Hosting Overseas Students
Being a host family for an international student can be a rewarding experience, with an abundance of advantages aside from the extra money in your pocket. Inviting a stranger into your home can be scary, but overseas students are here to study and experience our world class education – it’s your job to make their home life comfortable and enjoyable so they enjoy their time in the UK.
So if you’ve never hosted anybody before, or are used to having lodgers or short term holidaymakers you may be wondering: what is it really like to host an overseas student? Whether they are a teenager or a university student, there are many benefits to welcoming a foreign student. You’ll be helping someone from another country settle in to their new surroundings – remember it’s just as daunting for them as it is for you.
Put your space to good use
If you have one or more spare rooms in the household, then why not put them to good use? Of course, hosting provides an extra income but many homestay hosts don’t do it for the money. They love the experience of sharing their home and helping students who are new to England. Plus, it will prevent you from filling those spare rooms with junk!
Make lifelong friends
When you welcome somebody into your home for a long period of time, you’re likely to become lifelong friends. This means that after hosting a few students you’ll likely have friends all over the world who may offer you the chance to stay at their home in return – that’s a great opportunity to travel.
Learn about a different culture
While your student will obviously want to discover British culture and enjoy your home cooking of the local cuisine, hosting is also a chance for you to learn about new cultures. It’s also a great opportunity if you have children at home, as they can learn about places they may have never visited and broaden their horizons.
Enjoy the company
If you have empty nest syndrome because your adult children have moved out of the family home, then hosting a foreign student is the perfect solution. Even if you’ve never had children and would enjoy some company, then you can have somebody live with you and be the company they need too in a new country.
If you’d like to find out more about hosting an international student, register with HFS London and we’ll give you a call.
