Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol 49, No. 1 - 57

International Students' Housing Experience
In establishing international and multicultural living-learning
communities, universities recognize the importance of a multicultural
living environment in providing valuable opportunities for domestic
students to interact with people from different cultures, expand their
worldview, and receive peer training on diversity.
experiences in residence halls are an essential part of the overall collegiate experience
that can lead to a sense of belonging to the university community (Lisack, 2014;
Tolman, 2017). Students' sense of community, in turn, is associated with increased
student persistence and a higher level of psychological energy to make new friends
and participate in activities (Braxton et al., 2013).
In addition to the traditional role of residence life, colleges and universities have
introduced living-learning communities, a residential program that incorporates academic
themes such as international, multicultural, and STEM topics (science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics; Brower & Inkelas, 2010). In establishing international
and multicultural living-learning communities, universities recognize the
importance of a multicultural living environment in providing valuable opportunities
for domestic students to interact with people from different cultures, expand their
worldview, and receive peer training on diversity (Harwood et al., 2012; Tolman, 2017).
Multicultural living environments can also provide ample opportunities for international
students to learn about U.S. culture, practice English, receive additional support,
and establish social networks, which can lead to positive and satisfying collegiate
experiences (Tolman, 2017). However, there are few studies on international students'
experience of multicultural living-learning communities. The present study examined
their experiences as well as the perceived benefits and challenges of living with roommates
from different cultures and the factors that facilitated positive relationships with
their roommates.
BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF
MULTICULTURAL LIVING-LEARNING COMMUNITIES
Multicultural living-learning communities can provide several benefits for both international
and domestic students. For example, living with roommates from different
cultures can boost students' development of intercultural maturity (Antonio &
Ofori-Dwumfuo, 2015). Furthermore, when international students formed a supportive
relationship with their roommates, this social support facilitated their adjustment
to U.S. culture (Baba & Hosoda, 2014), and social connections and friendship with
their roommates helped them feel less lonely and homesick (Lisack, 2014). International
students living with U.S. students were able to practice English with their roommates
and learn informal spoken English such as slang, which is hard to learn in
traditional academic settings (Sherry et al., 2009).
Multicultural living-learning communities also created some challenges for international
students. Some felt that students from other cultures did not understand
54 The Journal of College and University Student Housing

Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol 49, No. 1

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol 49, No. 1