Reply to I’m tired of my exchange student talking about how easy school is here and how dumb the American kids are.

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Reply to "I’m tired of my exchange student talking about how easy school is here and how dumb the American kids are. "

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]He’s actually correct.  An American high school diploma won’t even get you admitted into a German university.  I know this because I am German.  In fact I’m currently in Germany—OT though.

Anyway, he shouldn’t be an a$$ about it though.  It’s possible that he doesn’t know he’s annoying you and is just making conversation.  So tell him.  Germans are also very direct and frank, and it’s really not considered insulting if it’s true.  So maybe help him out and let him know that Americans take a much softer approach to everything in person.

You’re the adult, lead and/or parent.  Or call his parents and ask them to talk to him.[/quote]

NP: OP I actually think of all the suggestions you've received so far, the more effective way to handle this, although let me be super clear: you are under NO obligation to do this, or make this effort.  But if your exchange student is so bored and underwhelmed, ask him what he really cares about.  This is Washington DC - there is almost certainly very engaging, interesting, sometimes extraordinary resources/exhibitions/events/etc happening about just about anything that anyone can be interested in.  What does he want to do as work?  What does he spend his free time at home in Germany doing?  There is no way there isn't something interesting happening in DC related to it, or at least a resource somewhere that he should check out.

That way his "exposure to Americans" isn't just at the school he's attending and what he sees in your local community, he's being connected to something he can go do and maybe he'll still be underwhelmed, but at least he's seeing some other angles of our society.

And if he's too lazy to do any exploration on his own between now and June, that's on him, every time he complains just say "You're not even checking out other things happening right in this area, so apparently you just like to complain. You're not even making the most of being here."  And sure, talk to his parents at that point to let them know your perspective on this so he doesn't go back with a single story about how awful the US and you are.[/quote]

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