Although housing a student is always enjoyable, there are certain things that will make your job as a host easier.

Here are 6 things that we recommend having in order to be prepared to accept a new student into your home.

A Private Bedroom with a Bed

Even though it may seem obvious, these living arrangements must be reinstated to hosts because there are laws regarding international students. Since the State Department plays a role in making sure that students have a proper living space, government workers will have to check your home to make sure that this is in place. Thankfully, this is not a problem unless the house is in ruins and the bed that the student is being provided with is an air mattress!

A Desk

Although this is not legally required, this addition to your student’s room will make their school life much easier. Without their own desk, the student may not know where it’s appropriate to do their schoolwork without interrupting the rest of the household.

A Laundry Basket

Although this may not seem like an urgent item to have for your student, a laundry basket makes a huge difference when hosting a student. Without this, the student might not know what to do with all of their dirty clothing, and often, be too shy to ask. Even if you would like your student to help with the chores, having this is helpful for both the student and the host family.

Meals That Remind Them of Home

When first receiving a student, many hosts will attempt to cook a traditional meal from the student’s homeland, but this is not advised. Chances are that the way we cook them here in America will differ greatly from the way the dishes are made back in their home country. Although the attempt is genuine, this act of kindness might make your student uncomfortable.

Instead of this, wait until they’re settled in and then ask them about their favorite dishes. It might even be a fun bonding activity to make them together. Once you understand their preferences, keep some of their favorite ingredients on hand so they always have a standby when they’re hungry.

 House Rules

A set of rules is not the first thing that you want to put in place once your student arrives. By doing this, the student could be intimidated by you and you could start off on the wrong foot.

Boundaries, though, are necessary to help the student understand how your household works. This set of rules should be put in place after the student has become comfortable with their new surrounding. Quite frankly, an actual list would be helpful so there is no confusion. It might also be helpful to go through these rules with the rest of your family so that everyone is on the same page.

Internet Access

Finally, remember that your student has a family back home who is constantly thinking of them. Although you may have rules on how late your children can stay up on the internet, it would be considerate of you to understand that the student needs time to communicate with their family and friends. With the often dramatic time change, the student may have to stay up late at night to be able to speak to their loved ones. This is a huge change for them, after all.