Exchange Students

It used to be when I heard "exchange student," I had all sorts of happy images in my mind of curious, friendly, adventurous teenagers who were eager to learn about a new place and culture. Now that I've served as an emergency/temporary host for one, my mental images have changed. Now I mostly just see "a foreign teenager," and potentially a less-than-pleasant one at that.

Admittedly, I didn't see the best example of an exchange student. This one was eventually sent home for being involved in breaking some of the exchange program's rules. Two of her closest friends were also sent home. It's such a shame that they squandered their scholarship program experience for the sake of one evening of foolishness.

I was disheartened to see a high level of self-absorption, tech-dependency, and materialism in some of the exchange student teenagers. Why travel to another country to spend all one's free time talking and texting on the phone to friends? Friends that are almost all other exchange students? Also, while we middle-class American families may seem quite rich compared to the average in some countries, that doesn't mean we have the funds to go out to eat all the time and buy lots of name-brand clothes at the mall shops.

If there are any future exchange students reading this, may I share a little advice:

1) If you don't want to abide by the rules of your exchange program, please don't come. You're taking someone else's place in the program.
2) If you're not curious about learning all you can during your short ten months in a new city and home, please don't come. What's the point?
3) If you are going to spend all your free time either shopping or hunched over your tablet or smart phone, please don't come. You can shop and play on your phone at home.

If you do want to keep rules, learn a lot, and become acquainted with new places and people from all kinds of backgrounds, I hope I can someday host one of you. :) I'd love for our family to have a more positive hosting experience.