How To Find Housing as an
International Student in the USA
Finding housing as a student can be a tricky task at the best of times, but it becomes even more daunting if you are an international student new to a country or city. However, there are a few tips to follow that will make the process far more straightforward.
Types of housing
Firstly, student housing will fall into one of two categories: on-campus or off-campus. On-campus housing is usually either harder to get or more expensive, but off-campus housing is typically more out of the way.
On-campus
On-campus housing will consist of student dormitories and apartments that are located on the grounds of the university. You will usually have a roommate or two and access to other facilities such as a computer lab, study area, gym, cafeteria, etc.
Off-campus
Off-campus housing has far more options but with a couple of downsides. Take
USC student housing off campus, for example, comprises dormitories, apartments, houses, and houseshares; roommates aren’t always necessary, but you will typically not have access to facilities like the ones mentioned above.
How to find housing
Finding housing is similar to finding any other type of accommodation. Start by researching what is available on campus. If you don’t have any luck, search for “(insert university name) housing”; this will often yield far more results.
If you don’t need housing immediately, you can wait until class starts, and you can reach out to classmates about being a roommate. More often than not, they will be open to sharing the rent burden.
Tips for choosing housing
When choosing where you will live, there are a few things you should consider and remember before making your final decision.
Start as early as possible
The first thing you need to do is to start looking as soon as possible. Many of the prominent US universities will have many students coming from out of state and from other countries, meaning student housing will be in short supply.
Scour student forums, Facebook groups, and student websites. As mentioned, try to contact classmates; there is a good chance many may already have a place and simply need a roommate to seal the deal.
Budget
Next, you will need to determine your budget. This is especially true if you live off-campus, as you must include money for utilities, internet, transport, groceries, etc.
While it is possible to find many economical housing options, the additional costs can often trip people up. Research what everything else might cost to ensure a holistic understanding of how much you will need each month.
Location relative to campus
Regarding location, there are two crucial things you need to consider; what is the location of the apartment or house in relation to its surroundings and your campus?
If you are not living on campus, you want to find somewhere nearby. This will ensure you have easy access to the campus at all times and be close to your classmates and lectures.
Location relative to the surroundings
On the other hand, you want to ensure that your housing isn’t somewhere overly loud or distracting. For example, an apartment across the road from several nightclubs isn’t the best for working, studying, and sleeping.
The suburbs and family neighborhoods are often great places to look and live, as they are often far quieter, calmer, and much better for students.
Roommates
When finding a roommate, you can use a few tricks to find the perfect one, even if they are a stranger. The first is to look at your classmates; you will be spending a lot of time with them, you will have similar schedules, and you can help each other with work.
Speaking of schedules, if you can’t find a classmate to live with, find someone with a similar schedule and workload. For example, medical and law students would work well together as they study a lot, have extended hours, need good rest, etc.
Remember to do a “
roommate interview”, too; there is a lot more to it than simply sharing schedules or getting along with each other.
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