Homestay Accommodation For International Students

The Pros and Cons Of Homestay Accommodation For International Students

Posted on June 18, 2016 by Audrey Brown

Homestay accommodation can be a rewarding and interesting experience considering the cultural exchange one can have while staying with strangers

In a new city arranging an accommodation can be a fight. The intensity of which increases when a student has to find an accommodation in a new city or a new country. Even before boarding a plane, choosing accommodation is one of the difficult decisions a student has to make. Homestay is definitely a better option for you, but it has its own downside also which students should consider.

Advantages of Living With A Host Family

Cost

Home stay accommodation can be cheaper as they give you a lot many facilities. At the same cost as a student might pay when living alone the host family gives you meals and laundry facility as well. A student can go for that extra shopping and can pay for transportation.

Culture Mix

To experience real cultural difference and to learn more about it, home stay accommodation is the best option. The host family will touch the daily ups and downs one has to go staying in a new country. They act like a personal tour guide and provide relevant tips to survive in a new environment.

Language Skills

A student can master the local language very well with the help of the host family. One can interact with the new people very easily. Living with the locals will force the person to communicate in their language only hence making one perfect in the local language.

A Family

Sometimes a person needs people who care enough about them and their needs. Living with the locals can be a great help in this. One can never feel homesick when living with the host family. Such families serve as a great support system and keep you close to your family

No Worries About The Household Chores

Living with a host family can be a preference for the parents as their children need not have to worry about the household chores. After coming back from a long day they do not have to do the required cleaning and washing.

Disadvantages of living in a Homestay Accommodation

Follow the Rules

Many times, a student living with the host family might be living in a hostel for a long time, which is far away from rules and regulation set by parents. Students who come abroad to study and explore the city might face problems in this section. They have to adhere to many rules set by the family. Rules can be like checking in timings, dinner timings etc. Hence this type accommodation may not be suitable for any travelers.

Lack of friends

Staying with the host family may make one feel aloof from other people in the group. It will be very challenging for such students to visit their friends staying in one corner of the town. Also, they might have to seek permission from the host family if they want to invite their friends at home.

Less Privacy

Although most of the host families try their level best to make you feel at home, but somehow the traveler may not get his or her own personal space. There will always be a feeling of guest in one’s room.

The Food

In a new city or a new country home cooked food of the host family may not satisfy one’s taste buds, as the person always misses his own country food. Although students can still make healthy fast food, even in the Host’s kitchen. Check our blog on Quick Meal For Chinese Students. Although he can always tell his preference to the family, but there is always a feeling of awkwardness staying in someone else’s home