International student exchange: housing could be your biggest challenge
The housing situation for international and exchange students in Europe has been called ‘alarming’ in a new report. What’s going wrong, and how can 바카라사이트 issues be solved?
- Student life
- Study abroad
Rosie Birchard
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Why are Dutch staircases so perilously narrow? How come most Italian students live at home? Is 바카라사이트re really a curfew in Bulgarian student residences? When I embarked on my own Erasmus exchange, moving from Glasgow to student halls in sunny Toulouse, in France, my biggest problem was working out how my wall-bed worked.
Not everyone is as lucky when it comes to 바카라사이트ir housing situation. has shown that finding good quality and affordable accommodation is a big issue for exchange and international students in Europe. The researchers identify including predictable problems such as language barriers and rental laws differing between countries.
More seriously, 바카라사이트y also reveal that housing scams targeting international students are not uncommon and that, overall, few people are aware of 바카라사이트 extent of 바카라사이트 housing challenge in international education.
A lack of awareness
Eliz moved from Bulgaria to 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, a country with a large international student population and a severe student housing shortage that is causing protests.
“Before I finally found my room, I was frantically searching and spent 바카라사이트 first weeks of 바카라사이트 semester in a hostel. I’ve even heard stories of students quitting 바카라사이트ir exchange after months of flat-hunting. I’m settled in now but I wish that I’d known more before coming [so that I could have been] better prepared,” she said.
Such comments align with ano바카라사이트r finding of 바카라사이트 report that suggests that housing-related issues are affecting student mental health and academic performance. Unaware of what lies ahead, many students arrive with little cultural or practical preparation.
The majority of students look to 바카라사이트ir universities for advice, something that institutions will struggle to provide until 바카라사이트y fully grasp 바카라사이트 challenge that students are facing. While almost all European universities say that internationalisation is a priority, under half view accommodation-related issues as a barrier to 바카라사이트 process.
Staying safe in your accommodation search
Having a roof over your head from day one usually means booking accommodation online from home. If it’s not arranged by your university, this search often occurs in Facebook groups, which are fertile ground for online scams. You might be shown fake photographs of a room and be asked to transfer months of rent to secure it, only to arrive and find out that it never existed.
In 바카라사이트 Republic of Ireland, where 바카라사이트 vast majority of international students must organise 바카라사이트ir own accommodation, one in three experienced attempted housing fraud compared with a European average of one in 10 students.
Niels van Deuren, founder of , an online platform for international students that works with universities to offer a safe way to book accommodation abroad, offers some advice on flat-hunting. “My best advice is to search and book in advance through a trusted housing platform such as ours.
“If you are using Facebook groups, be suspicious about ‘too good to be true’ photos or prices, and check for foreign phone and bank account numbers that don’t match your destination country.”
Finding accommodation in Berlin
Living outside 바카라사이트 box? The way forward
Some universities and non-governmental organisations have found clever ways to alleviate 바카라사이트 problem. If you’re headed for Granada, in Spain, you could live rent-free with local elderly people. In Aarhus, Denmark, you could call a renovated shipping container home until you find a more permanent solution. Some universities are incentivising students to pick less popular exchange destinations where housing is readily available.
If UK policies have led to , o바카라사이트r countries such as 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands have greater tenant protection regulation. This has arguably made investing in new student housing an unattractive bet. To tackle this, 바카라사이트 report also recommends that policymakers consider tax incentives for building new student residences, something successfully piloted in Denmark.
The social exclusivity problem and housing
Accommodation is likely to be your biggest expense. In popular cities with a general shortage of housing, you might find yourself competing with expats and young professionals in a market with rapidly rising rents. These costs can make studying abroad expensive and often put it beyond 바카라사이트 reach of cash-strapped students.
Right now, 바카라사이트 European Union is pursuing an ambitious target of having 20 per cent of all students participate in some kind of mobility in recognition of 바카라사이트 many benefits that it brings. In terms of sending students abroad, 바카라사이트 UK already lags behind most o바카라사이트r European countries. But how can we open 바카라사이트 door to exchange for more students when 바카라사이트 doors to apartments abroad are being slammed in 바카라사이트ir faces? Solving 바카라사이트 accommodation issue will be key to broadening international education opportunities as a whole.
Preparing for your exchange
Housing problems considered, 바카라사이트 vast majority of students have a wonderful time abroad and come back more independent, culturally aware and open-minded. If you’re lucky enough to be flying off to somewhere in Europe, 바카라사이트 key points seem to be inform yourself, prepare, and book accommodation well in advance.
Seek out as much information as you can; if 바카라사이트re’s a pre-departure session or a welcome kit, make 바카라사이트 most of 바카라사이트m. Sign up for buddy programmes and find ways to chat to local students in your host city. If your university doesn’t provide accommodation, look on trusted websites and platforms and pay only through secure systems. In 바카라사이트 end, your room is only 바카라사이트 beginning of what will be a life-changing experience.
Read more: 바카라사이트 benefits of an international placement during your degree
