Living+with+a+Host+Family



For many students, the thought to live with a host family brings forth both exhilaration and anxiety. It's exciting to meet new people and learn about their culture. At the same time, it can also be scary. Problems like //What will they be like? What will they feed me with?// may be racing through your mind hand. It's common for students to flock to live in arrangements that they are comfortable with: to the dorm or relatives' house. Some students hope the family's lifestyle will be similar to the way they lived at home, but this is rarely the case. Before we proceed any further, it might me helpful to put the nervous and anxious emotions aside and think about this: to some degree, your host family is just as nervous as you are, as they are inviting you (a complete stranger) to their house. **Together, you will overcome and learn from each other.**

In NWS, host families are carefully selected. It is helpful to understand that **no two families are the same**. Keep in mind that every one of them is different and unique. In most cases, they live in a reasonable distance from school, they are native English-speakers and they usually have a kid or kids who also go(es) to the NWS. The majority of them provide a pretty good living condition. However, it is smart to look into the details of each family before you make your decision. It will cost about $500-600 per month. You will need to turn in an application in advance in order to allow the school to assign a host family for you.


 * [[image:http://widget.slide.com/rdr/1/1/2/S/300000003b51161/1/0/ymqFLcHU6qCW84hdk0INAQStqZwlLwxH.jpg align="right"]]Living with a host family is the best way to totally immerse yourself in another culture**. You may share meals with them, practice speaking as you chat about your day at school, and spend time doing things with them. As time goes by, you'll get a feeling for how the family functions. It is important to be aware of their living habits and try to be a part of the family. Most students who live with a family enjoy the freedom to come and go as they please. They also enjoy home-cooked meals and insightful conversations with their hosts. You won't get that in the Dorm!

The key to building a successful relationship with your host family is to **communicate**. It is totally natural that, at first, you may not be able to understand everything your family is saying (even advanced students may need an adjustment period before they are comfortable with the accent.) The first few weeks of your international experience might give you a bad case of homesickness. However, in a long run, living in a host family would be a sweet, helpful, memorable experience to get through.

Other Living Options: Dormitory Life Living with Relatives

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