One of the best things to do to start off your exchange on a good foot is to set realistic expectations and understand your host family and community’s general rules. When you arrive and meet your host family face- to-face, you have many things to talk about and many questions to ask each other. This document contains questions and topics to help facilitate your integration into your host family’s life and better understand your host family's expectations; try to learn how to ask some of these questions in your host country language before you leave. Discuss any differences you find and try to agree on a workable solution.
Remember, it’s important to complete this within the first week of your arrival. Doing so will help you to set expectations and learn the rules of your host family as quickly as possible. Host parents should fully discuss and answer each question with the student and review the questions to ensure that both you and your host family members understand each other. Your host parent(s) should talk with you before deciding to make any changes to the originally agreed-upon host family expectations and rules.