It is a well-known fact that when a student arrives at university becomes an independent in lots sectors of life. He/she makes all the decisions about his life because either the university or his parents start treating him as an adult who knows how to manage himself and makes decisions which are fair his/her life.
Univesity is very different from high school where matrons and patrons as well as deans of discipline are in charge of students’ daily behavior concerns. Choosing place for staying while at university is one of big concerns which needs careful consideration. There are two options for each student; either staying in campus’ hostels or outside the campus in ghetto life. Both have their pros and cons, opportunities and challenges.
Kaminuza Star talk to some of the students studying at the UR-Huye Campus who stays in both places and share their experience.
Pacifique Kwizera, a year one student in Finance Department explains why he decided to be outside the campus and also emphasizes the opportunities and challenges he experiences.
“I have been living in the ghetto more than four months. For me, the ghetto’s life is fair because I have passed through more life experiences. There are many things that a person living in hostels does not think about. For example, I make my monthly budget like how I will shop, what I will buy as well as how I will pay the rent, etc.
But am happy for that as it enables me to experience more. It prepares me for future life because everything in the ghetto is in my control. Another opportunity that a person has when living in the ghetto is that he has enough freedom, unlike in a hostel where you live with many people”, He says.
He also adds that challenges are also there such as living far from campus which causes walking a long journey to the campus. Those should sometimes cause them to be late or absent in class during rainy day. They also have more domestic duties such as cooking and more.
Christian Mbirizi a year one student in Arts and Creative Industry Department stays in the campus hostels. He expresses his experience
“The first thing I liked is that water and electric power are easy to find while in the ghetto they are things that are always missing every day. In the ghetto, I saw that a person is not comfortable because he/she is in charge of many duties including paying monthly rent. Being in a hostel helps a student to study well because he does not fix for his self a meal, he stays very close to a restaurant and taking by time. He/she also has enough time to study, He says.
He adds that in terms of entertainment it is very easy to have fun with the friends through games as there are different playgrounds and events that help to relax. The best thing about living in a hostel is that you only pay forty thousand a year, and you don’t have to worry about being kicked out.
The only simple challenge is that you can’t cook what you want in the way you want or believing its cleanliness, He reacts.
Nöella Uwera, a year two student in Forestry Department says the reason why she decided to stay in campus’ hostels.
“Why I chose to stay in a hostel is to avoid stress. Let say may be a Lecturer is late to cover a lecture, in that case I do not stress my self asking when am I getting home, when am I going to cook, when am I taking a meal and when to come back to school. Whenever we get home I go to the restaurant and have time to refresh before returning back to class”, She reacts.
The University of Rwanda, Huye Campus is the bigger one among other nine of UR campuses with many students, accomodations and colleges. It has total of nine hostels for both boys and girls. They are popularly-known as Misereole, Viet, Cambodge, Nyarutarama, Titanic, Benghazi, Linda, Kiza and Vuba. They accommodate both private and government sponsored students.
By Brenda Mizero