Accommodation

The ISU Kassel is one of the few summer programs in Germany that offers all participants the unique experience of living with a German host family during their stay in Kassel. The homestay will add immeasurably to your study abroad experience and guarantee manifold opportunities to improve your language and intercultural skills.

Our families are carefully selected and we work closely with them to provide quality accommodation and a caring environment.

Living with a host family is definitely the best way to adjust to another language and culture. You will learn the language faster and experience the customs and traditions of Germany first hand.

Our families live in and around Kassel. Their homes can easily be reached by tram or bus. In your free time, your family will help you discover the best local places. You will get insider information about the best cafés, parks, shops and so on.

Enjoy home-cooked meals and rewarding conversations with your hosts. If you are homesick, your family will cheer you up. You will make international friends and can establish relationships that last for a life time. 

Meals
From Monday through Friday, most students have breakfast and dinner with their host family and have lunch at our campus cafeteria (which also serves vegetarian meals) or at various campus cafés. As the campus is centrally located, there are also many opportunities to grab something to eat downtown Kassel. On the weekend, students will eat with their host family or they will be provided with lunch packages for day trips.

Host family matching
To get to know you better in advance and to learn about your needs and interests, we use a student questionnaire. Thus, our experienced host family coordinator Anke will make sure to find the suitable family for you.
Please let us know in advance if you have special needs or if there is something you cannot eat because of your health or for religious reasons.

In the case of…
In very rare cases, students feel uncomfortable in their family. If you feel unhappy in your host family, this might be caused by miscommunication or culture shock. The ISU team and our experienced host family coordinator will help you solving any problems or misunderstandings. If your problems cannot be solved, a change of host family is possible.

In exceptional cases we can arrange accommodation in a hotel or hostel. This might increase the fee for the ISU program. For details, please contact the ISU office as early as possible but not later than April 30.

Students who came to Kassel before loved to stay at the families and recommended it to future students. Comments by former ISU participants about the homestay:

• “My host family is kind, wonderful, accommodating, considerate and fantastic!”
• “They were very very nice and always helpful, and I felt welcome and comfortable my entire stay, I hope to keep in touch with them.”
• “My host family was really amazing and showed me things I would not have otherwise seen.”
• “I had a blast with this family!”
• “I found it extremely valuable to stay with a host family. I learnt a lot.”
• “They are extremely nice and hospitable and full of knowledge of the German culture. The children are extremely funny and great to have around. I loved the location and the interaction – everything!! Will miss them!”