What to pack, how to deal with roommates and money, and what nobody tells you about your first semester in a hostel.So you’ve found a hostel. The room is booked, the deposit is paid and your bag is half packed. Now comes the part nobody really prepares you for: actually living there.For most students in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi, it’s the first time away from home. There’s no ammi calling you for dinner, nobody checking whether you ate, and no room of your own to retreat to after a bad day.The first month is usually the hardest. Money runs out early, a roommate snores, the mess serves daal for the third time this week, and some Sunday evening you miss home more than you expected.That’s normal. Every senior in your hostel went through it. Here’s what they wish someone had told them.
1. What to Pack for Hostel (and What to Leave at Home)
Hostel cupboards are small. Most first-year students bring far too much, then take half of it back home after their first visit.What you’ll actually need:
- Documents: CNIC or B-form, photocopies, passport photos and your admission letter. The hostel needs copies for police registration.
- Bedding: your own sheet, pillow cover and a proper razai. December nights in Lahore and Islamabad get properly cold.
- An extension board with surge protection. Three people, one socket.
- A lock for your cupboard.
- A mug, plate, spoon and water bottle.
- A medicine pouch with Panadol, ORS, band-aids and any medicine you take regularly.
⚠️ Don’t buy an iron, heater or kettle until you’ve checked the house rules. Many hostels don’t allow them in rooms.
2. Your First Week
Meet the warden on day one. Save their number and ask who to call when the power goes or the Wi-Fi dies at midnight. You’ll need it sooner than you think. Explore the area. Find the nearest pharmacy, general store, ATM, photocopy shop and the dhaba that’s open at 1 a.m. (there’s always one). Try your route to campus once before classes start, at the time you’ll actually travel.Keep your family informed. Send them the hostel’s address and the warden’s number.Unpack properly. Living out of a suitcase keeps you feeling like a guest.
3. How to Get Along With Roommates
Your roommates can become your closest friends, or the reason you dread going back to your room. The difference is usually one honest conversation in the first week.Agree on the basics early: lights-off time, fan or AC, who cleans when, and whether friends can come over.Follow the unwritten rules:
- Ask before using someone’s charger or shampoo. “Bas thori si” adds up.
- Use earphones after midnight.
- Don’t leave food boxes lying around.
If something bothers you, tell the person directly, not the whole corridor. If it really isn’t working, ask the warden about a room change. It happens more often than you’d think.
4. Managing Money in a Hostel
Almost every first-year student has the same story: plenty of money in week one, nothing left by the 20th.Three habits fix most of it:
- Pay fixed costs first. Rent, mess and electricity, on the day the money arrives.
- Divide what’s left by four. That’s your weekly budget.
- Keep an emergency amount aside, and actually leave it alone.
The real budget killers are small: chai, fries, rides and midnight food delivery. Ordering in a few times a week can cost more than your whole mess bill.Pay through JazzCash, Easypaisa or your bank app so you can track spending and split bills without arguments. And don’t lend money you can’t afford to lose, even to someone who seems really nice in week two.
5. Eating Well on Mess Food
Mess food won’t taste like home. Accept that early and you’ll be happier.
- Don’t skip breakfast, even with an 8 a.m. class.
- Keep healthy snacks like fruit, dates and rusks for late study nights, instead of chips and instant noodles.
- Drink filtered or bottled water. Tap water causes many of the stomach problems new students get.
- Be careful with street food in summer and monsoon. Stick to busy stalls where you can see the food being cooked.
If the mess food is bad week after week, complain together with other residents. A warden takes ten people more seriously than one.
6. Staying Healthy
At home, someone notices when you’re sick. In a hostel, nobody knows unless you tell them, so tell your roommate or the warden.Three risks to watch out for in Pakistan:
- Dengue (late summer to early winter): use repellent, keep the window net closed, and see a doctor quickly if you get a high fever.
- Smog in Lahore (November to January): keep a mask and close the windows on bad days.
- Gas heaters: never sleep with one on in a closed room. Carbon monoxide has no smell and kills people every winter.
Find your university’s medical centre and the nearest clinic before you need them. If you’ve felt low for weeks, not just a bad day, the university counselling service is there for exactly that.
7. Studying When the Room Is Never Quiet
Someone’s always on a call, someone’s watching a match, and your bed is right there.
- Find a second study spot early: the library, a quiet common room or a café near campus.
- Prepare for load-shedding and bad Wi-Fi. Both will happen the night before a deadline. Keep a power bank charged, download readings in advance, and keep a mobile data package as backup.
- Make friends with seniors. They have past papers and know which course will wreck your GPA.
8. Keeping Yourself and Your Things Safe
Most hostels are safe, but phones, laptops and cash go missing wherever lots of people share a building.
- Lock your cupboard every time, even for five minutes.
- Don’t leave your phone charging in the common room.
- Keep very little cash in the room.
- Email yourself scans of your CNIC and admission letter.
- At night, use a ride app and share your trip with a friend.
If anything happens, from theft to someone making you feel unsafe, tell the warden. If it’s serious, call 15.
9. Dealing With Homesickness
You will feel homesick, usually in the first few weeks and again after your first trip home. It’s completely normal.Call home, but not every free hour, because that stops you from settling in. Say yes to the small things: chai on the roof, a late-night dhaba run, a cricket match in the corridor. That’s where hostel friendships start. Joining a society helps too.If it doesn’t improve after a few weeks, or affects your sleep, eating or classes, talk to someone you trust or your university’s counselling centre.
✅ Your Hostel Move-In Checklist
Screenshot this before you move in.
- ☐ CNIC or B-form, photocopies, photos and admission letter
- ☐ Bedding, razai and seasonal clothes
- ☐ Extension board, cupboard lock and power bank
- ☐ Mug, plate, spoon and water bottle
- ☐ Medicine pouch with regular medicines
- ☐ Warden met and number saved
- ☐ House rules, curfew and fines read
- ☐ Pharmacy, store, ATM and clinic located
- ☐ Route to campus tried at class time
- ☐ Ground rules agreed with roommates
- ☐ Budget planned and fixed costs paid
- ☐ Hostel address and warden’s number shared with family
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I pack for hostel?
Pack your documents with photocopies, your own bedding and a razai, an extension board, a cupboard lock, basic utensils and a medicine pouch. Check the house rules before buying appliances.How do I deal with a bad roommate?
Talk to them directly about the specific issue. If nothing changes, ask the warden about a room change.Is it normal to feel homesick in a hostel?
Yes. Most students feel it in the first few weeks. If it lasts or affects your studies, talk to your university’s counselling centre.
Find the Right Hostel With GetMeBed
Most of this gets easier when you start in the right hostel. On GetMeBed:
- ✔️ Our team reviews every hostel before students can see it.
- ✔️ Every listing says clearly whether it’s for boys, girls or mixed.
- ✔️ Free beds come from the hostel’s own records, not an old advert.
- ✔️ You can compare hostels near your university in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi and send a booking request for free. The hostel confirms it before the bed is yours.