Stage 2 · Lesson 5 of 7
Hostel life and roommates
A hostel or shared flat can be the best place to make friends or the loneliest, depending on how you start. In the first weeks, leave your door open when you can, eat in the common area, join floor activities, and offer small help: sharing food from home, lending a charger, explaining a route.
With roommates, agree a few basics early, such as sleep times, guests, cleaning and noise, so small irritations do not grow into resentment. You do not have to become best friends with roommates; being respectful and friendly is enough.
Common trapspending every evening on calls with home friends behind a closed door. Keep in touch with home, but give the new place some of your evenings too.
A question to check yourself and an AI practice session come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with· follow one of these
- BookPaidHow to Win Friends and Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
Dale Carnegie (Simon & Schuster) · Paid book
Old but still useful: interest in others, names, listening and appreciation
- BookPaidQuiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking (Susan Cain)
Susan Cain (Crown) · Paid book
For quieter people: connection that suits you, not the loudest person in the room
Practise
Keep handy
Struggling right now? If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line: Find a helpline (any country), Umang (Pakistan), Tele-MANAS, 14416 (India).