Depending on where you’re going, you may have several options for housing abroad. The big three are homestay, dorm, and flat (apartment). All are great options, but each definitely has its own pros and cons. This will be your home for the 3+ months you’re away, so it’s all about figuring out what’s right for you.
Homestay
A homestay can be a cheaper than staying in a university dorm or renting an apartment in your city or village. You’ll likely be provided at least 1 meal per day by your host family, and since you’re in a real live home, you’ll be walking into a fully furnished place. You’ll instantly have a connection with locals, and by becoming part of this family, you’ll be immersed in their language, traditions, and daily routines. No text or guidebook could ever teach you this. However, depending on how you look at it, these things could be hindering to your experience. You won’t be living with other college students, to start. You may not like the food prepared, but will be expected to eat it. Communicating in another language could be very difficult, especially in your first few weeks abroad. You’ll probably be expected to abide by the family’s rules, so they may not appreciate you inviting a bunch of friends over or stumbling in at 3am. You also could find yourself pretty far from campus.
Even if a homestay doesn’t sound like a good fit for you for an entire semester or academic year, there are tons of organizations that offer homestays over weekends or holidays. Your international office may even organize it for you.
Dorm
Ah, dorm life. As well all know, it can be so great, but at the same time a total pain. By living in a dorm you’ll be surrounded by other students, be it first-year home country students or other internationals, and will likely be on or very close to campus. This could mean an instant social network, with more freedom to come and go as you please than you would find in a homestay. But, just like in the dorms at home, privacy can be hard to come by, and you could have a warden or tutor (like an RA) keeping an eye on you. If you have a meal plan option, prepare yourself for this to be very different from what we have at home. Especially at UMass, we are extremely lucky in all the options we have and the quality of our food. Many cafeteria settings abroad will only serve a main meal with one alternative option, and are only served during specific time frames. So if you don’t like the food or can’t fit your schedule with the serving times, you may find yourself out of luck. If your dorm has a kitchen or suite-style setup, you can buy your own food. While you’ll have control over what you eat, grocery shopping can be kind of annoying. And of course, you’ll actually have to think about what you want for dinner ahead of time, versus looking at the clock and thinking “I’m hungry!” and walking to the nearest DC.
Flat/Apartment
This may be the most independent living setting while abroad. You may be placed in a university owned flat or in one that is privately owned. While some of these are very close to campus, others could be over a mile away. You might be placed with locals, but will likely be placed with other internationals, especially if you’re only staying for one semester. This is a great opportunity to be exposed to a variety of cultures and that also opens doors to a world of similarities and differences that you might not know about (I’m the only American in my flat in the UK – I swear my roommates think I’m the strangest person ever!). Your apartment may be furnished, but you could be expected to purchase your own bedding, pots, pans, plates, silverware, etc. Most rooms are not shared, so in the case that you don’t really click with your housemates, you can still do your own thing. However, just like at home, student apartments generally aren’t 5-star accommodation, so be prepared for lots of emails and phone calls to the accommodation office trying to get things fixed.
Whatever you do, make the most of it! You’re going to meet people from all ends of the earth. The people you live with might become your best friends, second family, future husband/wife, etc. But even if they don’t, you’ll learn so much, both about yourself and this huge world we live in. Good luck, Collegiettes!