Unfortunately many exchange students make the mistake of not having accommodation set up until they arrive on campus thinking they can just "wing it". They end up roaming the streets looking for a place to stay which is not pleasant in the slightest. Please do not make this mistake! Organise your accommodation before you leave for exchange.

As many exchange students are usually around the age of 20-23, majority of them choose for apartments/housing that is off-campus (between 0-2km from class). Mainly freshmen (those in their first year of university) stay on campus in shared dorms. Whilst this may appeal to you from a location point of view, consider the advantages and disadvantages in the table above and assess which option is best for you. Remember, off campus is not as bad as the name might suggest. Yes you may not be able to literally roll of out bed into class, but it's only a short walk to campus (or public transport may be available).

Some colleges may also have on-campus accommodation options that are not dormitories, but resemble more of an apartment-like feel. These could also be easier to apply for as your American college may send you some simple forms and info to fill out along with your acceptance letter, which saves you the hassle of trying to find housing yourself!

• Facebook can be a great source to find accommodation. Search for Facebook groups with the name 'sublets groups', 'Buy, Rent, Sell', 'Class of 2019' etc… for your specific college and request to join. Note: Some groups require you to have an active college email address. Once you have joined, make a post saying you are an exchange student looking for accommodation, and see what kind of responses/interest you get. See an example post below: 

  

• Do a google search and find some apartments/housing options around the college
• Email or call them directly to see if there are any availabilities
• Explain you only want a sublease. Even be willing to say you will pay an extra $10 a week to have the 6 month lease (this saves you the trouble of having to find someone to takeover the lease once you leave)

• It is extremely useful to find previous exchange students who went to your college and ask for their advice on the best places to stay
• Try ask them for how they approached finding accommodation and if they had their time over again, how would they do it
• Get in touch with your university exchange department as they may have some helpful resources in relation to accommodation options for particular colleges. You can also check your USA College's website for housing information too

• Look at tools like Craigslist (make sure you go to your specific city's craigslist), Zillow, Housinganywhere etc...

If you want to get true local american experience, stay with as many Americans as possible. This opens up many opportunities for you like staying at their houses over holidays and getting local knowledge (and if you’re lucky, the use of their car when they don’t need it!).

If your apartment / house is unfurnished, you will need to source your own stuff. To avoid outlaying a huge amount of cash on new furniture, look at local college buy / rent / sell Facebook groups, Craigslist, or Goodwill for 2nd hand furniture.

It may be boring, but it is a really crucial step to understand your obligations for the rental period as well as the general property rules.

Americans pay rent by the month. Different leasing agents have different payment methods (e.g. Cheque, cash in hand, bank transfer, Paypal) for rent. Try do whatever is the most convenient for you.

As soon as you get your letter of acceptance into your particular college, start trying to find accommodation. This can be a long process so give yourself a few months of research time.