By on December 23rd, 2015

How to Prepare to Host an International Student

So you’ve signed up to be a host family for an international student. You’re probably feeling a mixture of excitement and anxiety right now, as you think about how to prepare for your student’s arrival. Fortunately, it’s actually pretty easy to prepare to host an international student if you just take it one step at a time.

Set Up a Spare Bedroom

We’re assuming, for the purposes of this article, that you’ve already applied to be a host family with USH and that you’re preparing for a home visit and for your student to arrive once we’ve found a good match. The first thing to do, then, is to make sure that you have a room set up and ready for your student when they arrive.

If you have a designated guest room already, then you might just want to make sure there’s a fresh set of sheets on the bed and that you haven’t been using it for storage. If you’re converting a spare room to be your student’s room, you’ll need to make sure that you have a good bed, a wardrobe or closet, and a chest of drawers where they can put their clothes. A shelf for books and a desk where they can do their homework will be a good touch, too.

Set Important House Rules

Don’t assume that your house rules are obvious or that it’s easy to tell which are the most important to follow. Instead, go ahead and write down a list of the most important rules to follow in your home. Then you’ll be able to discuss these with your student when they arrive and avoid some potentially awkward or unpleasant situations.

Brainstorm Fun Activities in Your Area

Finally, you’ll want to give your student a full experience of living in the US, so why not show them what your town or city has to offer? Brainstorm some fun activities that you like to do, and check local event calendars to see what’s going to be happening in your area while your student is staying with you. Then you can have a lot of great things planned before they ever arrive.

Preparing to host an international student honestly doesn’t take a lot of work. You just need to ensure that you have somewhere comfortable and safe for them to sleep and keep their belongings, a few house guidelines, and some fun plans for when they arrive. For more information on becoming a host, apply with USH today!