Surprises are sometimes exciting, mind blowing and emotional moments. Like surprise birthday parties or that moment when your fiancé kneels down with all humility and takes out the
ring!!!!!! Nevertheless they could also be the other way round, disappointing and shocking.
We’ve had surprises at different stages of our lives. I’ve also had my own experiences.
I was a first year student in the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and I had enjoyed the fun that came along with being a fresher. I mean making new friends, enjoying
every hall week, digging our heads into books and lecture notes and partying late nights. Now, first year had finally come to an end and we could no longer stay in the traditional halls as a result of a policy structured by the University; The In, Out, Out, Out policy. This meant that after your first year in University you need to move out of the traditional halls. We all had to search for hostels. It was a frustrating period because, it was a new thing to us and we didn’t really know the hostel market that well. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, I
finally found a hostel that was just right for me. The next academic year came in and I had just moved into my new hostel. The hostel was very beautiful and my room was just right because it was spacious, clean and had all the fittings in place and in good condition.
Everything was just right till a month later when I experienced a long interruption in power supply which I couldn’t seem to understand. My prepaid was supposed to take me through the whole semester per the information given to me by the management team but it had been only a month since I moved there. My neighbors also had power. Later on, I found out that the prepaid got finished so early because, I was sharing my prepaid meter with the opposite room which was occupied by 4 people. I had no prior notice of this when I paid my hostel fees and felt it was very unprofessional and wrong on the part of the hostel management. The power outage was succeeded by other problems like long periods of water
shortage and theft cases. These experiences have inspired this write-up.
If you’re a student reading this, do yourself some good by reading it to the end. A number of solutions to some very common problems students face after making payments for hostel accommodation have been put together.
This write-up is dedicated to all of you, our cherished readers who have supported Saasepedia in diverse ways. Special thanks to:
Elorm Sekey, Kwaku Appiah-Adu , Nicholas Kitsi, Mubarak Abubakari, Daniel Ofosu Dwamena, Lawrencia Kessie, Abigail Aryee- Atta , Claudia Hihetah, Makeeda Gabriel, Angela
Akorfa Modzabi, Elliot, Dennis Owusu-Nimoh, Esther Fosuah Agyei, Gifty Mintah, Julia Aryee-Atta, Faustina Deenu, Ephraim Ahiagba, John Pabi, Aku Sackey and Linda Okine
You have no idea, how much you inspire us!
“The Various Surprises Students Meet after Making Payments for Hostel Accommodation ”
Some of these surprises can be very frustrating and as such, you may want to take measures to avoid such surprises. Here are a few of them:
1. Never make a payment for what you have not seen
Hostel owners or managers like any other seller would want to maximize profit. They would say anything to get you to pay for the room you haven’t seen. Make sure you go with the hostel manager to inspect whatever you are paying for before making any financial commitment. And even when you have seen the place, it is not advisable to make full payment before occupation, till you are very sure you would be able to get a refund of money paid in case the hostel owner or manager fails to fulfill his part of the contract
2. Do Your Own Background Checks to Be Sure of the Services Provided By The Hostel
Apart from what you would see or hear the hostel owner or manager tell you about services provided by the hostel, do your own background checks by asking other students who are already occupying such hostels to be sure if such services are actually being provided and how efficient such services are. You may want to take a stroll through such hostels or visit such hostels to see for yourself, what services are actually being provided.
3. Read the Terms and Conditions Guiding Your Stay in Such Hostels
Some hostels have their terms and conditions of occupation documented. In such instances, make sure you read them carefully and ask for clarifications from the hostel’s management when you do not understand any of their clauses.
4. Start Searching for Your Hostel Accommodation Far Ahead of Time
Avoid last minute search for hostels. This has led so many students into settling for hostels with poor conditions because they are in urgent need of hostel accommodation.
5. Try As Much As Possible To Be Involved In The Hostel Search Yourself
Avoid middleman transactions as much as possible in your search for hostel accommodation. Do this to avoid third hand information. If you should involve anybody at all, ensure that the person
involved is a very well trusted person.
6. Consider Your Comfort and Convenience When Considering Options for Your Hostel Accommodation
You may want to consider hostels with good security, not too far from school, serene environment for learning. Good water and electricity connection. Study rooms, enough privacy, among others.
Aside these, always have this in mind:
“No one is perfect — that’s why pencils have erasers”. Not every hostel is perfect but we can get something close to perfection.
