As an international student, housing is an important decision for your future. Basically, you are looking for a place where you will spend a couple of years of your life, while you are in a college abroad. A good place to live contributes to making your experience smoother in the country. While some US universities have a rule that international students have to stay in designated student hostels for a minimum of a semester or year, others give their students the freedom to choose where they live.
There are a plethora of options you can choose from. However, since there are so many options, you will need to be pretty careful about the one you will choose. For your admission, you can get assistance at Forward Pathway, but with housing, you are the one to make the choice. Since there are a lot of elements you need to keep in mind, keep a few things in mind before picking a place to stay.
Distance
Make sure that you pick a place which is close to your college, preferably somewhere you can reach on foot or at least with minimal change of transport. This will ensure that you will be able to save some of the money you would otherwise spend on transport. At the same time, there is the question of the time you will spend traveling from your apartment to the college. Plus, maybe you will have some work. So, you will need to think about that too.
While you might feel enthusiastic to travel longer distances at first, with more academic pressure, you will soon find it hard to reach your classes on time, especially those early in the morning. You will also be able to save much energy as you spend less time on the commute and reach home sooner from your classes, thus, getting yourself some time to catch up rest as well. Moreover, in the long run, a shorter distance will save you money as well, you can be sure of that.
Locality
The area you live in also plays a vital role in your life. If you live in a popular party location, that is overrun by loud students throughout the night, or a house by a super busy road with tons of traffic, it will be harder to concentrate on your studies. At the same time, the quality of your sleep will be in question. So, you will need to be pretty careful about what you are going to choose.
While looking for a place to live, check out the neighborhood, and ensure that it is peacefully quiet, but safe so that you can come and go as you please without worrying. You can be sure that you will be able to find something that will suit you in the best possible way, due to every city having this kind of suburb that is not so far from the city. Find out about the amenities around such as convenience stores, different modes of transport, pharmacy, and other essentials.
Budget
Before you go house hunting, set down a fixed budget which you are willing to shell out. This is a very important decision, as you will be responsible for paying this sum every month so make sure you do not go over your limit of what you will be able to pay comfortably. It goes without saying that you will need to be extra careful about the apartment you will look at and check all the costs of this place before you actually decide to book it.
Make a list of things you are looking for, in a potential house and this will help you narrow down the contenders. Before agreeing to rent, ask if there are any additional bills to be paid by you and inquire about rent hike over time. There is a chance of this happening sometimes, therefore, you need to be absolutely aware of what you are going to pay for, and prevent any unnecessary costs.
Know What You Want
Before you start looking for the perfect housing for you, you need to know exactly what you want. Since there are a plethora of options you can choose from, you should narrow it down by inserting a couple of clauses that will help you to have much effective searching. Do you want to live with a couple of roommates? Or you are interested only in living on your own? Do you want to live with your fellow Americans or international students?
These are the most important questions that will further have a say in your decision. Conduct research online, or talk with someone who already had this kind of experience. This will be an essential input in what you can expect from booking housing. There are so many different elements you should take a look into before you are completely sure that you are ready to book a housing that will be your home for a couple of years.
Terms and Conditions
Last, but not the least, do not skip over the terms and conditions of your lease, as it can lead you to a lot of trouble later. We all know the story about small letters that are often a part of the contract we miss. Therefore, it should be said that you need to check all of the contracts in order to avoid unpleasantries. We are pretty sure that all of the housing options you will stumble across will have some conditions.
Check out every clause, regulations for living, as well as for vacation of the place, and if there are any hidden costs such as involved. Sometimes there are rules, which make it practically impossible to leave the house in the middle of the contract if you are dissatisfied or have found a better place to live. If needed, let a lawyer look through your contract before signing. This is a pretty important thing, so you will need to be absolutely sure that this is what you want.
Finding the right house to live in is a crucial decision as it will be your new home in a new country. The right home will offer you peace, happiness, and a sanctuary in good and bad times. Be careful about what you will choose.
