Many full time overseas students are studying for a full degree at your college and stay for the 3 or 4 years it takes to complete the course.
There are however, thousands of foreign students studying on a short term basis, usually for the second or third year of their course. These are exchange students and as these exchange programs are generally reciprocal you may be able, as part of your study program, to study at an overseas university for a year.
Each year there are also thousands of school children who also attend school in another country for periods up to a year. Again it is not because their families have moved during the summer but it’s because they are foreign exchange students and their experience abroad is as much a part of their education as their regular classroom studies.
Foreign exchange students can be found in many different countries all over the world. They generally have an avid interest in the culture of the area they have traveled to and usually have to have at least a basic grasp of the language.
By living abroad they gain an insider’s knowledge that they could never aquire from a text book back in their homeland thousands of miles away. In addition they learn the language, often becoming fluent during their time abroad
Foreign exchange students embark on an adventure that includes living in the home of virtual strangers for months at a time. The program involves recruiting host families who provide a place to stay as well as the essentials for the foreign exchange students.
Host families are carefully screened and chosen based on certain criteria. When a host family applies to the program they are asked if they have a preference regarding the gender of the foreign exchange students or the age. The majority of foreign exchange students are in the mid to late teens.
Once the host family is chosen they are given more information on the student that will be living with them. This helps them prepare for their arrival.