What is it Like Living with a Host Family?

Picking the place where you’ll study, sorting through course options, applying for scholarships and financial aid—you know that’s all essential for your study abroad preparation. Choosing the right housing, though…maybe not on your radar.

It should be. The student housing you choose can ultimately make or break your study abroad experience, so you’ll want to have a serious heart-to-heart with yourself about your study abroad needs, goals, and comfort levels. And if it’s total language immersion and a home-away-from-home you’re after, start considering a homestay.

Feeling nervous at the thought of staying with a host family? Learn what to expect!

Cue the questions: What is it like living with a host family? Are there strict rules, strange foods, and pesky siblings? Is a homestay a good idea?

Homestay experiences can vary widely depending on where you study, and they almost always require an adjustment period. If you’re committed to creating a respectful relationship and open to new experiences, living with a host family can become an amazing part of studying abroad.

What’s a host family?

A host family is a family that provides housing and meals to students. Homestays are affordable accommodations great for students looking for an authentic experience. Your host family may be a “family” in a more traditional sense (parents, kids, and even grandparents all under one roof), or it may be a single person opening their home to a study abroad student.

Is a homestay a good idea?

There’s nothing like a warm welcome from your host family to make you feel right at home.

Homestays aren’t for everyone. If you crave independence and want the freedom to hang out with friends at home on your own terms, another type of student accommodation might be a better fit.

But if you’re looking for a way to immerse yourself in another culture and maximize your language-learning, all while getting a built-in family to help combat the inevitable homesickness that comes when you’re far from your own home, you’ll want to seriously consider living with a host family.

Bonus points? Homemade, authentic meals come as part of the package. That means homestays are not only a great way to live like a local, but they’re also a good option if you’re looking for budget-friendly study abroad housing.

So…what’s a homestay like? 4 things to expect

While no two homestay experiences are exactly the same, there are certain things you can expect when you live with a host family:

1. You’ll have endless opportunities to practice the language

What's a host family? One of the best ways to learn a language, hands down. There’s nothing quite like the real-time practice you’ll get from living with locals when it comes to boosting your language skills.

You’ll learn and use colloquial terms and cool slang you’d never get from a language class or textbook. As long as you embrace occasional discomfort and really commit to practicing, you’ll be fine. Even advanced language learners sometimes freeze up, so don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You’ll see your language skills soar as you use them in real-life situations.

2. You’ll get family time at the table

Daily home-cooked meals are reason enough for any college student to stay with a host family!

Most study abroad programs will offer the choice to include one or more meals in your homestay. Take it. Though family time can sometimes seem overwhelming, you’ll get an instant boost in language and cultural immersion if you fight the urge to spend all your free time FaceTiming with friends back home or hitting the books in your room.

Joining your family for mealtime gives you insight into customs and traditions while helping you feel like part of the family. Plus, even though the program may look more expensive up front, taking advantage of home-cooked meals is often more cost-effective in the long run.

3. You’ll get comfortable leaving your comfort zone

Studying abroad is all about exploring new places and learning to leave your comfort zone. New foods, new places, new people—you get it all, all the time. Living in a homestay heightens that experience.

There’s no denying you’re going to feel uncomfortable sometimes. You’re living in someone else’s home, after all, and you’ll have to navigate different cultural norms (and ideas about what personal space means) while you’re trying to do well in your classes and just make it through the day-to-day of living in a new place.

Your host siblings may think you’re the coolest person ever!

Host siblings grilling you with questions that feel a little too personal while you’re trying to make it out the door for class? Host mom washing your underwear…by hand? Yeah, it happens.

As a guest in someone’s home, you’ll also need to learn and respect norms and traditions you may not agree with. Take some time to read up on the local culture, and strive to be respectful even when miscommunications inevitably arise.

4. You’ll learn to expect the unexpected

All in all, living with a host family is about broadening your perspectives. You’ll gain insight into the local culture you can’t get in any other way, but you’ll have to be open to new, unexpected experiences to do so.

There’s no one way to define what it’s like to live with a host family. Homestay experiences can vary a whole lot depending on the host country. You can’t even expect your experience to match the experience your classmate is having with the host family around the corner.

You can, however, expect to deal with some culture shock. Depending on where you’re studying, your host family might not have the access to things like heat or internet you’re used to. Do your research, check your privilege, and resist the urge to act like a diva when things don’t go exactly as you plan.

17 questions to ask your host family

If you haven’t lived with a host family, knowing the right questions to ask will help you prepare.

Lay the foundation for a positive relationship by knowing which questions to ask your host family before you study abroad so you can feel at home from the start.

House Rules

Just like your parents had some house rules, your host family will, too. Knowing the rules when you arrive can help you be respectful of your host family and their space.

Homestays are about learning and growing as you fit into someone’s family, not about expecting strangers to adapt to your expectations. The first questions to ask your host family when you study abroad are all about house rules:

1. Do I have a curfew?

2. What time are meals served?

3. What meals are provided, and am I expected to get my own food on weekends?

4. Can I grab food from the kitchen and prepare my own meals?

5. What are the rules about alcohol and smoking?

6. What should I do to keep the house clean (such as tidying up my bedroom, cleaning the bathroom, or doing the dishes)?

7. Can I bring friends over?

8. Will you wait up for me to get home every day before locking up?

Allergies, Dietary Restrictions, and Pets

Make sure you’re upfront about allergies and dietary restrictions with your study abroad program.

Sure, you want to present yourself as super cheerful and open-minded when you’re matching with a host family. But if you have allergies, food restrictions, or preferences when it comes to living with pets, honesty will help you create a positive relationship with a family that can actually meet your needs. Suss out your host family’s ability to deal with allergies and restrictions by asking:

9. Are you okay with (and able to accommodate) hosting a vegetarian / vegan / someone who has a ___ allergy?

10. Do you have any pets?

Pro-tip: Your program provider may ask about restrictions and needs. Communicate as much as possible when you’re requesting a homestay to give them the best shot at placing you with a host family that’s willing to, and capable of, accommodating you from the start.

You’ll still need to practice patience and flexibility if you have restrictions. Not every culture has the same ideas about what it means to be a vegetarian, for instance.

And if you don’t have real restrictions? Expect to eat what everyone else is eating!

Living Arrangements

Homestays are amazing for doing a deep dive into the culture and language, but they can feel a little isolating when you’re far away from your friends in the university dorm. Do your own research about the neighborhood to prepare. Then, ask questions that help you understand the setup of the homestay itself as well as the surrounding area:

11. Are there other students living in the homestay?

12. Will I share a room with another student?

13. Who lives in the home?

14. Do you have any kids, and how old are they?

15. How long does it take to get to my classes?

16. How do people usually get around (for example, by bus or metro, on foot, etc.)?

17. Are there any public transportation options close to home?

What to get your host family

Host families understand you’re traveling on a student budget, so you don’t need to spring for anything expensive when deciding what to get your host family—thoughtfulness is what counts here. Go for a gift that represents your own culture to break the ice while you take the first step toward building a warm relationship. Some top gift ideas for your host family include:

• Souvenir cards, card games, or board games.
• Handmade artwork.
• Favorite snacks or foods that represent your hometown (as long as you can legally take them on a plane!).
• Baseball caps or T-shirts from your hometown or university.
• Books about your home country.

Get matched with 5 homestay experiences or study abroad programs for FREE

A great homestay experience might be the highlight of studying abroad!

You may end up keeping in touch with your host family for years to come!

If you’re debating whether you should live in a dorm or apartment, or take the plunge and go for a homestay, wondering what it’s like living with a host family is undoubtedly at the top of your mind. Good news: Though signing up to live with strangers may feel scary at first, a homestay can turn into the best part of your study abroad adventure.

Explore ALL homestay experiences and study abroad programs on GoAbroad.com