How to pick a student

Congratulations! You have made the decision to host a student in your home! Now comes the hard part.. How to pick a student. There are many things to factor in your decision. After all this student will be living with you for the next several months to a year.

Boy or a girl?

The first thing to decide is do you wish to have a boy or girl in your home. If you have children already in your home make sure to include them in this decision. They have to live with them to. I find if you have teenage children in your home and there are boys and girls than usually picking a girl works best. Girls in general tend to form bonds easier.

Student from a specific country?

Now are you wishing to pick a student from a specific country? There are usually many countries to choose from depending on the company you go through.  Bare in mind that in general students from large cities will generally prefer to be in a similar situation when they get placed. Imagine going from a huge city with many activty choices to a small farming community. It can be hard to adjust. This does not always hold true but it is something to consider. Especially with students from European countries.

Religion?

Are you a religious family? If so take that into consideration when choosing a student. Student profiles almost always include their religion, and whether or not they would be willing to participate in your church activities. If this is a major part of your life make sure you pick a student who is willing to be involved. If you are not relgious but the student you are interested in is, are you willing to help them get to a house of worship?

Pets?

Do you have pets? Make sure you look at their profiles to check for allergies or fears. That could be a horrible way to start their stay.

Used to have siblings?

If you have other children already, check to see if they have sibilings. Are they the oldest/youngest? Did they list wanting host sibilings? Sometimes students without sibilings can have a hard time adjusting to having them. Especially if they are young children which can tend to be loud and want to be with their host sibiling at all times.

Interests and activities?

Make sure to look at the activities and interests on their profiles. Are they similar to yours? Do you have any of those activities where you live? A lot of students list things they would like to try that they can not do in their country. It would be neat if you could offer them the chance to do some of those while they are with you.

It seems like a lot to consider when picking a student. But really it is all common sense. You want to have a great experience as do they. It only makes sense to make sure you have things in common.