Do's and Don'ts: Rooming in Hostels
Being a Good Dormmate
I've stayed in a lot of hostels now and a few times I've stayed in the dorms. And let me just say that there is a specific etiquette that is expected of you when you stay in the dorms. No I'm not about pinkies up when you sip you tea. I'm talking about noise, showers, and the thing that could spark World War III, electric plugs.Don't
Don't turn on all the lights at 4 in the morning. I don't care weather you're just getting back or have an early morning flight. Turning on every single light is going to drive everyone crazy. Instead bring a flashlight or turn on a small light.Do
Bring an eye mask. Maybe you might be a good roommate, but you're going to run into people that aren't. So come prepared with an eye mask to avoid looking like the walking dead when your drunk roommates come back at 4am. It will help keep the peace and give you more opportunities to sleep. |
| Juliette's House, Verona |
Don't
Don't spend hours in the bathroom. If it's a bathroom that only has on toilet and one shower for 8 girls, be prepared for World War III if you plan on being there a long time. If it has multiple stalls and is down the hall, you have less opportunities for conflict. So learn how to shower fast and do your makeup in your room.Do
Get to know your roommates. People stay in hostels to get to meet people and because it's cheap. So getting to know your roommates will be a great experience, but it will help improve your stay as well. Get to know them so you and them can work out when to shower and lights off and sharing plugs. Peaceful discussions tend to be easier than assumptions and fights. Getting to know them will make it easier to say "I really need to pee now, can you stop doing your makeup in there?"Don't
Don't be the loud one. There's always going to be a loud one, just make sure you're not it. Don't come in loud and wasted. Don't play your music out loud at strange hours. And don't have loud conversations with your friends at 3 in the morning. Of course if you're a really early to bed kind of person, then bring earplugs. Let people go to bed at a late hour without ripping their heads off.Do
Set your alarm clock but don't keep hitting snooze. I am guilty of being a chronic snoozer, but in hostels I make sure to get up with my alarm. Nothing's more annoying that trying to sleep in when someone's alarm clock goes off every 10 minutes. |
| View of Ponte Pietro, Verona |
Don't
Don't take up all the plugs. This problem can cause the apocalypse. Charge your electronics one at a time and don't keep them on the plug more than necessary. Every fight I've seen has been about outlets. Hell, I've even been in a private room and hear a fight over outlets from down the hall. There's never enough for everyone to have one. So TAKE TURNS!Do
Learn to share. Whether it's chairs or outlets, there's never enough. This isn't your room and there's seven others here with you, so you can't spread your stuff everywhere. Learn to share the tables and chairs, the outlets, and instead keep your stuff and in a corner.
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