What to Expect

From the storage space your COST housing will include to the ideals and values of the culture surrounding you, the differences you’ll encounter living abroad exist at all levels.

Students participating in COST typically live with host families, thus gaining a priceless opportunity to become immersed in the local culture of the country in which they are placed. Even when students live elsewhere, (e.g., local apartments, bed and breakfast accommodations, university housing), they are intimately connected to the local culture.

COST Housing Policy

Housing and accommodation will be arranged by the Overseas Receiving Site Coordinator. Each site is different, and housing options will vary by site. Some coordinators have secured home stay arrangements while others may provide a list of apartments to choose from.

Regardless of the type of accommodation, all housing is vetted by our Coordinators and approved for COST participants. For your safety and the safety of our host families and Coordinators, COST stands strictly by our housing policy in addition to the expectations outlined on our website for each housing situation.

COST participants must stay in the COST arranged housing for the full duration of their COST placement. If traveling, participants must communicate when (dates and times), where (country, city, accommodation), and how to reach them. This information should be shared with the host family and Sending Site Coordinator. COST must be able to get a hold of a student at any point in their placement.

Visitors must arrange their own accommodations. Under no circumstance may a guest stay in COST-arranged housing. COST students may stay with visitors in visitor-arranged accommodation only AFTER the last day of their COST placement. This is another reason COST encourages family and friends to visit only at the END of student teaching placements.

In case of an emergency or any other situation (i.e., health-related problems, cultural adjustment reasons, etc.) in which you cannot fulfill your entire placement and, in turn, must vacate your homestay arrangement prior to the agreed placement end date, you are required to notify your Sending Site COST coordinator as well as your Receiving Site Coordinator immediately; a two weeks’ notice is preferred whenever possible. Additionally, you will be required to pay two weeks’ housing payment, or the number days remaining up to your original end date if fewer than two weeks.

Resize Your Expectations

When thinking of your housing abroad, think small. Rooms, closets, kitchens, etc. are smaller abroad than they are in North America, so be sure to take this into account when you’re packing.

Additional storage might not exist for your luggage – expect to store your suitcase/s in the same place you keep your clothes. Pack light!
Your bed most likely will be a single-sized bed – a bit smaller than the standard twin that you’re familiar with – and based on your destination, could be a bunk-bed.
We’re serious when we say your bedroom/housing will be smaller. Internationally, gathering with friends takes place more commonly outside the home and as such, residences are smaller and more intimate.

International Standards | US Standards

The life you’ll discover abroad greatly differs from the life you’re used to back home – embrace this! Exploring new ways and paces of life is one of COST’s most beautiful attributes, as you truly experience what it’s like to be a local in a different country.

Some differences you’ll encounter:

Dishwashers are not common, so prepare to wash by hand
Clothes dryers are very rare – you’ll most likely be hanging your clothes to dry on a clothes line
Air conditioning is not available in many housing options, markets, stores, etc.
Hanging out with friends occurs more frequently in a city square or coffee shop rather than inside your residence
Walking and using public transportation becomes a common activity in your everyday life

Be prepared to live outside of your comfort zone! It’s part of the fun and adventure of your entire experience, and although it may be challenging at times, it’s well worth it.

Don’t Waste Resources

Just like here at home, it’s important to turn off water sources, lights, TVs and other electronics abroad when they are not in use. Rates for these utilities are higher abroad than in North America. Keep in mind, many cultures abroad tend to be much more mindful of wasted resources than back at home, so think green!

Source: ceastudyabroad.com

HOMESTAYS

Has your program placed you in a home stay? In a home stay, you will live with a host family and immerse yourself in their culture and language. For example, you might share meals together or they might take you around the city. Be aware that not all host families are in a nuclear family with parents and children. Depending on your program, hosts can vary in terms of age and family situation. Continue reading for more information on home stay living abroad.

It may be several years since you were living in a family situation – having probably left home to attend college and university. One of the features of your COST school placement is that, unless specifically requested otherwise in your application, accommodation has been found for you with a family that is linked to the school in which you are placed – the link usually being that the family has one or more children enrolled at the school in which you have been placed and usually within walking distance of the school. Host families have been specially selected by your school principal and overseas COST Coordinator and provide you with the opportunity to not only experience family life in your placement country but also to witness the school-home connection.

Your home stay setting offers you a secure and welcoming environment from which to approach the challenges of adapting to a different culture, a different school system, a different curriculum, different accents, words and nationalities. The family will welcome you as a daughter/son as they assume responsibility for and contribute to your welfare, safety, success and enjoyment of your time in country. They, along with your associate teacher, principal, observer, COST Coordinator and other American teacher education students placed in the same location at the same time as you, form your support network while there. Everyone does their utmost to ensure a successful outcome for you.

As well as developing teaching skills, you are abroad to experience living outside your own country. This means seeing the sights of your host country, seeing your own country from afar and sharing and comparing perceptions of its culture with people you meet and from the media. Tourist and social activities can be enjoyed most once you have settled in and become familiar with the school and classroom expectations of your school placement.

Make sure that any of your family members or friends who want to visit while you are abroad come at the end of your school placement. It can prove quite disruptive to a student and hosts if people come during the school placement and especially during the period of full responsibility for the classroom program.

adapted with permission from COST – Christchurch, New Zealand “Homestay Protocol”

Benefits

Returning students often report that the host families experience was one of the best aspects of living abroad. By being in a home stay, you will:

Interact daily with locals.
Become a member of the family and build life-long bonds.
Experience first-hand the customs you will learn about while you teach your class.
Practice a foreign language with native speakers in their day-to-day lives.
Have meals provided by your host family (this varies by program; check with your overseas coordinator to see what is included).

Challenges

Despite the many benefits of living with a host family, it can also be challenging, especially if you’ve lived on your own in college and are used to independence. You will be living in someone else’s house, and your host may have rules that you should follow. Also, there will be cultural differences.

Dietary Concerns

In many areas of the world certain special diets, such as vegetarian, are not common. Not eating the food your host family prepares, even if for dietary reasons, may be considered rude. If, for cultural, religious, or personal reasons you do not eat certain types of food, contact your Overseas COST Coordinator before you leave to ensure that a host family can accommodate you.

Differences

You may be the first minority, disabled, or LGBT student housed by your host family. Don’t let this deter you from living in a home stay. In spite of your differences, your host family will probably be just as interested in your culture as you will be in theirs. Even if you share a cultural heritage with your host family, do not expect them to be just like you. Remember, being open-minded about every aspect of living abroad will ensure that you gain the most from your experience.

Tips for Successful Homestays

The Do’s and Don’ts of Homestays

WEEKEND TRAVEL

Travel Policies

COST encourages student teachers to explore the local, regional and near-by international neighbors of their host country while abroad. Before packing your bag and catching that train for your weekend adventure, please read the following policies and guidelines about traveling during student teaching abroad.

Before COST Placement

Complete the COST Emergency Plan Document. Give copies to a trusted friend or adult at home, your US Coordinator, your host family and your Overseas Coordinator. If something happens to you while abroad (whether during placements or personal travel) we must have open lines of communication.
Research visa requirements of any country you may be interested in traveling to. If you need a visa, you will likely need to apply from the United States before you leave.

During COST Placement

Know the school calendar and your placement dates before making any travel arrangements. Under no circumstance is a COST student teacher allowed to take time off from student teaching requirements for personal travel. Plan travel for weekends and sanctioned school holidays.
Do not expect your hosts to take you places or be your tour guide.
If leaving your host country for another country, be sure to check visa requirements for exiting and entering both countries.
COST participants must communicate their travel date(s), location(s) and accommodation contact information to the host family and the Overseas Coordinator. COST must be able to get ahold of a student at any point during their placement.

After COST Placement

You are responsible for all accommodation arrangements after your placement is finished.
Check visa requirements for how long after your placement you are allowed to remain in-country.
Provide your US and Overseas Coordinators with the date(s), location(s) and accommodation contact information related to your travels. Never travel abroad without letting someone know where you are going, for how long, and how to contact you.

Find more information and resources about traveling and safety abroad on our Savvy Traveler page.

VISITORS

While we encourage family and friends to take the opportunity to visit COST participants in country and broaden their world views, we ask, PLEASE plan your trip for the end of the COST student’s placement experience. There are too many new things going on for the student early in the experience for them to have the time and knowledge necessary to attend to your visit, and it can prove quite disruptive to a student teacher if people come during the school placement and especially during the period of full responsibility for the classroom program. Such a trip will be much more fruitful at a later time.

As you prepare to visit a COST participant in country, please keep in mind COST’s no-tolerance policies. Our visitor policies can be found below. Read our travel policies in Weekend Travel. All policies can be found in the COST Student Code of Conduct.

Family & Friends

Visitors may not stay with the COST participant in COST-provided housing. Visitors must make arrangements for accommodation elsewhere.
Visitors may not visit a placement classroom or school site while a COST student teacher is fulfilling their placement requirements.
COST participants and their visitors must seek written approval from placement school before any visit.

Significant Others

COST does not offer services for spouses or significant others abroad and cannot assume any related responsibility.
Significant others may not stay with COST participants in COST-provided housing. Accommodation must be secured elsewhere.

Children

COST does not offer services for children abroad and cannot assume any related responsibility.
COST participants with children must secure alternative living arrangements for their children while completing their placement abroad through COST.

Dismissal

Violation of any policies found here and in the Student Code of Conduct is subject to non-refundable dismissal from the COST program.