The idea behind residential program at a college is to impart quality education and co-curricular activities to our students. The hostel system incorporates in the students the art of peaceful co-existence and belongingness for one another. Students are also expected to pick up vital lessons on responsibility, duty and discipline.
The hostel should be a home away from home. It should help in the physical, psychological and emotional development of our students. I’m sure you agree with me in the saying “Life is a big challenge”. In today’s competitive world, those who boldly face the challenges of life will have a higher chance to win. The hostel could be considered as a mini-university of life where guys from different backgrounds stay together. They learn a lot of life skills being in the hostel… self-reliance, care for others, team work, interpersonal communication, self-respect, confidence, etc.
However, you need a disciplined atmosphere in the hostel to have a smooth running of the program. When I said discipline I meant, “consistent” “enforcement” of the rules and guidelines. Otherwise, you will be facing further challenges in managing the system. It is equally important to keep the students engaged with assignments/projects, so that they are kept busy with “useful” works. Instead, if they get a lot of free-time, they are likely to get attracted and engaged in useless, time-consuming and perhaps potentially dangerous activities.
Bright students will surely find intellectual engagement with others of similar abilities and will discover that they are fortunate to be together. They would also get support “round-the-clock” from Faculty who reside in the hostel and other facilities available to them. Ideally, the match between the college and the student will be mutually beneficial, and the experience will allow him or her to grow intellectually (Head) and emotionally (Heart) as a person.
With a good system of discipline in place, and facilities available for students, I’m sure you could be successful in implementing the residential program!
