Need Advice for Living in Taipei for Summer Study

I have never been to Taiwan and am attending the Mandarin Training Center program at NTNU from June through August. I have several questions about living in Taipei and was hoping people could answer or point me in the right direction. I am arriving in Taipei the middle of May to get settled. All help is appreciated!

  1. Is it common or possible for students to live in on-campus housing?

  2. Should I find a place to live before or after arriving?

  3. What are the best ways to find a place? Facebook groups?

  4. Best way to find (good) roommates? How to find other MTC students looking for a place to live?

  5. Where is a good place to stay when first arriving in Taipei before an apartment is found?

Welcome. My info might be a bit out of date but it should be in the general ballpark:

  1. There are some dorms for foreigners. Most people prefer to live outside of the campus becauise of space/curfew/cultural shock issues.

  2. AFTER. Do not rent anything from abroad. Seriously, no. Stay in an Airbnb, a hotel, a hostel, anything, visit and choose. Scams are not that rufe but they can really ruin yoir stay. Nope. Check www.tmm.org.tw for safer listings.

  3. Friends of friends. Walking. Just luck.

  4. Several billboards on campus and around. TMM as set above.

  5. Hotel in the vicinity? Heard good things about a foreign owned hostel in Shida Road.

Check with us about location. Dingxi OK. Tamsui…difficult.

Plenty of cheap hotels in Ximenting area, an MRT ride away.

I believe there’s a lot of Facebook groups for housing roommates.