Guide to Living with a Foreign Roommate When Studying Abroad

If you are planning to study abroad, the first criteria would be to find a place for yourself to stay. You may think it is easy to get one- by surfing the net or by checking out pages of classifieds and choosing an apartment to stay in. Nonetheless there are other factors to be considered, like certain cultural norms that have to be abided by, in certain areas.

The following guidelines will advice you about sharing a room with a foreign student from a different cultural background.

Prepare Yourself First

Do your research about the country you will be staying in. Be aware of the laws of the land and know its history, custom and cultural background. Additional homework related to etiquettes, will help you to present yourself with the right attitude, making you more confident with the ways of the country. Follow blogs that contain information about the locales and the locality.

A clear idea of the qualities you are looking for in your room-mate, age-wise, gender-wise, his marital status, would help you to get someone with whom you would be comfortable sharing a room with. At least you will not have to regret later. Most importantly the locality has a very strong influence on the lifestyle of the city. Even if you are not familiar with the room-mate you are going to share your place with, an understanding of his cultural background and customs might help you to get acquainted with him.

Although consultancies like the foreign education consultant in Delhi are there to help you and guide you with their valuable tips, it is always better for you to get a first-hand experience by putting up at a local hostel initially and then looking out for a roommate until you find a suitable and affordable accommodation to stay in during your course span. This would help you to find a suitable room-mate for yourself. The few days spend in search for a proper stay-in and a suitable room-mate has its advantage in letting you know about the place and its people.

Knowing Each Other Better

The following are few suggestions to know your roomy better and to increase the camaraderie between yourselves:

• Watching a popular show on TV together
• Going out for a movie
• Cooking traditional meals at your place with each other’s help
• Calling in friends at home for dinner
• Decorating your new place jointly
• Learning from each other 

All these might help you to bond with your room mate.

Picking a room mate when Studying abroad

Either you can put up in a place with somebody who is a local or you can put up in a home stay, sharing the place with a family. You could as well learn the local language, their custom and tradition. Although some prefer staying all by themselves, still staying with a family is preferable as it will save you from becoming homesick. On the other hand, if your room-mate is not from that area you both can explore and survey the place together and checking out new hang-outs and places to visit. Not to forget working out the financial contribution has to be clearly done and demarcated right from the beginning.

One golden rule to remember is, to be respectful and patient towards your room-mate, his culture and his people. Give him the privacy and space he requires. At the end of the day you are there to study and only a peaceful coexistence with the people you are living in can help you in a smooth journey towards your goal.