Travelling and especially studying abroad in a new place means completely leaving your comfort zone miles away behind you. You would have to adapt to new life conditions and situations, to be versatile about everything you do with your life in the new place. And that involves sometimes eating junk food or sometimes sleeping in some stranger’s house until your sort out your long-term accommodation. For the former, there is no solution. But thank God there is one for the latter – Couchsurfing! So we’ve put together a list of things you should know on how to be a great Couchsurfing guest. Check it out:
Be punctual!
It may not be a very important business meeting that you are attending, but when you give your word that you are going to be at a certain hour at a place, you should stick to that. I know it might sound a bit like nagging, but Couchsurfing hosts don’t really like when their guests set a meeting time and then they are late. Imagine if you arrive very late at night and then you go out partying without notifying the host. They do want to sleep after a certain hour. Be punctual!
Be clean!
Nothing attracts a bad Couchsuring reference than being dirty in the place that you’re staying. Hosts are welcoming you in their house with all their love and you can’t treat them with impertinence. Leaving the dishes that you use dirty, or not cleaning after yourself are signs of bad manners. And no one likes a person with bad manners. Thus, be considerate and remember – be clean!
Do hang out with your host!
Couchsurfing hosts are not hotel receptionists. They are not there for their jobs, nor to take your money. They are humans, humans that want to meet other humans, so that’s why they are providing the environment for such encounter. Get to know them, go out together, watch a movie with them, grab a beer! You cannot imagine how many quality people you can find on Couchsurfing, so make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to make friends for life!
Be flexible!
Be prepared for the worst and always have a plan B. Even if you have the stay confirmed and have the written confirmation on the app, nothing is certain because people are weird ?. So always have someone else to crash in their place, as things can get pretty messy if your host doesn’t open the door or kicks you out of their house for any reason whatsoever.
Tip your guest!
Couchsurfing hosts are not doing this for the money, they’re doing it for the experience. However, ‘tipping’ them for your stay should not be something unusual. Think about it. They help you save a lot of money by not having to spend it on hotels, hostels, motels, etc. Thus, even the small gesture of offering to cook dinner for the hosts (which involves of course buying the ingredients) can make a difference. You don’t have to think big. A small little thing typical from your country can carry a lot of meaning for hosts, so do think about that!
Online Open Days
So you’ve made the decision of getting out of your comfort zone and go study abroad? That’s brilliant! You’ve got the guts, we’ve got the courses! Have a look at our page with upcoming webinars for universities around the world!
