The hardest decision to make when traveling to a new place is whether or not to stay in a PG or a hostel. After all, your PG or hostel is where you’ll be spending the majority of your time in the upcoming months or years, not just a location for you to put your belongings. The surroundings should allow you to fully concentrate on your work and the location should reflect your personality. In order to decide between a private room and a hostel, decide if you would rather live alone or with four other people. Do you have to pay per month for data packs, or does your rent cover it?
What Are PGs and What Are Their Benefits?
A paying guest is a place where students or employees come to stay on rent from a distant place for their convenience. When you pay your PG uncle or aunty rent, they give you a place to stay as well as necessities like Wi-Fi and air conditioning (and even regular meals).
Advantages
- Prices for PGs typically depend on whether you choose a single, double, or triple sharing room.
- An excellent PG has a lot of amenities. The landlord offers simple services like food and Wi-Fi.
- Because there aren’t too many people in a room and there is ample personal space, the PG setting is perfect for college students to focus on since they typically have numerous examinations and assignments to present every week.
- The fact that most of them are owned and run by families, gives them a homey feel. You won’t need to contact your mother all the time and you won’t miss home as much.
Disadvantages
- Although only the most fundamental amenities are offered, electricity bills might or might not be covered. And they can occasionally be extremely expensive, especially during the summer when you spend hours relaxing in the air conditioning. So check with the PG owner before you finalize anything.
- A lease that is at least 11 months long must be signed. You won’t be getting your security deposit returned if you check out early.
- The owner has the final say in all decisions involving the PG. A word of caution: this could also go wrong and cause problems.
What Are Hostels and What Are Their Benefits?
Thanks to Bollywood, living in a dorm is undoubtedly the most romanticized aspect of college life. However, not everything is as exciting as the movies make it seem, and hostels have just as many drawbacks as advantages.
Advantages
- The most economical option for housing, especially for those who cannot afford to spend a lot on things like rent and utilities.
- There is a sense of community because many students live in the same area. Consequently, you won’t miss your hometown buddies as much.
- The mess area in most hostels offers three meals per day.
- Avoid dealing with landlords or apartment brokers as well as paying extra for brokerage, electricity, or security deposits.
Disadvantages
- Although govt hostels have lower annual fees than PGs and rented apartments, the deposit must be paid all at once.
- The commotion and lack of personal space that comes with having so many other individuals share a location. Consider studying for a test while your roommate is playing loud rap music from his speaker.
- An unclean setting! Not only do you have to share a room with your buddies, but also with bugs and cockroaches. Or far worse—big, filthy rats.