Tips for Hosting an Exchange Student

I've been an exchange student two different times - once in Chile for 4 months and another time in Mexico for 5 weeks. From the perspective of a Student, I've written some tips that I feel are very important and should help you and your Student have a successful experience living together.

Explain your family's schedule - What time is dinner to be expected in your household? What can he or she eat for breakfast? What time do you get off of work? What day is laundry day? What does your family like to do in its free time? All these are questions that will flow through your Student's mind as soon as he or she arrives. As soon as I arrived, my host mother started explaining to me the family's daily schedule; she brought me the schedule neatly typed out and we went over it together. It made my transition into her household so much easier because I knew what to expect.

Lay down the law - Obviously every family is different, and depending on whether your Student is in high school or college you may have a different set of rules for him or her to follow. Is there a curfew? Is Sally the cat allowed to go outside? Is alcohol allowed in your home? Is there a bedtime? As soon as your student is settled explain to him/her the rules of your home. Your Student will want to respect your family and your home - by clarifying the rules in the beginning of your venture, awkward moments and potential problems can be avoided.

Ask lots of questions - The only way to make sure that your Student is comfortable is to ask questions. You may want to ask the same question multiple times. What types of food do you hate? What is your favorite food? Do you have enough blankets? Do you need to wash any clothes? Is my house too cold? Can I get you anything special at the grocery store? Did you like that meal? Am I feeding you enough? Am I feeding you too much? Do you need a ride anywhere? Does my cat bother you? Would you like to use the kitchen to make something? Do you like the cereal I buy? In my experience it was always very nerve racking when I needed to tell my host family something important or ask a favor. I would agonize over how I would approach them, what time of the day I would ask the question and I would even plan out the exact phrase I wanted to say ahead of time. Whenever my host mom or dad took the initiative I was always very grateful.

Get to know your Student - This takes time and depending on the type of personality your Student has it could possibly take months. I started to feel comfortable in my host family's home once I felt comfortable around them. I felt most comfortable around them once I realized that they cared about me. They asked about my parents, my brothers, my home. We played cards together, watched movies, listened to music. They introduced me to some of their extended family and even took me to a few different places around town. By including your Student in family activities they will start to feel like they are a part of your family. This makes the experience of living together much more enjoyable.

Make your Student comfortable - Although part of your duty, as a host, is to teach your Student about your culture - the Student may be a bit homesick. For example, I spent Thanksgiving and Halloween in Chile, my host family asked lots of questions about our American holidays and even offered to host a small Thanksgiving in their home. It was a very nice gesture and I think they enjoyed it as much as I did. It also made me feel special because I felt that I was showing them an important aspect of my own country.