Lonely illnesses, breezy treble rides...

Learning grounds

The academic year has begun for most professional courses. Anxious parents have packed bags with anxious-yet-thrilled students (well, most of them) have ensured they have not left behind their ipods, posters of their favourite men (and women) along with the bedding roll. Arguments have ensued on the necessity of packing ‘so many’ ‘chutney pudi’, and ‘uppinakai’ in old Horlicks and Bournvita bottles with blue and brown lids (just so that it is easy to decipher, says the mother).

Daughter feels it is unnecessary while thinking of munching on roadside dry gobhi every evening, come rain or sun, but the mother is adamant for the same reason. For her, home-made stuff are almost equivivalent to the magic potion that the Gauls consume to get all the energy that turns them into superhumans.

“I think after the initial euphoria of binging on hostel food, girls will certainly long for something home-made to make the food edible,” says Sheela Ramanathan, who has admitted her daughter to a private engineering college in the city. She was relieved to notice that there were hardly any eateries near her daughter’s hostel. “In the absence of choice, it is always safe to combine something home-made with hostel food, so that food is palatable,” says Anupama Rao, who has been staying in the hostels ever since she was 14-year-old.

As a 21-year-old now, getting into a hostel to complete her graduation is a lot more relaxing phase than earlier. “We live under the strict monitoring of ayahs and warden in hostel in smaller classes. But, I am hoping that this will be a different experience,” she says.

For localite Ambika Devi, getting into a hostel was a matter of choice since both her parents work outside Mysore and she completed her graduation while staying at her relatives. “Here, I will have like minded company and group studies are a lot more fun,” she says. Recollecting her hostel friends’ words, Ambika says staying in a hostel can be a wonderful experience or a disgusting one, depending on the person that you are. Says Anitha Subbaiah, “hostel is about fun, but also loneliness till you find your own set of friends. Small fights can develop groupism and wreck your peace of mind.”

Any hostelite will have a single observation, that surviving monsoon is the most important thing in one’s hostel-life. Ask why and Nandini will tell you: “With rains come illness. And, also the responsibility of constant monitoring while you put out your clothes for drying. At home, fevers are usually tended by mother and so are the clothes.

If you survive this season, your hostel life will sure run smooth and you are bound to enjoy the treble rides you will take to gulp down some hot soup for your sore throat,” she says with a chuckle. Words of wisdom, straight from the horse’s (or, is it the mare?) mouth, literally!