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Moscow: Homestay vs. Dormitory Living

September 29th, 2012 kaolse14

One of the questions that I am always asked is if I prefer living with a host mother to living in the university’s dormitory. I had the privilege of experiencing both: I lived in the dormitory during the six-week summer study abroad program, and I currently live in an apartment located just a few metro stops away from the university. Both options have pros and cons, and the pros and cons will certainly differ from one individual to another. In the end, it all depends on what you want out of your study abroad experience. When you have your study abroad goals set in mind, you will choose the option that best suits your needs. Here are my thoughts on the topic:

University’s dormitory: This is a great option for those in search of that “international” experience. The Russian State University for the Humanities has two types of dormitories: one for international students, and another for Russian students. However, the dormitory for Russian students is located several metro stops away from campus. Therefore, if you choose the dorm route, you will be living with students from across the globe. This is definitely an exciting option – you are essentially living in a little “United Nations” community with students from six out of the world’s seven continents (*the penguins of Antarctica have yet to set up a study abroad program in Moscow). The university dormitory also has its social benefits. It’s easy to meet people when you live in a student dormitory, and numerous parties take place in the dormitory on the weekends. Lastly, if you live in the dormitory, you have the luxury of rolling out of bed in the morning and essentially landing in the classroom. However, I do not advise doing this as Russian students typically dress in a more formal fashion than students in the U.S. If you look like you just rolled out of bed, you will definitely stand out – and you may attract some negative looks from your Russian classmates. At least you’ll have those extra couple minutes of sleep under your belt! I must warn you, however, that the Russian university “closes” at 1am every day. Therefore, if you decide to go out on the weekends, you have to consider the university curfew. However, you can often change the guard’s mind if you buy him a beer or a pack of cigarettes on your return to the university. (I didn’t tell you that…..)

Homestay: Of course, I can only speak about my own homestay experience. I’ll tell you a story that conveys my experience with my host mother…… Two weeks ago, just days before my first day of classes, I woke up in the middle of the night with chills and a sore throat. Even with two blankets and a heavy sweatshirt, I couldn’t manage to stay warm. I thought I had a fever. I finally fell back to sleep, only to wake up around 11am with a headache, a sore throat, and a stuffy nose (sorry for that image). I then went into the kitchen and saw my host mother. I immediately began to tell her about my symptoms, which was good practice for my Russian. What happened next will always stay with me: she gave me cold medicine, put lemon in my tea, and rubbed vicks-like cream on my throat and around my eyes. She then kindly lectured me on the need to eat honey by the spoonful before giving me a pair of warm socks to wear. After waking up from a nap later on in the day, I returned to the kitchen and found freshly-made blini (Russian pancakes) on the kitchen table for me to eat when I woke up. For several days after that, she continued to ask me how I felt.

So what can I, or any of you, draw from that experience? The answer is that the homestay option provides you with someone that cares and will look out for you when you are in a foreign setting. This is not to say that the friends that you make will not take care of you as well. But the homestay is different – it provides for that maternal (or paternal) care that you may need when you are in your new setting. Story:  just last night, I decided to stay in the apartment rather than go out. I was reading in my room late in the evening when my host mother knocked on my door and asked me if I wanted tea. I kindly said no because I did not want caffeine late at night. I decided to join her in the kitchen for a glass of delicious hot water. I followed her into the kitchen and saw that she made blini for the both of us to enjoy as a late night snack. We ended up sitting at the table for an hour discussing poetry and both American and Russian literature. Needless to say, I didn’t regret my decision to not go out. To me, this was what study abroad was all about: to learn about Russian culture and truly live alongside native speakers. This is why I chose a homestay. This is why I came to Russia.

Conclusion: If I had to do it all over again, would I still choose a homestay? The answer is YES. On an objective note, the homestay helps you to improve your language skills outside of the classroom. You will also have the opportunity to sample so many different Russian dishes prepared by your host mother or host father. However, on a more subjective note, I wanted to immerse myself in Russian society and learn about Russian culture from the inside. I just couldn’t accomplish that by living in an international dormitory. I already had so many unforgettable conversations with my host mother, and I look forward to more of them in the future. I also have to take the metro to and from the university every day. Mind you, there are some days when the last thing I want to do is ride the metro cramped alongside hundreds of other equally annoyed people. But for all those ups and downs, I get to see things that I wouldn’t have seen by just walking 20 seconds from the dormitory to the classroom. Just like every other resident of Moscow, I take the metro to my destination. I actually feel like a Russian and step into the shoes of a Russian every time I take the metro to the university.

In conclusion, the homestay option is perfect for me as it helps me to achieve the study abroad goals that I set for myself. Think hard about what you want out of your study abroad experience. When you know what your priorities are, you will be able to choose the option that best helps you to achieve your goals. Good luck!

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