By on June 26th, 2015
Never Too Soon to Arrange Housing
No matter where you are in your studies (just beginning, half way through, nearing the end), if you are looking for some time spent studying in the U.S., it is a matter of “the sooner the better”. Not that you have to get to America and study today, there is never a rush about that. Instead, what we mean is that it is never too soon to arrange housing and make some firm decisions about where you are going and how you intend to spend your time.
Which schools are you considering? Which geographic locations? These are substantial issues because of the costs of the schools and the prices for housing. You might also find it very difficult to get reasonable housing in some areas, while other parts of the country have long-standing arrangements for premium student accommodations.
The Many Choices
As an example, you might have decided that you want to attend the New York Film Academy’s film program. You picture yourself living in New York City, but then you realize that it also has a program in Southern California. Now, you have to choose which coast and which city best suits your ideal. You need to ask yourself about the program, but also consider whether or not the type of housing you desire is going to be readily available.
Because you hope to someday work in the film industry, you decide that California is a wiser option. That’s great, but now where to live? On campus? In a rental apartment? With some friends of some friends? In a homestay? If you know the city and you do the research to see where your campus is located, you might find that you are not happy with the setting. It might be that dorms are not your preferred way of life or that you just don’t want the crowding with a lot of strangers. This makes dorm living less appealing, but then it can mean finding an apartment, furnishing it, arranging for utilities, and more.
This can be even less appealing since you’ll have to also find a roommate or rely on some less trustworthy tools like online searches and good, old-fashioned luck. Naturally, you don’t want to travel around the world only to be miserable because of a lousy housing situation. This is why we suggested that “sooner the better” approach, and why we’ll go a bit farther and recommend a homestay.
If you’re living in a family home setting, shouldn’t you just live with friends of friends? Unless they are near to your campus, even if they have a spare bedroom, it could interfere with your overall experience.
Though public transportation could make it possible, you might miss out on a lot of the campus culture and activities. This is why a homestay is likely to be the ideal, and when you choose USH (Universal Student Housing) you can get very specific about your preferred living arrangements. You also get some very basic guarantees.
What to Expect
You can choose whether or not to have pets in the home. Sometimes you may even find it possible to choose a family of the same ethnicity depending on availability. This can cut down on homesickness while it also lets you get fully immersed in English, but in a more familiar way. Naturally, you can choose the opposite and request to be fully immersed in American culture to enhance your experience of a foreign land! And you can make all of your plans easily and quickly using the online process.
So, if you think that some time spent studying in the U.S. is in your future, start to plan today. Organizations such as USH offer optimal matching services to help you find your ideal housing just when you need it.