Barcelona: Selecting housing for study abroad

Hello!

I will be studying abroad in Barcelona this fall. I will be attending Universidad de Barcelona.
Thing is, I need to make a decision, ASAP, about what is going to be my form of housing. The options are: staying with a family, residence hall, or independent.

I discarded 'independent' because the total cost would be too much. The rent, food, laundry, added necessities, etc. It was making my budget go way up.

So now its between staying with a family or a residence hall.
The thing is that I want to go out, explore Barcelona, Spain, Europe and just be out doing my own thing.
I like the home-stay because I get three meals per day and that takes a worry away(with residence hall, I only get breakfast). But I'm not sure what would be expected of me. I'm all for spending time with the family and learning about the culture of Barcelona. But I also want to experience the Barcelona nightlife and I want to be around people my age.

So,
does anyone have any advice?
Would it be expected of me to stay at the home, for every meal? Or would it be understood that as a foreigner I want to be out seeing what its all about?

And if anyone has anything to say about staying with a family or residence halls, your input would be welcomed.

Thank you!

I did a 12-month contract at an American university in Spain when I first came here. I often chatted with the students and all the ones that lived with a family totally rated the experience. Those that stayed in the university residence all hated it.

The benefit of staying with a family is that you will see a different side to the life here than you would in the University digs. If it was me, I would try to find a family that took more than one student, that way you still have an English speaker to hang around with if your Spanish isn't so great or the family is boring!

From what I was told, the families don't expect anything other than basic respect - i.e. no loud noise, parties, coming home drunk at 4am and vomiting in the hall way before barging into the bedroom of their 18 year old daughter in your underwear and declaring undying love right before passing out across her bed.
Also, they probably wouldn't take too kindly to you bringing home girls etc (assuming you are a bloke!).

Don't forget, they family get paid whether you eat/sleep there or not. So you should be able to just do your own thing, assuming they understand (and you've made clear) what your intentions/expectations/plans etc. are for during your stay in Spain.

Just my 2cents worth


Sigh, if only I was a student again...

Thank you so much!

I asked my family for advice and went with the family stay. So reading this reaffirms the decision.
They said the same thing- the family gets paid whether I stay for a meal or not so if I'm not there, it shouldn't be an issue.

I'm a girl and I wouldn't even think of bringing a guy over. So they wouldn't have the problem with me. And it'd be hilarious if I felt like professing my love at some son. hahaha
(dont worry, probably won't happen)

Thanks a lot! this helped me a lot!

I notice you only say that it 'probably' won't happen... ;-)

haha
this life is crazy..cant be sure of anything