u/Logical-Situation268

i’ve almost completed my first year at srm and since a lot of girls keep asking about hostels, here’s everything in proper detail. this is not exaggerated, just actual day to day experience so you know what you’re coming into.

⸻

Freedom and Movement Inside Hostels

•	all girls’ hostels except meenakshi and m block share a common ground

this ground is basically the only place where you feel a little normal and relaxed

you can sit there, walk around, talk to friends and just exist without constant restriction

•	in these common hostels, you are allowed to wear shorts in that ground area

but that freedom is limited strictly to inside that boundary only

the moment you step outside towards gate or roads, rules apply again

•	meenakshi and m block are stricter compared to others

even this small freedom of wearing shorts in common areas is not allowed there

overall environment feels more controlled in these blocks

•	outside hostel premises, clothing is monitored properly

you cannot wear shorts or anything they consider even slightly revealing

even normal outfits can get questioned depending on the situation

⸻

Attendance and In-Time System

•	attendance is compulsory every single day without exception

the timing is strictly between 6:30 pm to 6:59 pm

if you miss this window, it becomes a problem

•	attendance is done through biometric face scan

you have to physically go and stand in line to scan your face

it’s not something you can skip or manage remotely

•	in-time is 7 pm and it is taken very seriously

once it hits 7 pm, you are expected to be inside hostel

after that, stepping out is not allowed at all

•	you cannot give reasons like meeting someone or going out briefly

even things like going out with your brother are not accepted

only proper hometown leave works as an exception

•	in the initial days, attendance is taken manually in a register

this is until your face gets registered in the system

after that, biometric becomes permanent

•	once biometric starts, there is no way to fake attendance

no proxy system or workaround works here

you have to be physically present every day

•	if you miss biometric attendance, they react immediately

you’ll start getting repeated calls from hostel side

if you don’t pick up, they call your roommate

•	if your roommate also doesn’t respond, they come to your room

they will physically check and ask you to give attendance

if you’re not in your room and not answering calls, it can be reported to senior warden

⸻

Outing Permissions (Actual Reality)

•	you cannot go out casually whenever you want

every outing feels like asking for approval instead of informing

even small plans require a process

•	you have to go to the warden and explain your reason clearly

she will judge if your reason and timing sound valid

sometimes even genuine reasons get questioned

•	if she agrees, she will ask you to video call your parents

this happens right in front of her at the desk

you have to explain again while she listens

•	after that, you fill details in the outing pass portal

only after completing this full process you are allowed to go

nothing is instant or quick

•	some wardens save your parents’ phone numbers

this means you cannot use fake numbers later

they can directly verify if needed

•	even if your parents give full permission, the warden still has final say

she can deny the outing based on her judgement

this happens more often than you expect

•	on certain days like elections, outings are completely restricted

no one is allowed to leave regardless of reason

parental permission also doesn’t matter in such cases

•	even if you are sick and need to go to hospital, you have to inform warden first

they usually call an ambulance for you

but you won’t go alone

•	one of the wardens will accompany you to the hospital

and bring you back to hostel

so even medical outings are supervised and controlled

⸻

Festival Restrictions

•	festivals are not fully free as you might expect

they are allowed only in fixed and limited time slots

you have to strictly follow those timings

•	for example, diwali was allowed only for about one hour

the timing was something like 7 to 8 pm only

after that everyone had to return

•	holi was also limited to a fixed slot

around 10 am to 1 pm and then you must come back

no flexibility beyond that

•	even if your parents allow you to stay out longer

hostel rules override that completely

you have to follow hostel timing only

⸻

Food Delivery, Shops and Parcels

•	ordering from zomato or blinkit is not straightforward

you need to take permission in the form of an outing slip

without that, you cannot go collect your order

•	night deliveries are usually not allowed

even if the app allows it, hostel rules don’t

so you have to plan accordingly

•	even during evenings or weekends, requests can be denied

it depends on the warden and the situation

there is no guaranteed approval

•	for amazon or courier deliveries, location is fixed

parcels come to shiva temple area inside campus

not directly to your hostel

•	you have to submit your id card at the hostel gate

then go collect your parcel and come back

only after returning you get your id back

•	in common hostel area, there are small shops

but hygiene is questionable

one incident included a crow eating raw chicken from a store

•	meenakshi hostel does not have shops inside

m block has multiple shops

•	when i say “better” for m block, it just means relatively more options and slightly more convenience

not that it’s actually good or hygienic

overall hostel shop conditions are still not great

⸻

Cafes and Going Out

•	when you first arrive, going to cafes is not allowed

initial months are more strict to control movement

so don’t expect freedom at the start

•	after some time, they may allow going out

but this also requires parent video call approval

it’s not fully independent

•	even after all this, permission is not guaranteed

sometimes wardens deny without clear reason

it depends a lot on their mood and judgement

•	overall, spontaneous plans don’t really work here

everything has to be planned and approved

you don’t get that casual outing freedom

⸻

Hostel Hygiene and Living Conditions

•	overall hygiene is not very good in hostels

you will notice issues after a few days itself

it’s not maintained at a high standard

•	you will commonly see lizards, rats and even bats

this becomes normal over time

•	crows drinking water from water coolers is something people have seen

birds around food areas are also common

which raises hygiene concerns

•	water quality is not consistent every day

some days it feels clean, some days it doesn’t

you will notice the difference

⸻

Common Washroom Struggles

•	if you get a common washroom, daily life becomes more difficult

you are sharing it with many people

so cleanliness is not in your control

•	toilets are often not flushed properly

floors remain wet and messy most of the time

basic hygiene depends on others using it

•	used sanitary products are sometimes not disposed properly

which makes the environment uncomfortable

smell can also become an issue

•	mornings are the most stressful time

everyone is rushing for classes

you have to wait in line even if you’re getting late

•	sometimes you go inside and come back

because it’s not usable at that moment

this affects your routine badly

•	cleaning does happen but it doesn’t stay clean

within a short time, it gets messy again

so you constantly deal with inconsistency

•	privacy is very limited

people keep knocking and rushing you

you never feel fully comfortable

⸻

Mess Food Reality

•	in the beginning, food is decent and feels manageable

they serve proper meals and even biryani

so first impression feels okay

•	after a few days, quality drops noticeably

taste becomes repetitive and less enjoyable

you start losing interest in mess food

•	there have been issues like hair in food

sometimes even insects like cockroaches

which makes it worse

•	overall, many people start avoiding mess food

and try to rely on outside options when possible

but that again depends on permissions

⸻

Room Rules, Language Issues and Privacy

•	you don’t have complete control over your room

rules still apply even inside

•	some wardens do not allow staying in friends’ rooms

even small things like group sitting can be restricted

depends on who is in charge

•	wardens can enter your room anytime

there is no fixed notice or timing

it can happen randomly

•	they can also check your belongings

there have been cases where bags were checked

you cannot refuse this

•	communication can be a problem sometimes

if you know local language, it becomes easier to explain

otherwise it gets frustrating

•	many wardens are not fluent in english

so in urgent situations, explaining things properly becomes harder

•	favouritism also exists

some students get permissions easily

others have to struggle for basic approvals

⸻

Final Thoughts

•	freedom is there but very limited and controlled

you cannot move freely like typical college life

•	a lot depends on your hostel block and warden

experience can vary slightly but core rules stay same

•	you do get used to it over time

but initial adjustment can feel frustrating

•	if you know all this beforehand, you’ll adjust better

otherwise it can feel overwhelming at first