Study Abroad Accommodations: Types and Tips for Students

Overview of Accommodation Abroad

Studying abroad opens the doors to a variety of experiences for a student. However, each adventure comes with certain lessons and memories. One such experience is living with new people from different countries and cultures. Thus, this is a major adventure that must be good. So, to have a great experience, you need to choose the ideal accommodation that will help you to feel at home in a foreign land. However, if you are unable to do this by yourself, you must seek help from the professionals in the field who are the study abroad consultants in your city. Moreover, before exploring the ways to find the appropriate one, you must be aware of the types of student accommodation available.

Types of Student Accommodation

The international student accommodation is divided into two basic categories that are:

1. On-Campus
2. Off-Campus

Let's explore them in detail to get a better understanding and decide what suits your requirements well:

On-Campus

This is the first category of accommodations available for international students. Moreover, it is considered to be one of the most advantageous than the other due to several perks. The main reason is its closeness to the university buildings. The other pointers include safety and easy access to the resources of the institute, library, classes, and more. Living here will help you to hang out on the university premises and enable you to connect with your fellow mates and professors more. Besides this, on-campus accommodations to study abroad are further divided into the following:

• Dormitories
• Hostels

Dormitories

These are the most common type of student housing in foreign countries, which is also known as dorms. Many universities offer their students accommodation on campus. These include sharing rooms or living spaces. Acquiring a place within the institute is a competitive process as it is the most preferred one by the students.

Hostels

University hostels are usually situated within or near the university campus. These are the affordable options for international students coming from India or other nations. These are owned and managed by the universities themselves and are the safest places for students. Moreover, along with the lower rent, it also saves on travel costs as it is closer to the institute. Thus, it is one of the preferred types of living spaces an international student opts for.

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Off-Campus

This is the second category of accommodations for students who decide to study abroad. If you do not want to reside within the university and want to explore the city, you can consider off-campus options. However, universities often assists its students to find a safe place to reside outside the campus. This is one of the most famous as international student accommodation option. This is due to the chance to connect with the natives of the country and explore the nation by themselves.

These are further classified into:

Private Halls of Residence

For students who prefer something between private accommodation and housing provided by the university, this is the best option. Thus, private halls of residence are owned privately and provide services tailored to students' needs. They often come with study spaces, kitchens, and communal areas. So, as an Indian student, you can consider these, as here you can feel like home and live according to your conditions. 

Private Rentals

These are the private houses that students take on rent to have the utmost flexibility and independence from others. This allows them to tailor the rules and facilities as per their requirements. However, with this freedom comes additional responsibilities as you have to arrange and manage everything by yourself.

Guesthouses or Boarding Houses

These are more smaller and intimate accommodations. These are often run by families or individuals. However, they are less formal than hotels, but provide a homely atmosphere. These are also a preferred choice for the temporary stays rather than permanent ones. 

Cooperative Housing

These are the shared student apartments, where the residents voluntarily participate to manage and keep up the daily chores together. This will also enhance the student's sense of responsibility and make them self-independent. These will ensure the students take responsibility without anyone forcing them to do the same.

Temporary Housing

Temporary housing is popularly known as short-term accommodations while students search for more permanent options. As the name suggests, these are appropriate for shorter stays for the students. Moreover, these are preferred more when a student is still finding some permanent shelter.

Apartments

There are many apartments near the university where you are studying. Here, the landlord sometimes provides full-furnished facilities to cater to the needs of students. Moreover, they are based on a lease, so students must check all the terms and conditions before choosing one. They also allow the students to have the utmost privacy, as required.

Shared Houses

This option is designed to minimise the cost of rent. This is done by sharing a room or an apartment with other students, whether local or international. Here, they will have flexibility in the agreement and the benefit of sharing the cost with their fellow mates, making living in a foreign country more affordable.

Living with Local Families

This is another type of accommodation that an Indian student can choose to live in a foreign land. This is the best way to overcome homesickness for the international students. Mostly, the food cost is included with the rent, making it more affordable. Many Indian students prefer this type of accommodations as they comes with the option of living with other Indian family and making the stay comfortable.

These are the different types of student housing options to choose from. However, to find an ideal place for living can be tricky and confusing. Thus, in this blog, we have covered the tips to ease the process for you and to ensure you do not struggle in a foreign land alone. So, hop on to the following section to explore the tricks to find the perfect accommodation.

How to Find the Best Accommodation? Effective Tips

Finding an ideal place to live is already a tough task, and when it comes to finding it in a foreign land adds to the difficulty. Thus, we have listed some effective tips to use when selecting student apartments, hostels, rentals, or more. So, the tips are as follows:

Visit the Property Once

Visiting the property you are considering to live is the foremost thing you should do. This is so because, while visiting you have a chance to closely inspect the place and figure out the drawbacks if any. Besides this, if you cannot travel to the place, then it is suggested to have a video call with the owner and inspect the place.

Know Who to Live With

Knowing with whom you are going to live is another crucial thing to explore. Thus, before considering the place, you should perceive who are your flatmates or companions. This is so because, everyone has a different habit and way of living. Thus, you must know the person beforehand to confirm whether you can adjust comfortably with them.

Explore Surrounding Area

Selecting a place to live does not only mean that the house or building must be appropriate. It also includes the surrounding area and its locality. This is to ensure that you do not have to travel far away to the grocery store or public places. Thus, you must check for these pointers before finalising student housing options.

Discuss the Expected Bills

Before renting, discuss about the bills that you have to pay. These might include electricity or water bills. Thus, you must have an idea beforehand. Besides this, if you are renting an apartment with another person, you must discuss the terms of dividing the total bill amount. Doing this will ensure you do not waste your money in the end.

Know the Travel Modes

While selecting accommodation to study abroad, you must consider the distance the place has from your university. This is to know the travelling cost you will have to spend in a month. However, choosing a place near the institute to reduce the cost is a wise decision. This will also ensure you are not wasting time and money in commuting.

Check the Security

Security is another crucial factor to keep in mind while finalising any accommodation. This is so because students are the common target of buglers and miscreants. Thus, you must check the security arrangements in the area you will be living.These are helpful tips to consider while choosing a place to live in a foreign nation. Besides this, sometimes you might struggle as a non-native and can be treated as an outsider. But, if you do not want this situation to come up, you must follow the tips in the upcoming section of the blog.

How to Adjust with the Other Persons in Same Space?

It is well known that no two people think alike, so disputes will take place. However, you cannot expect someone to act the way you want, but you can create a bond of understanding. This will help you feel like a home away from home. Thus, here are some pieces of advice to get along with your fellow students in the same accommodation smoothly.

Communicate Well

Communication is the key to building a strong bond with fellow humans. No matter what the nature or perspective of another person is, it can be in your favour if you communicate well. Thus, you must have effective communication with the person you are living with to ensure there are no clashes of opinions.

Know House Rules

Knowing the rules of the house you are living in can make it easy to adjust with the landlord and with your companions, too. When everyone adheres to the same thing, there is a lesser possibility of conflicts. Some rules might include cleaning, time limits, splitting bills, and more.

Plan Fun Activities

Indulging in fun activities lets you get along with your fellow mates. These can be games or even the gossip sessions that will surely help you to connect more with your companions. Thus, you must actively participate in such types of activities and try to bond with other as you have to live with them for longer.

Learn to Compromise

It is not possible that every time someone else is compromising, and you are not. Thus, to maintain the balance, you need to adjust at times so that both can function well without disagreeing. Therefore, to make stronger connections with your roommate, you should learn to compromise in certain situations.These are the most effective tips to ensure you do not struggle with your fellow mates. Moving ahead, perceive the crucial things to consider while finding a roof to hide under.

Important Things to Remember When Hunting an Accommodation

You cannot select any random place to spend your time in a foreign nation. Thus, you need to choose the best accommodation so that you do not face issues after moving there. Thus, in this segment, we have listed some pointers to acknowledge before finalising the student housing option for yourself.

Cleanliness

Clean environment leads to healthy living and well-being. Thus, evaluate the cleanliness of the area while you visit the accommodation. To do this, you should be attentive to focus on the overall hygiene and neatness in the nearby surroundings. This will also ensure you do not fall sick due to contaminated surroundings.

Convenience

Convenience is something that should be checked beforehand. This means the location must match your lifestyle. For example, if you are a movie lover, then you must consider having a cinema hall in the nearby areas of your accommodation. This is so because, it is something you would be doing after your studies and working hours.

Facilities

Having necessary facilities near the place you are living in is one of the essential things that one should consider. This includes access to public transport, healthcare, grocery stores, schools, and more. Without the essentials, you might have to struggle to find even the smallest thing, which can waste a lot of your time.

Safety

Feeling safe in your home is the foremost thing you should never miss. Thus, you should never compromise on the security of the area. To check this, you must look for gated societies, surveillance cameras, and watchmen in the area. Moreover, you can enquire about this from the people already living there.

Healthcare

Health is a priority. Thus, you must look for accommodation near a top-quality medical facility. Moreover, this will become crucial when you are a foreigner in a specific country, as the climate or the weather can be diverse, and adjusting can be challenging.

Negotiate

This is something that can affect your budget. Thus, you must not forget to negotiate when looking for a place to live. This is not mandatory but can be very helpful. To do this, you must speak to the owner or the person who's place you are renting.These are the things that every student must consider while they study abroad and look for accommodation options. This is so because, without evaluating them, you might face issues after shifting there. Thus, keep an eye on them prior to finalising it. Moving ahead, let's explore the cost of student accommodation in different countries to gain insight.

Leave Your Worry Behind and Choose the Perfect Accommodation.

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Country-Wise Cost of Student Accommodation

Living in several countries abroad can vary differently. Thus, students going abroad from India need to look for a change in the cost of accommodations for specific nations. So, to ease the work, we have listed the costs of the top countries in this segment of the blog. These costs are the average per-month cost of living on campus. However, these can vary depending on the change in the rules of the particular country, so check the official websites of the country before making any decision.

• USA: $3,500 per month
• Canada: $500 to $4000 per month
• UK: $1,910 per month
• Australia: $525-$871 per month
• Germany: $864 per month
• Italy: $780-$1,028 per month

If you want to learn more about cost of living in UK, the most preferred study-abroad destination, click here:What Is the Cost of Living in UK? Know from Expert

You must have heard the phrase "time is money", and as an international student, you are already short on the budget. Thus, you cannot waste your finances to pay the higher rent living in a place that is not even appropriate. So, you must ensure that you do not spend a lot of your budget on accommodation. However, this blog will help you find the ideal place to live in a foreign land without burning a hole in your pocket. Besides this, it will also guide you with the things to consider before finalising the place while you study abroad far from your nation.

FAQ’s

Can I Rent on a Student Visa?

Yes, as an international student, you get the chance of rent an apartment or anything on your student visa. However, this will only be available for the duration of your course and you have to fulfil certain requirements for the same.

How to Apply for University Dormitories as an International Student?

Generally, you need to apply for university dormitories at the university's housing office or the online portal. Moreover, you must keep an eye on the deadlines to ensure you are not delayed.

Which Is the Most Cost-Effective Accommodation Option?

On-campus accommodation options are the most affordable ones to live in a foreign land. These include dormitories and hostels that are within the campus of the university. Thus, if you do not want to spend a huge budget on the accommodation, you can choose this option.

Do I Need to Bring My Furniture while Studying Abroad?

This will depend on the accommodation you are considering. Some apartments or houses provide fully furnished areas, while others might require you to bring your own furniture. Therefore, check with the place you are considering beforehand.

Can I Change My Initial Accommodation If Not Satisfied?

This totally depends on the agreement you have made with the owner or the concerned person beforehand. Thus, if the agreement allows you to leave the place without any restriction, you can do so or vice versa.