Iyinoluwa Adenuga, Correspondent, LASU Conscience
It’s just a pity that living a convenient life has become a luxury in this T-pain economy. One would think paying a certain amount for a comfortable and well-secured life is living the lifestyle of a baller.
I sometimes wonder if being a Lagosian is a bliss or a curse. I had always wanted a buzzing area and a place with the centre of high life. Not to mention the numerous opportunities that litter the streets of Lagos only if you can see them. There are not many states where you can find this set of bliss in just one city. Choosing a university in a commercial suburb of Lagos has ticked one of my best criteria. However, this has also made me ponder if this is not the reason for the hike in the price of accommodation.
To be fair, I would say the prices are not really exorbitant. Most of these houses are available according to your tastes and preferences. But for someone with a distinct taste like me, the prices are quite draining. The house agents are not helping matters. They seem to forget the fact that most of their clients are either new students who do not know their way around Ojo or Staylites who want to change hostels. But no matter the case, it still burns down to us being students. Imagine the agreement and commission fee being higher than the original price of the hostel. It’s pretty unfair.
It is necessary to say that most people do not like stress. Scouting for houses can be mentally draining and physically exhausting. For people with a soft life lifestyle, they would choose a less demanding path. This is where the LASU hostel comes in. Now catch this.
The LASU hostel is erected magnificently on the outskirts of campus. The hostel is a stone’s throw away from the staff quarters. Just because of how generous I am, I would like to give you a short map on how to locate it.
From LASU gate, head straight towards the main road. Take a turn to the left onto the LASU-Isheri Road. Walk straight for approximately 500 meters. Turn right onto the hostel road (opposite the LASU Staff Quarters). Walk straight for about 300 meters. Standing on the left is the school hostel. Don’t sweat too much. This clear guidance ensures that students, visitors, and newcomers can easily find their way to the hostel.
As a LASU student, I’ve heard the pleasures of the university’s hostel life. The recent updates have brought some welcome changes, but also some “interesting” challenges.
Why should the Lasu hostel be a good choice?
First and foremost, let’s give kudos to the LASU administrative board for coming up with a great and thoughtful innovation by building new hostels for both males and females. We all thought LASU was being unfair to our males for not giving them the privilege of getting a school-provided hostel. It first came off as ‘ ladies first’. Well, it has always been ladies first. The men can have their shine later.
Living a soft life is desirable, but it will also cost you much; That’s for sure. It’s just a pity that living a convenient life has become a luxury in this T-pain economy. One would think paying a certain amount for a comfortable and well-secured life is living the lifestyle of a baller. Anyway, living a baller’s lifestyle it is. The new hostel (female and male) is ₦350k per bed space for a session. While ₦150k price tag per bed space for the old hostel (female). This might make your wallet weep, but trust me, it’s worth it. You get to have constant electricity with the extra benefits of a generator when the campus is out of electricity. There is no need for candlelight reading. Hurray!
Cooking privileges: You don’t need to break a bank to feed and 2 kitchens per floor (new hostel) or 1 kitchen per floor (old hostel) because sharing is caring.
However, it is not all a bed of roses. Let’s talk about the interesting challenges.
Imagine having to trek marathon distances from the hostel to campus only to find limited access to markets, stores, and malls. It’s like being stranded in a desert, minus the camels. The only difference between you and Alice in Wonderland is that you are in Ojo, and it’s real life! And don’t even get me started on the daily check-in requirement at 8 pm – it’s like being under curfew. 8pm curfew at 20? Trust me, I’m not wayward, but this is never going to sit well with me.
But wait, there’s more! Bad hostel roommates can turn your dream space into a nightmare. Picture someone belting out their favourite tunes at 3 a.m., and you’ll understand. The hardest truth is there’s nowhere for you to turn to.
Till session do us part, soul mate.
The Verdict:
Whether you love it or hate it, you can’t deny that it is a safe space. To make them truly amazing, here’s the deal: There should be reliable shuttle services (or teleportation, anyone?) to ease the distance burden. On-campus markets or stores would be lifesavers. And, come on, LASU, we’re adults – flexibility with check-in times would be appreciated. However, this can’t be possible under the excessive use of power by our purple rangers. The prices? Let me keep quiet before you guys say poor man pikin dey talk.
In conclusion, LASU hostels are a mixed bag. While they offer fantastic amenities, some tweaks are necessary. Let’s make hostel life better. If you are a fresher who’s in need of a hostel, this is your clue to what to do.
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