“I had the incredible fortune of being paired with a family that I got along with right from the beginning, but there were definitely times that I felt a little uncomfortable about how to act and what to say or do. My general advice is this: respect your host family’s boundaries, and try to relax your own boundaries a bit. Respecting your host family’s boundaries should translate into always being polite, neat, responsive and aware of when they need space (during a family argument or while they’re working, for instance). Relaxing your own boundaries is key—though you may be used to a certain routine at home, try mixing it up to be more in tune with your host family; this way, you’ll be able to adapt more easily to the French way of life and learn about the people you’re living with for a semester. For instance, try clearing time on your weekends or before/after classes to cook a meal for your family (even if you’re not a pro, they’ll appreciate your effort), or suggest a trip to a museum together. Try to squeeze in as much time with them as you can! Anyone who has engaged in daily conversation with their host family will have had a much easier time learning the language and the Parisian rhythm of life than some one who lives alone or with other students.” – Alexa Davis, CC ‘11

“At first, I often had a hard time expressing to my host family that I was uncomfortable with a certain situation. I always thought that since I was the guest, I really shouldn’t say anything. However, I think this created more of a problem because it left me upset and frustrated about situations that could have been easily changed if I had expressed my opinion. When I finally did tell my host mother that I wasn’t okay with something, she was more than willing to adjust the situation.” -Arielle Fox, CC ‘11