Searching for a room can be learned

Know what you are looking for and what to look for

Before you start looking for a room, it is of course useful to first consider what you find important in a room. Do you want a room in the center or rather a larger or cheaper room? The location of the room can play a big role. Things like accessibility by public transport, supermarkets nearby and the distance to your study or the city center should all be kept in mind when you are looking for a room. Of course, the price of the room also plays a big role. How much are you willing to pay? And how many square meters would you like? It's also smart to look at the ratio of square footage to rent.

And then there are roommates... Do you want to live in a mixed house? How many roommates would you like best? And how many people would you like to share the bathroom and kitchen with? Furthermore, you have the choice between a close and active house or an independent house. These are all things you can take into consideration when you go through all the room ads.

Although it is nice to know what you are looking for in a room, it does not always make the search easier. Unfortunately, we are in a time where there is a shortage of housing and therefore not much supply of student housing. You can prepare a list of requirements, but the chances of finding a room that ticks all the checkboxes is very small.

Still, it is good to think about rooms and what you find important, so you can use this as a guideline in your search.

How do you best introduce yourself in a message?

There it is, the perfect ad, the perfect room. But what's the best way to introduce yourself? You want to be invited to the homestay, so you need to stand out from the crowd.

The most important thing is to tell as much about yourself as possible. Who are you? Where do you come from? What are you studying? What are your hobbies? Why would you want to live in this room?

A tip is to write a "standard" message in which you tell as much about yourself as possible. You can then adapt this message to the advertisements, but you don't have to write a new message every time.

Do you really want to stand out? Then make a video in which you introduce yourself, so the (perhaps) future roommates get to know you even better.

Do you prefer to play it safe? Keep it to a message, but do not be too concise and possibly also send a picture of yourself. That way you can give a better picture of yourself.

The most important thing is to tell as much about yourself as possible. What makes you the best roommate?

The viewing night, how do you go about it?

Yes! You are one of the lucky ones and can come to the homestay. But now what? How do you make sure you convince the dorm that you are the perfect match?

The most important thing is that you stay yourself. Don't be extra funny, loud or tough to stand out during the hospiteer night. Most people will see through this and therefore will not choose you.

This may sound a bit contradictory, but don't let yourself be pushed into the background and overshadowed. So it is important to find a good balance between drawing attention to yourself and being more in the background. So don't be intimidated by others and be yourself above all!

Be critical. The hospiteer evening is also a chance to see the room and the rest of the house in real life. It is important to seize this opportunity and look at the house critically. Ask yourself if you would like to live here. Is this what you expected from a student room?

Furthermore you should not forget that not only you will be judged during the hospiteer night, but also the people who already live in the house. Are they sociable people? Do you have a click with these people? Do you see yourself living among these people?

In short, be yourself and don't forget that you can also be critical of the student house.

Disappointment cannot be avoided

Unfortunately, if you follow these tips you will still face disappointment. There is little supply and much demand. So there is not always a response to the message that you have done your best on. Maybe you go to ten hospiteeravond and you still have not managed to get a room.

It's important to know that none of this is personal. This doesn't say anything about you as a person. There is simply a shortage of student rooms.

In short, finding a room is done by responding to ads with long and extensive messages, making sure you know what you're looking for, be yourself during the hospiteeravond and don't give up!