Here are some general rules, tips, and expectations to help you become accustomed to your new home!
You will be living in a dorm, located right next to the Reutlingen University campus. Dorms are not officially part of the campus as they are in the US, but it is very close and all the students in these dorms are studying at Reutlingen University. There are students from all over the world, so be ready to share your dorm floor with other US students, Germans, and international students.
The dorm has shared bathrooms and every floor has a shared kitchen. You are encouraged to cook and eat in the common areas as it’s a great way to meet new people and practice your German. There is also a cafeteria oncampus and many restaurants very close by.
Each floor of the dorm will elect a ‘floor speaker’ who helps coordinate with the other floors. Each floor will also be responsible for setting community rules and regulations, cleaning the kitchen, and taking out the trash. All CISabroad students are expected to participate in these events and do their part to help the community.
We highly recommend getting to know the Floor Speaker well as they will be a great resource for you onsite.
Helpful tips for living with other people:
- Respect your hosts and the other people that live in the building.
- Remember that you are not on a college campus and not in your own home. Respect the property and get out of the “college campus” mentality.
- Talk to your roommates if they do something that bothers you. Talking it through is the easiest way to solve a small problem before it gets bigger.
- Talk to the staff if a problem arises and you cannot work it out with your roommates.