Te Impact of Hostel Life on Personality Attributes of Young Adults: Case Study of a Public Sector University Samina Rafique 1 * and Waseem M 2 1 Chief Medical Officer, Pakistan 2 Nishtar Medical University, Pakistan Introduction Student’s life in universities is a transitional period from adolescence to adulthood after which individuals normally settle into their adult roles. It is a turbulent stage of evolution which involves noteworthy changes in the personality and behavior of the students. Personality attributes/traits may be described as temperament and propensity to think, feel and act. Studies suggest that genetics and environmental influences work together to endorse personality development during transition to adulthood [1,2]. Family environment has a significant effect on the personality traits leading to modifications in behavior and adjustments through the course of life [3]. However, for the pursuit of higher education many people have to depart from their homes and have to stay away in hostels where environment is entirely different to that in the home. In Pakistan the word “Hostel” refers to student accommodations, which are usually provided by the educational institutions under the supervision of university/college staff. It has been observed that distinct atmosphere of hostels can influence individual’s behavior and life style pattern [4]. Hostels can be described as “a practical human laboratory “that shapes, sharpens and refines the individual’s personality and conduct [4]. The environment of hostels can be more favorable for study and is self-governing [5]. Hostels allow social interaction because residents have to share rooms and communal areas such as lounges, kitchen, dining hall and internet café etc. Thus, residents learn new experiences of life with their fellow mates and get trained for teamwork, through helping, caring, sharing, and developing sense of responsibility. All these factors can influence the shaping of personality [6]. Moreover, the residents have to abide by certain rules which make them more disciplined and punctual. According to a Crimson Publishers Wings to the Research Research Article *Corresponding author: Samina Rafique, Chief Medical Officer, Pakistan Submission: March 17, 2021 Published: March 23, 2021 Volume 4 - Issue 4 How to cite this article: Samina Rafique1, Waseem M. The Impact of Hostel Life on Personality Attributes of Young Adults: Case Study of a Public Sector University. Psychol Psychother Res Stud. 4(4). PPRS. 000595 2021. DOI: 10.31031/PPRS.2021.04.000595 Copyright@ Samina Rafique, This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited. ISSN: 2639-0612 1 Psychol Psychother Res Stud Abstract Background: During transitional period from adolescent to adulthood significant changes occur in the personality and behavior of the individual which are determined mainly by genetics but transaction with social environment also plays a role. Hence adolescents living away from family in hostels of higher edu- cational institutes may get influenced by the environment there in. This study investigated the perception of female students about the environment of hostels and its impact on personality development. Methods: A cross sectional survey was carried out in a public sector university through a questionnaire. The responses about the various effects of hostel life were measured on a 5-point likert scale. Two groups of the study participants were then created according to age and results were dichotomized for statistical analysis. Chi-square test was applied for comparison among the two study groups. Results: The results showed that from amongst the various factors enlisted in the questionnaire, man- agement skills were most agreed characteristic (92%) achieved by residing in hostel. Similarly, expense management, emotional stability and public dealing were agreed upon by 86%, 85% and 86% respective- ly. While 199 out of 272 respondents confessed to gain confidence and 230 hostel residents realized that they became more groomed. The results were significant at p<.0001 for all study variables between two groups of respondents. A few undesirable aspects of hostel life were also identified yet a great majority of the girls were not hesitant in recommending hostel residence to other scholars. Conclusion: Hostel residence besides providing opportunity for higher education to the students of dis- tant towns can modify the behavior and personality of the residents in a positive manner. Keywords: Hostel life; Behavior modification; Personality development