1. Create Account
  2. Login
StudyUSA
Match Me
  • Create Account
  • Login
  • School Search
  • Resources
    • All Resources
    • Articles
    • Student Voices
    • Videos
    • Magazines
    • Podcasts
  • Services
    • All Services
    • Accommodation
    • Support
    • Career
    • Financial
    • Testing
    • Other
  • Apply
  • Chat

Our House, Our World

Our House, Our World

May 15, 2020

By Valeria Saborio

Living in the U.S. has been an amazing experience already but if someone had told me that I’d be living in a house with seven other people from different nations, I would have never believed them. With a grateful heart I can now say that this is my reality, and I love it! 

So how do students from all over the world end up in one house together? Through an amazing organization called the Reno International House! They are a group of people who run several homes that welcome international students to the Reno community. Most of us come to study at the colleges here, some stay for a couple semesters, others their whole college careers. 

So what does living in an international house look like? In my house I’ve had housemates from Romania, China, France, Korea, Japan, Kenya, Bangladesh, Spain, Brazil... just to name a few! Even though from the outside our house looks like a tiny doll house, on the inside we have plenty of space and rooms for each of us. Our kitchen is labeled with our respective room numbers so we each have our own space. We all have chores around the house; we are responsible for keeping things clean and organized. Our common areas are welcoming and engaging, and we all love to spend time together here.

Even though there are eight of us living in the house, we are all busy bees running from class to class and trying to have decent meals and breaks in between. We usually spend time together on the weekends when we try to cook meals together and share about each other’s cultures.

Speaking of cultures, that is by far my favorite thing about living in this house: having the opportunity to learn about other nations and their unique identities is so mind-opening and such a fulfilling experience. I have learned so much about my housemates, and I’d like to say that I have tried to incorporate some of the unique traits from each of their cultures. For example, my housemate from Kenya is always cooking delicious meals with mostly natural and healthy ingredients. Some of his dishes are even similar to Costa Rica’s cuisine (my home country), so whenever he is cooking it makes me appreciate home-cooked meals even more. 

Another trait that I have learned is from my Japanese housemates, and it is the habit of starting your day early. This might not work for everybody, but starting your day earlier than you are used to brings many benefits such as having extra time to prepare for your day, meditate or prayer, work out, getting chores done, and cooking a hearty breakfast.

One of my favorite memories is when we decided to redecorate our house. We brainstormed about what we wanted to change and off we went to Walmart and Home Depot to get plants, some decorations, and organizers. We moved a lot of furniture around, did some try-outs, spent A LOT of time cleaning and organizing, and hours later, the final result:

This made me bond with my housemates much more and after that we were so excited about the final result. Our house felt more like a home, the world map tapestry in our dining room made us all feel proud of our home countries; the comfy sitting areas, study spaces, and plants added life and color all around.

I am so grateful I get to live in this wonderful house with extraordinary people from all over the world. Sometimes I can’t believe we all grew up in such different environments because under our roof, we all feel connected and appreciated.

If you ever have the chance to have a multicultural experience like this, I encourage you to take it! You will grow in appreciation of all the diverse cultures around the globe and make life-long friendships with students from many countries. You won’t regret it! 

Valeria Saborio is from Costa Rica and is pursuing her Industrial and Systems Engineering degree at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, Nevada.

Follow us:
Written by

Valeria Saboria

Get matched to the best program for you

Let us know what you're looking for so we can find the best school for you.

Get matched
Call to action background image. Decorative.

Useful Articles

Main image for the blog post titled An Open Letter to Lycoming College
An Open Letter to Lycoming College
Main image for the blog post titled Learn to Protect Our Environment for a Living
Learn to Protect Our Environment for a Living
Main image for the blog post titled Learn English at Disney
Learn English at Disney
Main image for the blog post titled Accomplish Your Goals in Community at the University of South Carolina
Accomplish Your Goals in Community at the University of South Carolina
Read more

Check Out These Schools

Arkansas State University

Arkansas State University

$10,000 — $15,000 Year

Bachelor Degree English Programs Online
Contact
The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)

The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT)

$1,000—$5,000 Semester

English Programs Bachelor Degree Summer
Contact
College of Lake County

College of Lake County

$10,000 — $15,000 Year

Bachelor Degree Certificate/Short Term English Programs
Contact

Related Stories

From Temple University: You Are Welcome Here!

Main image for the article titled From Temple University: You Are Welcome Here!
From University of Washington - Bothell: You Are Welcome Here!

Main image for the article titled From University of Washington - Bothell: You Are Welcome Here!
From Ohio University: You Are Welcome Here!

Main image for the article titled From Ohio University: You Are Welcome Here!
From Seattle University: You Are Welcome Here!

Main image for the article titled From Seattle University: You Are Welcome Here!

Start your U.S. adventure with Study in the USA

What's your dream? We can guide, advise, and connect you with your perfect U.S. school. We can also help you with the application process.
More about us
Partner Services

Learn About U.S. education financing, housing, and more

Partner service logo for IELTS for the USA

IELTS for the USA

IELTS is the world’s most popular English language proficiency test for higher education and global migration. It is accepted by more than 3,400 institutions in the US. If you want to study in the US, IELTS can help you get there!

Read more
Partner service logo for The Michigan English Test for Higher Education Admissions in the U.S.

The Michigan English Test for Higher Education Admissions in the U.S.

Prove your English and achieve your goals with the Michigan English Test – widely recognized and available on your own schedule at a test center or from home.

Read more
Partner service logo for Cturtle

Cturtle

The JOB+ Career Accelerator gives you the work experience, career coaching and professional network you need to get a great graduate job.

Read more

Testimonials

Quotation mark.

StudyUSA enabled me to create a well thought list of the kind of University I wanted to attend. In doing so, I found out what was most important in making my decision and used it to guide .

Nkoli Mungabo Zambia

When I did manifest my interest in studying in the USA via Study in USA on the website I got help by Anna Castillo from Study in the USA straight away by sending me the details of a couple of schools. I then chose IIC because it is the school that first contacted me and sent me their requirements. Their Academic coordinator who is Adam Jones has been tremendous in helping me get accepted by helping me submit my application, my qualifications and my financial proof. I am more then grateful to be accepted by Intercultural Institute of California and am preparing myself for the visa interview. Fingers crossed my visa will be approved and make my dreams come true. Many thanks to StudyUSA for given me opportunity.

Boubacar Boureima Diaouga Niger

I found out about UM from StudyUSA.com and I did not know that UM gives conditional acceptance until I saw the very informative and organized list provided byStudyUSA.com, thank you for making my dream to study in the USA easier.

Abdulariz Aldhafeeri Kuwait

Resources

Learn about American culture and education direct from our experts at Study in the USA. Read more

Achieving Your Goal
Admissions and Placement Testing
Beyond the Basics
Education System in the USA
Financing Your U.S. Education
Frequently Asked Questions
Life in the USA
Resources
Student Experiences
For students age 10-18
Study in Canada
Podcasts
Magazines
Videos
Student Voices
Ask StudyUSA.com

Subscribe to get the latest from Study in the USA

You can unsubscribe at any time.


StudyUSA
Explore

  • School Search
  • Resources
  •   Articles
  •   Student Voices
  •   Videos
  •   Magazines
  • Partner Services
  •   Accommodation
  •   Career
  •   Financial
  •   Other
  •   Support
  •   Testing
  • Apply
  • Chat
Information

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Course Index
  • Article Index
  • Create account
  • Sign in
  • For Educators & Institutions
Match Me
  • English
    English

  • Privacy & Policy
  • /
  • Terms

Study in the USA logo

© 2023 Study in the USA. All Rights Reserved.

Global Study logo
A member of the Global Study network

When you visit or interact with our sites, services or tools, we or our authorised service providers may use cookies for storing information to help provide you with a better, faster and safer experience and for marketing purposes.