Setting up your own homestay..

Well, we were thinking.. as homestay is so expensive to set up and not as reliable. I wanted to go for a year to study in Japan (2006-2007.. plenty of time) Which would be my (here) GRADE 11.

But we were thinking we could set it up our selves with a close family friend (and her family). And she said that would work fine. And it would be better for my parents being that they know who I'd be with.

So is it possible to figure things out yourself? What types of things would you need?

(Insurence, find a school ((how would you do that, just walk to a school and sign up? and how do you make sure you get credit for when you come home?)), visa?) I'm not sure.. if you could help me in any ways.. that would be much appritiated.

~Kisu

gosh. well i don't know for sure since i've never done what you're proposing, but i imagine getting a school would be very difficult. usually schools have established exchange programs - ie they accept exchange students if they can send their students to their sister school. going on an exchange as an "independent" means you have no sister school, which means (i'm assuming) you'll have to be accepted through the proper method - ie pay the fees, take all the classes.

well, feel free to prove me wrong

Yeah, getting a school will be hard, and very expensive, getting the visa will be hard too.

Doubt you'd get credit for going to a Japanese school unless your japanese is good to start with - i didn't get any credit and neither have any of my friends past or present for going. Mainly cause theres nothing to get credit for and we didnt really study the subjects (just japanese).

My suggestion would be to start contacting schools now. You have a friend in Japan? Good, ask for her help, start sending out letters to school explaining that you would like to be an exchange student at their school, see if anywhere is interested in letting you attend.