3 Tips to Living with a Host Family

by Kristen White Blogger Living with strangers in a foreign land is a challenging experience that some students embrace with open arms while others take time to ease into. Regardless of the student’s approach, the host family understands that it is their responsibility to set aside space and to provide meals and integration into their home while the student is living there. Participants in the full high school foreign exchange program may stay with several different families over the year so it is important to be able to shift and adapt to the changing circumstances.

One of the most common tips that past students have found helped make the transition easier is to bring pictures of home with them and put them up in the area where they will be staying.  It helps to make the room feel like home and a place where they can be themselves. When applying for the high school foreign exchange program, parents and students should ask plenty of questions about the host family and where they will be staying so that both are comfortable with the arrangements. Teens should send pictures home of their accommodations and the family so that everyone can get ‘acquainted’ over the course of the stay there.

Another tip for individuals that participate in the gap year programs abroad which are shorter in length is to integrate with the family as much as possible on outings and daily routines. This not only strengthens the bond but also gives the student insight into how the community works together, differences in customs and traditions and learning how to perform normal tasks in a foreign country. Learning the language is a benefit that most students find helpful especially when they are there for the full year exchange program. It not only helps the individual to become bi-lingual but they also feel part of their peer system, the host family and the experience overall when they can communicate and understand what is being said in the native language. Preparing for this ahead of time is a third tip that can make the transition easier because students can learn the basics during the year they are completing paperwork, going through the review process and making plans for transportation, etc.

It is never easy to leave home and family behind but for an opportunity to see a different culture and gain new perspectives, there are ways to make it easier and smoother. Students can choose shorter or longer programs depending on their budget and desired expectations in what they want to get out of the program. Summer camps, high school education or spend the time in between graduation and starting college taking advantage of the many options the study abroad agencies have to offer. Go online and check out the process, the tips from former participants and the requirements to enroll in the program along with financial responsibilities. Staff will help walk applicants through the entire process, answer questions and provide information on how to get government travel documents and everything a student needs to make the experience positive and successful.

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Created on Jul 30th 2019 06:23. Viewed 428 times.

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