It’s that funny month of the year again! Mid-August, the summer holidays, and feeling there’s still plenty of time until the start of the autumn term. Who’s going to be thinking of college when you’re desperately trying to find all the Pokémon Go characters? Or are you busy keeping count of how many medals your country’s athletes collect each day at Rio 2016?
Of course, if you are an international student soon to be on your way to Britain, you should already have organised key items, such as your Tier 4 Visa application and looking for a place to live near to where you will be studying. No matter what you might have read or heard about the EU Referendum, there are no plans to prevent the incredible cultural diversity of London and other major cities around the country from continuing to thrive long after Brexit is due to start at the end of 2018.
So if living with a host family at a homestay accommodation sounds like the best deal around – getting to practice your English, no worries over preparing food with healthy meal plans provided and not having to do your own laundry, for example – then you’re sure of a warm welcome.
The big thing to remember is that a hosted homestay is a two way experience. A host also benefits from the cultural exchange. If it is your first time in Britain, there will be much to try and understand about the “unspoken” and often confusing rules attached to everyday customs and etiquette in a very short time. Especially, at your new family home.
Basic ‘house’ rules to avoid any unintentional upsets
Your host should run through all the basic ‘house’ rules when you arrive to avoid any unintentional upsets, i.e. no loud music or noise after a certain time! But they may not want to list every potential problem that may or may not occur. Nevertheless, it’s worth taking note of some of the issues that hosts say have been presented with by their students…
First off, your bed – and something that may be overlooked. It’s likely that your bed will be fitted with a duvet set while you may be used to a different type. Even though your room will be warm and comfortable at any time of the year, at the start you may feel you would like an extra blanket.
Homestays offer menu options on meals depending whether you are Full Board, Bed and Breakfast only, Bed, Breakfast and Evening Meal (Half Board) or Self Catering. If you are vegetarian or have other special dietary requirements, you should inform the host providers at the time of booking. Meals are usually eaten with the family and your host should not only let you know when and where meals will be served but also the type of snacks also available.
Top of the list of innocent errors made by some students tends to be “using up all the hot water” when taking a shower. As a result, there’s no hot water left in the boiler tank for other members of the family. The capacity of hot water systems vary from household to household, so you should definitely ask how long your shower should take before you first head to the bathroom. Your host should also have indicated the times in the morning, evening or other times of the day for taking a shower.
Spend all your time on social media, you won’t be engaging with your host
Safe use of electricity, wifi and internet can all be areas of concern. Forgetting to switch the lights off in your room when you’re at college all day or leaving phone chargers or laptops plugged in when not being used can all be of concern to your host. Remember too that you if you spend all your time on social media you won’t be engaging with your host family and improving your English speaking.
Some older students who are smokers and who have not been to Britain before may not be aware of the rules about not smoking on public transport or enclosed public spaces, such as cafes, bars and restaurants. Almost certainly, your host will tell you if they are a non-smoking household. It means you should not smoke in your room. Even if you are over 18, your host may also advise over any house rules regarding late nights out, and socialising and drinking after college or over the weekend.
Your host will want to ensure that your room is kept clean and tidy – for your health and safety. So they may need to enter your room whilst you are not present. Your privacy is obviously every important and your host should definitely tell you at the start of your stay with them, the day or time every week when they need to clean your room. You should remember to pick up any odd socks left on the floor to avoid any accidents with the hoover!