<p>Hi, has anybody participated in the host family program? what are the pros and cons?</p>
<p>huh? what is this?</p>
<p>“The purpose of the Freshman Host Family Program is to facilitate informal friendships between alumni, alumnae, faculty, administrators, other friends of Harvard College, and selected first-year students.This service to students is intended to help ease their transition to college. The program matches a member of the Harvard community with a student (or two), and what happens beyond the introduction is up to each pair.”</p>
<p>[Harvard</a> College Freshman Dean’s Office Host Family](<a href=“http://www.fdo.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k3806&pageid=icb.page150860]Harvard”>http://www.fdo.fas.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=k3806&pageid=icb.page150860)</p>
<p>I live too near to have a host family, but all my friends who signed up absolutely love them. They’re particularly great to have during Thanksgiving when many west coasters and international students don’t go home. Very often, they’ll invite you over and encourage you to bring friends. Other holidays and random occasions, they’ll invite you to share in on and pretty much give you another family to depend on while you’re here.</p>
<p>Sounds good… I’m going to be very far from home.</p>
<p>Im from California, and im right now seriously thinking about joining this program. I agree with the point that someone before me made that it’s great to have a family on holidays and stuff. The only things im worrying now are if I have that much time to spare and whether I will enjoy what the host family likes to do :/</p>
<p>I’m also worried about it taking too much time, yuminemma… but I might just do it anyway, though. Does anybody else have thoughts on this?</p>
<p>I live in the Boston area and I remember at the welcome reception at the Harvard Club there was a girl who said she brought her friends home with her all the time. Someone else also told me that Harvard tries to pair international/west coast students as roommates with people who live pretty close, probably so they’ll have a place to go as well. So if you don’t join the Host Program I don’t think you’ll be totally lost come Thanksgiving.</p>