One of the defining characteristics of a hosted accommodation is the “home from home” environment available to a young international student taking their first steps out into the big wide world – and in a foreign country, no less. The decision to go for a room in a homestay accommodation as a stepping stone, allows a young student time to find their feet while coming to terms with the often different ways of doing things than they may have been used to back home.
The feeling of having a “bit of a safety net” is absolutely understood by host providers. Committed to providing a homestay service to British Council standards, hosts like to encourage their young guests to be part of the family atmosphere – complete with their very own daily meal plans and not having to worry about doing the laundry!
Young students, especially those on English Learning courses – ever popular with the under 18s – still appreciate the sense of a ‘safe boundary’ even though they may be spreading their wings. That’s why the number of international students applying to study in the UK by this year’s January 15th deadline had not fallen as a result of fears over Brexit. The figures remained above 52,600, similar to the January 2016 deadline, according to the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), February 2017.
It’s also another reason why the best host providers should take the utmost care in setting out the guidelines or house rules. Their student guest does need to know how they are expected to behave whilst they are living under the same roof and the daily routines they need to follow. However, the host should sound less like an army sergeant and more like a favourite uncle or aunt! And it should start with the check-in and the check-out procedure…
A host should always spend a few minutes doing the check-in
A host may fear their young guest may be too tired after a long flight to be able to take in the information so may skip the check-in and just show them to their room. The check-in may even be forgotten about and the student is left to work things out for themselves – until something goes wrong, e.g. they can’t open the bathroom door or they’re late for the evening meal!
Not a big deal! However, after the student has arrived and is suitably rested a responsible host should always spend a few minutes just to set out the house rules that need to be followed. Indeed, a student is grateful to know what they can and can’t do, and to avoid getting into their host’s bad books!
At the very least, the check-in should consist of handing over the front door key, exchanging mobile numbers, running through bathroom times, the right towels to use, morning breakfast routines and evening meal times. Some students from warmer climates may be used to taking more than one or two showers every day, or even leaving the central heating on overnight when the weather’s cold. On a more positive note, a student will definitely be pleased to hear that they are welcome to make tea/coffee whenever they like or have access to the garden.
Another important area for a student to be aware of is how to keep their room and home secure. A host should show how to shut all windows properly and securely before leaving in the morning and the correct procedure for setting and unsetting of house alarm codes. Of equal importance is the check-out on the morning of departure…
It’s not uncommon for a student to have left something behind
It’s no big surprise to hear that the No.1 thing to do is to get the front door key back! But it’s also important to double–check the room. It’s not uncommon for a student to accidentally leave something behind, such as a phone or laptop charger, or even a contactless card. They will be very grateful indeed to their host! Although it’s very unlikely, there’s always the possibility of discovering some slight damage and the host will decide if it’s serious enough to raise the issue with the student.
Finally, exchanging email addresses, home contact details and finding out where the student is going next is not only useful but allows both host and guest to keep in touch, because you never know! Host providers sometimes like to see themselves as cultural exchange ambassadors for Britain and often make lifelong friends with their students.
Having just learned to spread their wings, the young guest is always likely to make several return visits, especially if they are continuing with their further education in Britain and still prefer the ‘home from home’ style of homestay accommodation.