Why I Chose To Live With a Host Family

By Caitlin Birkholz, Foster Undergraduate who participated in an exchange with Copenhagen Business School (CBS)

I chose to live with a host family for a variety of reasons. The first reason was that housing in Copenhagen is extremely scarce and expensive. At the Copenhagen Business School there are around 300 dorm rooms for 800 incoming exchange students. Because of this, the school offers private housing help and will put students in contact with host families. I decided living with a family was the best choice over a private apartment or AirBnB because it offered me a peak into Danish culture in a way I new I would never get just access to living with other exchange students.

Living with a family was one of the best decisions I ever made. Living with Danish people really helped me understand them. I had family dinners multiple times a week where the family and I would talk about Danish history and the family’s views on global politics. It was incredibly interesting to hear their perspective on
American news and see how they celebrated holidays, birthdays and just lived on an everyday basis. Besides getting an inside look at how Danish people live, I also developed an incredibly strong friendship with my host sister. Being able to go on walks with her and the family dog, as well as getting her perspective on the best clubs and concert venues was priceless. My suggestion for future study abroad students is if you have the chance to live with a family while studying abroad, TAKE IT!