Welcoming ‘borrowed teens’: How hosting international students became the best decision we made
My name is Charlotte, and together with my two children, we’ve been doing something pretty unique!
We opened our home (and our hearts) to York College international students and now in our third year of hosting, we wanted to tell you all about it.
Each year, York College welcomes 16–18 year olds from Norway, Switzerland, Germany and Italy and the range in nationalities is ever-growing.
As a family, me and my children are thoroughly enjoying the experience and have been pleasantly surprised by how enriching adding this dimension into our lives has been. In jest, I refer to our international students as my “borrowed teens” and they have become very much part of our little world.
York College international students normally stay for a full academic year, so from September until mid-June, also returning to their countries at Christmas and Easter for the holidays. To me, this means that we have the fantastic opportunity to truly get to know them and them us.
I will be honest in sharing that I did feel a mixture of apprehension and excitement when we decided to take on this new venture. I wondered whether I had the hours in the day. When you’re starting something new, it’s hard to imagine how things will be and there are many scenarios that buzz around your mind. Any nerves I had soon settled though when we met our first student Hanne, who was from Norway.
I remember when Hanne arrived with us, we were both a bit shy but both happy to have found each other. Watching Hanne’s confidence grow throughout the year with her studies and relationships with friends was so special to watch. The students change so much throughout the year and even though they’re just my “borrowed teens”, I feel very proud of them!
We initially started hosting part way through the academic year, so my second experience of hosting was my first full year. This time we welcomed Maja and Clarisse who were from Norway and Switzerland. These girls honestly became part of our family and very much like big sisters to my own children.
I really enjoy the balance that hosting older teenagers brings. I have found my students to be independent, whilst also wanting to spend time with us as a family. We have enjoyed trips to the seaside, cinema and theme parks as well as our weekly Friday night movie and pizza time. We’re also all partial to a competitive game of Mario Kart and it has brought me so much joy to see how kind the students are to my children.
On my daughter’s last birthday, she was able to go into school and tell her class how to say “Happy Birthday” in both Norwegian and French. Having the opportunity to learn words and phrases of other languages from our students has been a lot of fun.
As well as witnessing our students’ confidence grow throughout their time with us, I’ve seen such a boost in that of my own children from this experience. Building friendships with a new person has really helped their conversational skills and they have learnt how to ask questions to get to know someone better. I feel that this is such a great life skill for them.
Something I really enjoy is cooking and although I’m no professional (and you don’t need to be, by any means!) it’s been great to try out new recipes and learn what the students enjoy the most. I’ve tried to make my students feel as welcome as possible when it comes to their preferences and have now added their favourites into our mealtimes.
I’ve learnt that in Norway tacos is a BIG thing, who knew?! So now we enjoy tacos regularly. Clarisse’s dad even posted us some curry spices from Switzerland so I could give his speciality a go too.
We’re lucky to have friends who also host York College international students. They’re now in their third year of hosting, too, and began just shortly after I did when I shared how great the experience was. We feel like we’ve got a little international community between the two households and have enjoyed BBQs, roast dinners and even a Eurovision party together!
A difficulty I will share is that saying goodbye at the end of their time with us is tough. It’s bittersweet because we know we will miss them, but we are also grateful for the memories we have made. I’m really excited to see what our students do next, and I can’t wait to see them very soon, perhaps even in their own countries which we have been invited to visit.
- To provide a private furnished bedroom with a desk and storage.
- Breakfast and evening meals as well as lunch at the weekends.
- Actively make the student feel like part of my family.
- Live nearby or have good transport links to College.
- If hosting full-time, be available from the beginning of September when students arrive.
- Local support 24/7. Direct help from College’s in-house International Team.
- Thoughtful matches. College use preference forms from both hosts and students, so placements feel like a good fit from the start.
- Competitive rates. Host payments are £28 per night, per student. Plus, College offer extra monthly payments for those hosting students with allergies or dietary requirements.
- Flexible options. You can host full-time or short term as a relief host. College are happy to work around various schedules and being a relief host may be a good option if you are unsure about a full-time placement.
Maja, Norwegian international student:
“To me, homestay is a place that’s very welcoming, a place where you can be yourself and where you feel safe. It’s also important that the host family is very kind and helpful if you need anything.
“My homestay experience really influenced my year in a very good way. I felt very welcome, even from the first second.
“My favourite thing was having movie nights every Friday night. It was great to have something nice to eat like pizza or tacos and then to all watch a film together. I also loved our Cinema trips.
“I will definitely return and visit Charlotte and her children, I’m really going to miss them.”
Clarisse, Swiss international student:
“If I think about my highlights of homestay, going to the theme park was so much fun. I also really loved it when we went to the circus because I’d not been to a circus before.
“It was nice to have a homestay with children, and I liked doing activities with Charlotte and her family. It was also nice to still have some independence, so I appreciated the balance.
“There is energy in the house when there are children around. You can play games with them or play outside, it brings life.
“My experience with homestay was really good and it was one of the highlights of my exchange year. I feel so lucky to have had the host family that I did because I felt safe, appreciated and welcome.”
You can reach the team by emailing accommodation@yorkcollege.ac.uk.
Alternatively, visit the Homestay webpage and fill out the contact form.
