Homestay Guidelines
for Students
- Know that the goal of the Homestay Program is to bring
the diversity of international students together with the diversity
of American homes and families with the hope that this shared experience will
inspire lasting friendships and learning
- Please feel welcome into our
homes. Don't be afraid to ask questions, speak openly and participate in
regular family activities.
- Please be courteous and respectful of the family and home. This means, for
example, keeping your bedroom clean, and bathroom clean and dry; letting your
homestay
know if you will not be home for dinner or if you will be late coming home
at night; being careful of how much noise you make when others are sleeping;
learning
the 'house rules' or special needs of your homestay.
- Please attend to American
customs regarding personal cleanliness.
- Overnight guests or romantic
visits, day or night, are not allowed. This is a family issue as
well as a security
issue. There are several homestays that have children for which this
issue is especially
important.
- Check with the homestay about daytime visitors.
- Please
be careful about use of water, electricity, gas, etc. Be aware
that these
are expensive,
especially during the summer and winter. Limiting your showers to
10 - 15 minutes, turning off lights when leaving a room, turning off
TVs when not in use or
when sleeping will be appreciated by your family.
- Do not use homestay
appliances such as washers/dryers until your homestay family
shows
you how to operate
them
properly.
- Please use a calling card for any long-distance calls,
unless you have set up your own phone line under your own name.
- Don't forget
you are
here above all else to learn English. So ask questions, and tell
your homestay about
your day.
- You are expected to show respect to family members
and behave
responsibly at all times.
- The continental breakfast is
self-serve, and a family member
usually prepares the evening meal. Remember that you need
to clean up after you have breakfast.
- Smoking, using alcoholic beverages
and illegal drugs
are NOT
permitted. However when smoking is permitted outside, extinguish
your cigarette butt COMPLETELY and dispose of it properly.
- Please always
remember that
most problems come from communication and language-related
problems. If you are
confused or angry about something with your homestay
family, it
is probably
because of
some misunderstanding. Try to communicate with your family,
ask questions if you don't understand something. Talk to them
(politely) if
you are upset or
angry.
- Please do your best to fit into your homestay
family's normal routine, schedules
and usual diet (although food likes, dislikes, and
allergies will be taken into consideration by your family when making
the evening meal).
- You
are responsible
to reimburse your homestay family for any repairs
due to damage to their home or property, or any outstanding bill, before
you leave
the home.
- Notify the
homestay coordinator immediately if there is any
problem
between
you and your family, or if you are planning to move
out.
- Students are
not
expected to
do household chores beyond cleaning up after
themselves and maintaining their private
living spaces. Participation in household routines
such
as clearing the dinner table, however, is considered good
manners in
our culture.
If a student chooses
to move out of the home stay for reasons other
than incompatability, for example, they found an apartment in which
to
move, they want to
live
closer to the ELI,
and choose to not wait until the end of the session
to
move,
they must pay their homestay owner for the entire
session. No refunds for
unused days in
the current
session.
