What does the phrase “communal living” really mean?

Well, for some it means literally what the two words suggest – living among other people. But communal living is so much more than just that.  Communal living is where individuals live together and choose to share the living space, resources, interests, ideals, and property. It is often thought of as a thing of the past as humans have lived in communities for the majority of their existence.

In a traditional hostel setup, rules are strict, often to the point of being excessively restrictive, preventing you from having a social life, or interacting with your peers. In a communal living set-up, while there are some restrictions, there is a freedom of movement, interaction – and an element of fun. As a student, you get to enjoy a rich social life, even within the walls of your accommodation – something you wouldn’t find in a traditional hostel.

In a traditional, single-room hostel set-up, you may be alone, or set-up with a roommate pre-decided by college authorities. In that case, you may enjoy the privacy of living alone, or you might even make friends with the person assigned as your roomate. This, however, comes with one downside: with no en-masse social living or co-existence in a traditional hostel, the number of people one interacts with then becomes restricted to an immediate friends/neighbors’ circle, an academic cohort, or a roommate.

In a communal living setup, all residents learn cooperation. Whereas a traditional hostel would be a more closed, isolated setup – whether alone or with roommates, communal living offers residents the chance to interact and live sustainably with a larger group of people from a similar age, background and pursuing a similar educational goal.

With the isolation that living alone in a traditional hostel can bring, living in a communal shared space, such as Tribe, also brings added benefits. With fitness, health and sports facilities available on all our campuses, Tribe also offers those in our communal living facilities the chance to interact, play sport, and engage in recreational sporting activity together, which builds mental and physical health.

In a traditional hostel set-up, you might be hard-pressed to find someone to make plans with if you want to spend some time outside of college or university. Even if it is just to find company to have a coffee off campus, the more relaxed set-up of a communal living facility means it is not that tough to find company to make plans with!

Communal eating and dining areas, which are often absent in traditional hostels or provide substandard facilities, are new, improved and better than ever at Tribe. With a wider range of freshly-cooked food to choose from, Tribe offers the chance for students from across our residences to dine together, spend more time with each other, and build valuable friendships that will last them a lifetime.