Homestay vs. Rented Room
Are you a DIS Copenhagen student trying to decide which housing option is right for you? I decided to live in a homestay my first semester and a rented room my second semester and it was the perfect mix of getting to know Danish culture and getting to experience the city.
Homestay Pros:
- You could get a host cat! My host family had a cat named Walter and he reminded me of my cat back home and made Denmark feel like home right away.
- Home-cooked meals! My host family was amazing at cooking and I loved talking with them over dinner about their day. I even cooked some of my favorite recipes from home for them.
- A Danish family! This one might be obvious, but living in a homestay, you’ll get to be adopted into a Danish family. I had three host sisters and it was so fun to get to know them. I also loved getting to know my host grandparents and practicing my Danish with them.
- Danish traditions! I loved getting to learn about Danish traditions with my host family. We made Christmas stars and sang around the tree. We celebrated a neighbor’s anniversary by going to their house super early in the morning for breakfast. Living in a homestay is really the best way to get immersed in Danish culture.
- Learn Danish! In addition to my Danish class, it was so helpful to have a family of native speakers to help with my homework and pronunciation. In return, I got to help my host sisters with their English homework.
Homestay Cons:
- Longer commute. A lot of the homestays are a little further from the city. The commute can be a nice time to do homework, but it’s definitely the most suburban of the housing options.
- Less independence. It’s kind of like being in high school again. To make the most of the experience, you have to be willing to put the time in to get to know your family. This can be hard when balancing travel and school, but it’s SO worth it.
Rented Room Pros:
- Danish roommate! Get to know a Dane your age. I actually lived with a Dane and another girl from Cal Poly and we all got along super well! We were all vegetarians and we had so much fun swapping recipes.
- Cook for yourself! I loved being able to cook for myself and I had so much fun shopping for groceries in Copenhagen, it’s always an adventure grocery shopping abroad!
- Be more independent! To live in a rented room, you have to be very independent. You don’t have a bunch of other roommates to hang out with like in a Kollegium (dorm) so it can feel lonely before you start making friends in classes and things.
- Live in the city! Definitely one of the biggest pro’s of a rented room is that it’s usually in the city. I was in the Frederiksberg neighborhood and I loved it! I could bike to the park, the lakes, coffee shops, museums, school, and even the zoo!
Rented Room Cons:
- Can feel isolated. I touched on this before that living in a rented room can be lonely, especially at the beginning before you’ve made friends through your classes. Your Danish roommate has their own life and isn’t going to hang out with you all the time so you have to be independent enough to go out and do things with your new friends.
- Cooking for yourself can also be a downside because you don’t get home cooked meals from your host family! But if you still want to get to know a Danish family without living with them, sign up for DIS’s Visiting Host program!
I loved living with a host family and in a rented room. My relationships with my hosts and roommates will last a lifetime and I learned so much about Danish culture and grew so much as a person this year. I wouldn’t have had it any other way!
