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Accommodation Considerations
When you have decided in which city to study Spanish and the Spanish course school and type of Spanish course to join you will have to take the final decision. In UniSpain we offer 4 different types of accommodation in at every location: a room in a shared student flat, a room with a Spanish host family, an individual studio / one bedroom apartment or a hostel or hotel.
The main differences between these types of accommodation is the price, the flexibility regarding to length of stay and arrival dates and the fact of being able to practice Spanish language outside classes.
Shared Flat
A room in a shared student flat is the most popular option mainly because of the low price and the freedom of living only with other students. The flexibility regarding to arriving and the length of stay is not very great. In most student flats you will have to arrive at the beginning of the calendar month and stay for full months. It is possible to stay longer or to arrive in the middle of the month but this usually costs extra.
Unless you are studying Spanish in Spain for a longer period (5 months +) you will in most shared flats be living with mainly other foreign students. The reason for this is that the rooms in flats where Spanish students live are occupied during the months of September and October when the university courses start and are only available for long term rental. This makes it a bit more difficult to practice Spanish at home as foreigners tend to speak English together.
Spanish Host Family
This is the second most popular type of accommodation. The main advantages of living with a Spanish family is that you get to practice your Spanish all the time (most Spanish families do not speak any English) and you will get to know the Spanish culture and way of life better. Another advantage is the great flexibility regarding to the length of stay and the date of arrival.
A negative point is the price, which is higher than a shared flat but includes either 2 or 3 meals per day and although students can come and leave as they wish you will still have to follow the basic norms of the family (i.e. no parties or having your friends around all the time). A point that surprises some students is that many families consists of elderly people with grownup children that have left their home and it is also common to host more than one foreign student.
Individual Apartment
This option is not very popular mainly because of the price which is approx. the double of living in a shared flat. If the money is not a problem and you prefer living on your own this is the perfect option although you obviously will not be able to practice your Spanish at home. There is more flexibility regarding to the arrival date and the length of the stay but it will result more expensive.
Hostels & Hotels
This is the less popular option and can only be recommended if you are planning to stay for a short period and want to live by yourself. For longer periods this is the most expensive way of living but as the flexibility regarding to time of arrival and length of stay is high, it is sometimes the only option for people staying for a short period and who do not want to stay with a family.
More information about accommodation with your Spanish Courses at UniSpain.