Tips for Hosting an Exchange Student

Recently we had the opportunity to host an exchange student from Japan for ten days and we absolutely loved it! It was a great time getting to know her and sharing our two cultures. If you have been curious about what to do while hosting an exchange student, I have some great ideas.

Are you interested in hosting an exchange student but don’t know how to connect? Contact your local college or university and ask how you can connect with a student.

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Tips for Hosting an Exchange Student

Shop the local world market

Hosting an exchange student is the perfect opportunity to get a taste of the world. While our student was here, we stopped in at our local Asian market and let her pick out some favorite ingredients. We came home and let her teach us how to cook Japanese curry, mochi, and okonomiyaki.

Tip: Use Google Translate to read the directions on the back of the package.

Turn over the radio

We love to listen to Spotify when we spend time in the car and have several family playlists. But while we were hosting our exchange student, we handed over the phone and let her choose her favorites. It was so much fun to listen to new music from artists we had never even heard of.

Visit the Local Attractions

While our student was visiting with us, we wanted to show her as many of the local Kentucky attractions as possible. Each day, we took a few hours and went exploring the backroads. Some of the places we visited were Cumberland Falls, the original Kentucky Fried Chicken, Rock House Arch, Kentucky Horsepark, Lincoln Birthplace, and Mill Springs Gristmill.

We have seen these places many times but we loved visiting again with our Tokyo student.

Don’t Skip the Simple Things

With all the road trips we took during the day, sometimes the coolest things to experience are the simple things. Hiking across a field, exploring a barn, or working a puzzle is a great way to make memories and share your life.

Learn from Each Other

One of the highlights of our ten days was the opportunity to learn from each other. While our student was absorbing Kentucky life, we were also learning about Japanese culture. Don’t miss the chance to ask questions and understand more about each other.

Have you ever hosted an exchange student? What’s your favorite part of spending time students from other cultures? We’re already looking forward to next sememster when we can introduce other students to Kentucky life!