The school year is coming to an end, and so is your time with your exchange student! There are still a few things that need to be done before everyone says their goodbyes at the airport.
Below, we are including a departure checklist as a reminder of things that are easy to overlook during the end-of-school whirlwind. We hope this makes the last few weeks of your hosting experience easier and stress-free!
Sort Out Travel Details
☑ Confirm flight information with your student and local coordinator.
☑ Make sure your student has all the travel documents they'll need in their carry-on bag.
☑ Check-in for their flight online and check the flight's status before heading to the airport to ensure that it hasn't been delayed or canceled.
☑ If your student has dietary restrictions, check the airline's food policy. If a meal is being served during the flight, you may be able to order one that accommodates dietary restrictions at no additional cost.
☑ Tell your student to let you know when they have landed safely and are back with their family. This will save you unnecessary worrying!
☑ Prepare to get them to the airport 3 hours before their flight to accommodate long lines or any other potential hold-ups.
☑ Confirm with your local coordinator that the drop-off went well, and that the student is safely home!
Ensure Everything Gets Packed
☑ Check the airline’s baggage policy. Overweight and extra bag fees are strictly enforced, so this will help you and your student avoid paying unnecessary fees.
☑ Help your student sort items into categories to pack, donate, and discard. This will help keep the packing process from getting too messy!
☑ Weigh bags to avoid expensive overweight charges.
☑ Help your student return any library books or items they may have borrowed from their school.
☑ Do a final home walk-through with your student to ensure they aren't leaving anything behind. This will also allow you to check if anything is broken or damaged and address this before they return home.
Closeout Financials
☑ Call all medical providers to verify that bills have been paid. The student should pay the outstanding balance or forward pending claims to insuranceclaims@icesusa.org.
☑ Cancel your student's cell phone that they used during their stay.
Preserve Memories!
☑ Buy U.S. measuring cups and spoons so your student can make recipes that you’ve shared with them after returning home.
☑ Take your student to buy any last-minute things like specific candies that they may want to bring home with them from the U.S.
☑ Take a family photo with your student! Remember to take lots of pictures during these final few weeks. These are memories that will last a lifetime!
☑ Plan a goodbye party to see everyone one last time.
Keep in Touch
☑ Set up a plan for staying in touch with your exchange student! You can set up a periodic Skype call or use apps like WhatsApp that allow you to text internationally without paying additional fees.
Most importantly, have fun during your last few weeks with your student! Your time together is ending, so if there are any remaining bucket list activities you wanted to do with them, now is the time! We hope that you and your family had a fantastic hosting experience.
