Your first week in a hostel or PG, day by day

The first week sets the pattern for the year: where your things go, how you share the room, and who you call when something breaks. This plan spreads the jobs out so none of them gets missed. Adjust the days to your own timetable.

Before you leave

Send the "ask before you pack" questions from your checklist to the hostel office or PG owner, and pack around the answers.
Put originals, photocopies and photographs in one folder in your hand luggage, not in the checked bag.
Write your emergency contacts on paper. Share your travel plan and the new address with family.
Pack one small bag for the first night: a bedsheet, a towel, toiletries, a charger, medicines and a change of clothes. You may arrive before the trunk is unpacked.

Day 1: arrive and check the room

Complete the check-in paperwork and keep copies of everything you sign.
Before you unpack, look over the room: lights, fan, sockets, door lock, window latches, taps and the cupboard. Photograph anything broken or damaged.
Report problems in writing, by message or e-mail, so there is a dated record. It can help when the deposit is settled later.
Meet your roommate. Agree the basics early: lights-out, alarms, guests, sharing food, cleaning and calls.

Day 2: find your way around

Locate the nearest pharmacy, clinic or hospital, ATM, grocery shop and stationery shop.
Buy the items your checklist marks "Buy after you arrive", now that you have seen the room.
Find out the mess or meal timings, and where to get drinking water.

Day 3: set your routines

Choose a laundry day and work out how laundry runs here: service, machine or bucket.
Fill in the monthly budget worksheet with real costs, now that you know them.
Set up a study or work corner where your light will not disturb anyone.

Day 4: safety

Walk the floor: find two ways out, the fire extinguisher and any alarm.
Save the warden or owner, your institution’s anti-ragging committee and the fire service. The fire-service number given in a state fire advisory is 101.
Save the National Anti-Ragging Helpline: 1800-180-5522, toll free, 24x7.
Check that your extension board is not overloaded and that nothing is charging on your bed.

Day 5: paperwork

Submit any pending documents and collect your ID card, library card or employee badge.
If you live in a PG, check that you have a signed copy of the agreement and a receipt for the deposit.

Days 6 and 7: review

Go through the checklist again. Tick off what you bought, and note what you packed but never used.
Send home anything you do not need on the next visit; space is the scarcest thing in a shared room.
Call home at a set time. If anything about the hostel or PG worries you, say so early.

Two numbers worth saving on day one

National Anti-Ragging Helpline: 1800-180-5522 (toll free, 24x7). Source: UGC home page (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.
Fire service: 101, the number given in a state fire-service advisory for homes. Source: Nagaland fire service advisory (opens in a new tab), checked 26 October 2026.

Also save your warden or PG owner, your institution’s anti-ragging contacts, and someone at home.

Next: documents to carry · room safety · packing checklists

Sources

UGC home page: anti-ragging section and "Helpline Number @UGC" (opens in a new tab). University Grants Commission (UGC). Checked 26 October 2026.
Fire safety advisory for residential buildings, posted 2 June 2026 (opens in a new tab). Directorate of Fire & Emergency Services, Nagaland (published by DIPR Nagaland). Checked 26 October 2026.