Living Alone Vs Living with Roommates Abroad
Living abroad is a completely different experience for Indian students. They experience a different culture, and environment, meet new people, make new friends, etc. In this blog, we have provided a detailed comparison of living alone vs. living with roommates. We have discussed its benefits and drawbacks, ways to manage expenses, and other alternatives for saving more.
The blog will help the students analyse all the significant aspects of living before deciding. Living in a foreign land isn’t easy, but our effort is to make the dream journey smoother and seamless.
Overview of Living Alone Vs Living with Roommates
Students in a foreign land get exposed to many changes, like adapting to a new culture, living in a new home, making new friends, and experiencing changes in their lifestyle. These changes allow students to develop their adaptability, perspective & skills. It provides cultural amalgamation, ensures independence & offers a better worldview. However, the most challenging task for the students is choosing a comfortable space. Selecting a comfortable space means choosing a home & it depends on the students whether they want to live alone or with friends.
Living alone or living with roommates has its pros & cons. Each experience provides a different perspective & exposure to the students worth considering.
Pros & Cons of Living Alone
Living alone has its own benefits & drawbacks. Lets us understand the differences in detail.
Advantages of Living Alone
- Privacy: Living alone offers privacy to students. This is especially important for those students who are not outspoken or extroverted. It gives them a comfortable space, which becomes very important for them. Students’ privacy is sometimes compromised when living with people from different cultures. Living alone provides time for introspection & helps in rejuvenation.
- Flexibility: It provides flexibility to the students, as they can have their own schedule without adjusting to someone else’s. This flexibility allows the students to focus on themselves rather than on others.
- Independence: Staying alone has an additional advantage over staying with roommates. It gives students the independence to make choices for themselves. Staying with roommates doesn’t provide much independence since one has to accommodate & adjust with others.
- Staying Focused: One advantage is that it allows more time for the students to focus on their studies and future prospects and explore diverse careers. This will offer them better opportunities and more choices.
Disadvantages of Living Alone
- High Cost: Staying alone can be expensive for students since it becomes difficult to manage their expenses alone. Living with roommates helps the students manage expenses and offers affordability. The cost of living varies from country to country. In the USA, living alone in the city centre can cost around $2790, which is approximately 2,32,68 INR. In the UK, this can cost around ￡1395 or 1,45,372 INR per month.
- Homesickness: Sometimes, living alone can be very difficult for students. Loneliness reminds them of their home and increases their longing for family. This is one of the significant disadvantages of staying alone.
- Psychological Impacts: For some students, staying alone can be very challenging. It is no longer a boon but a bane for the students since it leads to overthinking, anxiety, depression, and stress.
How Can I Live Alone?
Living alone isn’t difficult if the students can manage their expenses alone. Here are a few ways which will help students to manage their budget:
- Doing part-time jobs: Taking part-time jobs will help the students to manage their living expenses. It can also be beneficial in providing additional income to the students.
- Staying in the suburbs: Living in the city centre can be expensive. Instead of that, students should find accommodation near the suburbs. The cost of living is reduced if students choose to live in suburban areas.
- Cooking food: Buying food or eating outside can be expensive for students. So, the best alternative is to cook food at home to save extra money.
- Using bicycles or walking to the university: Walking to the university or using bicycles, public transport, etc is affordable compared to cabs. This can be one of the best ways to manage expenses.
Also read – Ways to Fund your Overseas Education
Living with Roommates: Is it Worth Enjoying?
Living with roommates has its pros & cons which is important for students to understand while looking for accommodation.
Advantages of Living with roommates
- Living Expenses: Living with roommates will help students manage their living expenses effectively. Splitting the bills with friends allows students to save more and manage their costs on their own. The fees vary from country to country. For example, in the USA, living with roommates can cost around 1,57,626 INR per month, and in the UK, it can be around ￡1095 or 1,14,109 INR per month.
- Networking: Flatmates or roommates help students to enhance their communication & strengthen their networking skills. Improved communication helps students get better opportunities, improve their professional relationships, etc.
- Psychological Benefits: The benefits of living with roommates are greater than those of staying alone. It reduces problems like anxiety, depression, overthinking, etc. Sometimes, staying alone can be haunting for some students. Hence, staying with people makes you feel connected and valued.
- Companionship: Some students seek a home. Homesickness has psychological impacts on the mind. To address this, students long for friends in a foreign land. This is addressed through friends or roommates. They provide companionship and make them feel like family.
Disadvantages of Living with roommates
- Privacy: Sometimes, staying with friends hinders privacy and doesn’t allow flexibility for students. This hindrance can affect students’ development both personally and professionally.
- Independence: Sometimes, students become dependent while staying with others. They rely more on others than on themselves, which somehow hampers their overall growth.
- Financial Issues: Sometimes, staying with friends causes economic problems, like splitting the bills.
- Conflicting Schedules: One of the major issues students face is adjusting their roommates’ schedules. Sometimes, this leads to problems and is one of the most significant disadvantages of living together.
Choosing Your Living Arrangements: Financial Advice
Students abroad should focus on finances, schedules, privacy, and exposure. Students who can accommodate & adjust according to others should always prefer living together. Students who could be more outspoken & adapt quickly to the changing surroundings should prefer staying alone. For some students, it is the finance that becomes a conflict. Under such circumstances, living with friends or flatmates can be the best alternative.
However, in the end, it is the student’s call to decide the best for them that will help them to manage their studies, passion & expenses together.
FAQs
What are the disadvantages of living with roommates?
One of the major disadvantages of living with roommates is dependency. It restricts the schedules & doesn’t offer freedom to the students. This restricts their overall development & further leads to conflicts.
Is the USA expensive for students?
The cost of living in the USA is high, i.e. 1,57,626 INR per month. However, it isn’t very difficult to sustain in the USA. Students can do part-time jobs or adopt other means of saving money.
How can I earn money as a student?
Students can take part-time jobs & can work as copyists, servers, and typewriters to earn money while studying.
If you are an aspirant looking to study at your dream university, book an appointment with AdmitX today and start your applications early to avail yourself of all the benefits.
