Communicating is Even More Important Than You Think
One of the hardest things an exchange student or a host family may face is sharing information that might result in the student moving to a new family. We are talking about real life things. Things like a host parent or sibling being very ill. A host parent losing his or her job. Students discovering […]
Should I or Shouldn’t I: Why Should I Tell the Exchange Program Anything This Personal?
Students’ families back home clearly make some decisions about what to disclose when they fill out their applications for an exchange year in the U.S. In theory, anything relevant — personal interests, family situations, allergies, and medical issues — should be disclosed through the application and interview process. The exchange world is full of stories, […]
Injuries and Illness While on an Exchange: What’s the Right Thing to Do?
Last year, one of the exchange students in our group had to return home to Norway two months before the end of the exchange year due to illness. Potential host parents ask us questions about this kind of thing: what happens if students get sick while they are here? Do I as a host parent […]
So What Do We Talk About With Your Exchange Students At the Beginning of the Year?
Practical Tips for Host Families (and Students, Too!) The U.S. government requires that J-1 visa high school exchange students have both pre-departure and post-arrival orientations. These meetings cover U.S laws, program rules and regulations, expectations for behavior, how to ensure students’ health and safety, and practical tips for success. We’ve been having our post-arrival welcome […]
Stumbling as the Finish Line Draws Near
Two students in our region had to return to their home countries last week, two months before the end of their exchange. Neither student volunteered to go home early. Both students were sad and did not want to return home now. But for two very different reasons, neither really had any choice. Student #1 was […]
When You Hear an Exchange Student Needs Help – What To Do?
A reader of the ExchangeMom blog recently posed this question: My question is not about my student, but about another student in another state and program that is a friend of his. He has told me that her placement is not good. They are denying her medication and socialization. They are extremely religious and are […]
About Those Pills . . .
As exchange students arrive in the U.S. for the coming year, so, it seems, do their “travel pharmacies.” We’re not talking about specific medications for known conditions; we’re referring to items that have no link to any medical conditions listed in the student’s application. It’s as if students’ families back home don’t believe that their […]