By Abby Henson
When a student studies abroad, it’s not just their world that expands—it is the family’s, too. But while the experience can be thrilling for many parents, watching their child head out to live in a new country can also be nerve-wracking.
Angie Afriyie is a partnership and alumni engagement officer with The Experiment in International Living and works closely with students and their families. She says preparing for an extended trip abroad can be exciting for families but of course raises many questions and concerns for parents. Among the top of the list is where their child will live when they land in a new country.
Experimenter Destiny explores sites during her trip to Japan this summer.
“Parents often are concerned about the homestay experience. They want to know what precautions are taken with homestay placements,” Afriyie says.
To alleviate fears, The Experiment’s admissions team emails and calls families in advance to explain the homestay process.
“The Experiment staff and our international partners facilitate an extensive recruitment and vetting process that includes home visits and, where permissible, background checks,” Afriyie says. “Host families also attend orientation and pre-arrival sessions prior to meeting their Experimenter.”
To help ensure a good match, Afriyie says parents should stress to their child the importance of submitting the homestay letter, which helps the team identify good homestay placements. The more information that can be shared with potential host families, the better. It will help foster stronger relationships between the host family and their child.
She also says travel day can be a worrying time for families, as many Experimenters are new to navigating airports, shuttles, and everything in between.
To address this concern, The Experiment provides students and families with planning documents that include comprehensive information about booking domestic travel, international flight information, and hotel and shuttle information where applicable. There are also two pre-departure orientations for students and families to review travel day logistics and provide an on-call number so that families can reach out with any questions or issues on the day.
“One of the things families say that is the most exciting is that students have the opportunity to navigate some of the cities they are in in their groups. They love the sense of independence it gives them.”
Princess McAfee’s daughter, Destiny, went on The Experiment’s Japan: Japanese Language & Culture program this summer. She confirmed her initial concerns about Destiny studying abroad centered on travel.
“My concern was her flying from Kansas City to LAX [Los Angeles] by herself because she’s still a minor,” McAfee said. “I’m proud of her—seeing her out there—it’s an experience that’s in the books.”
According to Afriyie, families often say that students gaining a new sense of independence is a big benefit of The Experiment program.
“One of the things families say that is the most exciting is that students have the opportunity to navigate some of the cities they are in in their groups. They love the sense of independence it gives them,” she says. “The program allows students to explore new places at their own pace, visiting places they either researched or have seen via social media, and gain historical knowledge beyond the walls of their classrooms.” McAfee agrees this was the case for her daughter.
“What was most exciting was when Destiny was able to see the different sites and learn at the same time—and spend time with her faraway family,” she said.
“Speaking with their child about their experience is great for reentry—dig deep beyond ‘Did you have a good time?’ or ‘What did you do?’”
While sending their child off is a big deal for families, welcoming them back home can be as well. It is recommended that time be set aside for the student to process everything.
“Speaking with their child about their experience is great for reentry—dig deep beyond ‘Did you have a good time?’ or ‘What did you do?’ Talking about the experience in depth can help them navigate any emotions they may still be feeling that came up while abroad or any new realizations they are having now that they are home,” Afriyie says.
Princess McAfee said her daughter Destiny was often excited to try different foods during her time in Japan.
The Experiment team also highly encourages participants to attend the ‘Share Your Story Skill Building Workshop’ that is offered. The workshop covers reverse culture shock and provides tools to manage it. The team also makes phone calls to check in with returned students. Afriyie says these calls are often very helpful with reentry. She advises parents to encourage their students to utilize this resource as well.
For McAfee, tending to Destiny’s physical needs and getting back on a sleep schedule were first and foremost in their home.
“She was tired due to picking her up from the airport close to midnight. She was ready to see me and her dad, but mainly get into her bed,” she said. “I supported her by letting her get plenty of rest but also get back in alignment with the at-home schedule, which was an 11-hour difference.”
Does McAfee have any other advice for fellow parents?
“Be sure to tell your child to take lots of pictures, have fun, and be willing to learn and cherish the moments of learning about another culture. I was nervous at first, but be assured that they’ll be protected and safe.”
To read more about The Experiment in International Living’s health, safety, and risk management protocols, click here.
