Host families. Should you or shouldn’t you? Dormitories like those in the United States, and epitomized by, in my opinion, the Carmel or Constitution dorms on BW’s campus, do not exist in many foreign countries. Normal services at US universities include: laundry, air conditioning, beds, bathrooms, etc. Some even have their own kitchen. The main point of positivity for freshman, or really anyone, is that there are no parents. Next to the RA’s, who are also students with their own lives, and the Resident Director, who you usually only deal with if you have been caught doing something wrong, there is no one there looking over your shoulder saying you shouldn’t be up so late, you shouldn’t drink so much soda, etcetera etcetera. However, don’t let the lack of dorm life throw you for a loop when thinking about studying abroad. Depending upon which BW program you decide to tip your hat at, there may be dorms (like in Australia and England) or residencias (the Spanish version).
The main reason many people do choose homestays over residencias is because you can get pretty immersed in the culture of the country, not the culture of exchange students. If you are studying in a country with a language different than English, then there’s the added bonus of getting to hear a native speaker every day who can help you with grammar, vocabulary, etc. Most foreign students coming to BW are placed in the dorms, since they are an important part of our college culture, but in Spain, for example, it is more typical for a Spaniard to go to university near their home and to commute for classes. Some important questions to ask yourself are: How independent are you? Would you be okay with a host family that you’d have to notify every time you’d miss a meal or come in late? How important is it to you to immerse yourself in the culture? My last word(s) on the topic is that if you are one of the BW students to be lucky enough to have a foreign student as a roommate, remember, it takes a long time to adjust to a new place, especially one with customs you don’t know.