If you plan on studying overseas, you have a number of options for how to do so. In fact, it may seem like there are too many options, making the decision much harder. But depending on the experience you want to have and the resources you have available, we can narrow down your choices to one or two good options. Let’s take a look at how to choose housing for your overseas study trip.

What Kind of Experience Do You Want to Have?

If you will be overseas for 3-6 months, start by asking yourself a few very important questions. These will help you determine what type of experience you want to have:

• Do you know anyone on this trip? Are any friends going as well?
• How intensive will your study be? Do you plan on getting a job?
• What are your non-academic goals for this trip?

If you plan on a purely academic trip with intensive classes and little time for much else, a student apartment where you will have the space and time to think when studying may be a good fit for you. Or you may want the support and assistance of a host family who can reduce the stress of decisions like where to go grocery shopping.

On the other hand, if you are planning for a more social trip, you will want to be with people who know the area and who can help you get acclimated and enjoy your time. Staying with friends is certainly an option if you have friends also going on this trip, but if not a homestay will be a good fit.

A host family that knows the area, especially if you are considering Melbourne or Sydney, and who is friends with other host families and can introduce you to fellow international students will help you get acclimated and enjoy your time overseas more quickly.

How to Factor in Budget to Your Decision

Another major factor is budget. How much money do you have to spend on housing while overseas and how can you still enjoy your trip without running out of money?

Again, this is a situation in which homestay makes a lot of sense if you are on a tight budget. Because you will be able to share meals with your host family and because they know the area and can direct you to lower cost grocery stores and events and destinations that don’t cost as much, you can still enjoy your time in a new country without paying for it like a tourist.

Determining if Homestay is Right for You

If you plan on visiting Melbourne or Sydney as an international student, homestay is one of the best options. Because of how much there is to do and how costly living in these two cities can be if you don’t know the area, a host family will become an important point of support for your trip. They can help you make smart, budgeted decisions and guide you in enjoying your time in Australia for the several months you will be here.

Learn more about staying with a host family and other options for housing when staying overseas from our site here.