One of the happiest moments in recent years was receiving my acceptance letter to Berkeley. The excitement came with countless questions: documentation, visas, travel, language, transportation, housing… All of these concerns appear as soon as one truly begins to consider studying at a university abroad. While searching for options online, as many of us likely did, we all reached the same conclusion: living in the Bay Area is incredibly expensive.
The search returned many results. It presented endless options: studios, shared apartments, co-ops, and even fraternities showed up among the possibilities. Among all those alternatives, I found something called International House at UC Berkeley. “International? Perfect, I’m international.” Right next to campus, no need for transportation, meals included… it seemed to have everything. It sounded fun and convenient. Great — housing solved. Next.
The reality was completely different. Before arriving, one assumes it will simply be a place to sleep while the real experiences happen at the university. Maybe you expect to meet a few people, perhaps make a couple of friends, but nothing that would surpass having your own studio, cooking your own meals, or having your own space. Well, I discovered that this wasn’t the case. It ended up being the best decision I could have made. I-House became a multicultural, profound, and unforgettable experience, for which I am infinitely grateful, and which shaped, in many ways, how I see the world now.
