don’t sign for anything you have not been given because at the end of the semester or academic year depending on the University policy, you will be expected to surrender everything you signed for failure to which you are surcharged. Similarly take care of everything you have been assigned including the room wall-(some Universities discourage writing or pasting anything on the wall or drilling on the wall)and furniture-table, chairs, wardrobes etc because failure to, you will also be surcharged.

Similarly take care of everything you have been assigned including the room wall-(some Universities discourage writing or pasting anything on the wall or drilling on the wall)and furniture-table, chairs, wardrobes etc because failure to, you will also be surcharged.

Familiarize yourself with the do’s and don’ts in the room from the students handbook you were given during admission/orientation or get one from your housekeeper or the Dean of Students office and if need be seek clarification from the house keeper in your hostel NOT FELLOW STUDENTS. For example most Universities have rules on visitors whether they are outsiders or fellow students including the neighbor next door! An example is 10 am to 10 pm rule in most Universities i.e no visitors before 10am and after 10pm if caught or your roommate reports, you can be made to vacate the room with immediate effect at no refund and be blacklisted from the University accommodation for the rest of your study years. Other rules may be on noise be it from you or music from your woofer etc likely to create disturbance, stealing or being in possession of stolen items-even if someone told you to keep items for them and you had no idea they were stolen items, room parties(bashes)-get permission or guidelines on what is expected from the house keeper/Dean of Students.

You will also be sharing the room with other students from the same year or other years of study. Most Universities do room allocation long before the University opens and it is randomly done. Some rooms accommodate two people, others four and still others more than that.  They could have single beds or double deckers. Some hostels have kitchenettes or designated areas for cooking while in others no cooking is allowed. Get information from your housekeeper and choose one that suits you most.

OFF CAMPUS ACCOMMODATION

You can also choose to be a non resident and get accommodation outside the campus. In this case do thorough background check before committing yourself. Consider the following:

1. Locality-What is the place/neighborhood known for? E.g. there are many pubs and it is known for drugs peddling-then you could be vulnerable and falling into the risk or becoming a victim of those engaging in the vice.

2. Is it elf-contained or you have to access washrooms outside. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of each.

3. Security- some hostels or areas of residence are considered safer than others. Do they have a full time caretaker or a watchman, is it secured (fenced)?, are there security measures in place E.g controlling those accessing the premises especially strangers? Are your things safe if you happen to be away.

4. Cost– there is a wide range of cost, so consider how much you/family can afford. Is it payable monthly or per semester?

5. Proximity to the campus/lecture halls-do you need fare to and fro and can you afford it throughout the semester? Sometimes you need to go to the library in the evenings or sometimes lectures/exams start very early or end very late, how will you safely get back to your room? Are there other students living in the area? Is the place sparsely or densely populated?

6. Availability of amenities e.g road, water, electricity, health facility, shops /market etc

7. Accessibility-how accessible is the place in case of emergency e.g. you are sick at night.

8. Live alone or share room -consider the advantages and disadvantages- Are you lazy to cook, poor spender, vulnerable to cohabitation, assertive/timid, do you love your personal space or having people around you /entertaining people, what if you are sick at night etc. Consider all these among others before you make your final decision.