Hosting an exchange student is a fun and exciting experience for the whole family. However, there are always preparations to be made before the student arrives. What should a family do to help make an exchange student feel at home?

An exchange student comes to explore a foreign culture, and getting on with his or her host family is part of that experience. The host family should be as considerate and kind to the exchange student as possible. If the exchange student is to have his or her own room, the preparation should begin here. This room should be as inviting as possible. The family should find out the student’s favorite color and some preferred accessories（饰物）. They may not want to paint the entire room navy blue（海蓝）, for example, but may want to include navy accessories such as a bedside lamp, trash can, or quilt. The room should ideally（理想地） have a desk, enough storage space and a closet or dresser. It might also be helpful to buy a full-length mirror and mount it on the closet door.

The host family should also check if the exchange student has any special needs and make sure they can meet these special requirements. A wheelchair ramp（斜面） or handrails in the bathroom might be necessary. An exchange student with special needs might even have a service animal, and consideration should be given to this situation as well.

A family should also be prepared for the exchange student to face homesickness（想家）. Most exchange programs have counselors（顾问） and other workers who are used to dealing with this, and they should be consulted as soon as possible. A family should also consult their own family doctor, letting him or her know that they have an exchange student in their home.