End of term is just a week or two away! Some unis and colleges break up for the summer holidays at the end of June while others go on till the middle of July. Either way, first year students in college halls of residence now need to vacate their rooms and look for a new place to stay. It can be a daunting prospect, especially for young international students, and all the more reason why a hosted homestay accommodation can be a real life-saver.
It’s not unusual for the end of term to be pretty chaotic! Thousands of students are on the move and many will be desperately flat hunting. Some students start looking for a new place almost straightaway in the first term or at the start of the new year. Others may decide to wait until after the first year exams or simply leave things till the last minute! Finding a decent, affordable space in London or in any major city, university town or traditional student areas is difficult at any time but may prove impossible at this time of the year.
In 2015-16, of the 2.28 million students studying in higher education institutions, 430,000 were international students, according to Universities UK. At the March 2017 deadline, figures from UCAS (The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) show that the number of international students (from non-EU countries) had risen by 2 per cent. But this is only the tip of the iceberg…
International students competing with nearly half a million other students
International students not only study at universities, further education colleges or English language schools. There are also international students who have completed their high school exams and have set their sights on taking their first degree in the UK. However, they will need to first complete a one year foundation course in the UK.
A Foundation course provides international students with additional English language and academic preparation for entry onto a variety of undergraduate courses, such as Business, Finance & Management, Computing, Engineering and Social Science. One-third of all international students in the UK are studying on a business and administration course, and account for nearly 1 in 5 of all first year students at UK universities.
Around the country, end of first year international students could be competing with nearly half a million other students from overseas as well as with UK students to find suitable accommodation this summer. Not to mention the task of having to negotiate the potential pitfalls of having to deal with private landlords or their letting agents.
Another problem to be faced is the spiralling private rental prices, which rose by 1.8 per cent in the 12 months to May 2017. Between January 2011 and May 2017, the cost of renting in Great Britain had jumped by 14.7 per cent, according to the Office of National Statistics. Today, the monthly price of a large room in a shared family homestay with inclusive meal plans, daily packed lunch and weekly laundry can often be significantly less than just a typical, tiny one bed studio flat, without all the added benefits.
A host family provides the care of a ‘home from home’ environment
A hosted homestay can definitely solve all the big problems in one neat package! Especially, if you are a first year student at a halls of residence who now needs to vacate their room and is suddenly faced with the realities of finding somewhere else! Staying with a host family provides the security and care of a ‘home from home’ environment. Host families can come from all walks of life and backgrounds, and a key task of a host organisation is always to try and match a student’s preference as closely as possible.
A hosting scheme aims to always have as wide a selection of vetted and approved families on their register, which can cater for all types of student preferences from background culture and religion to dietary or special needs. The hosting team will also try to place a student who indicates that they wish to live with a family who have similar hobbies or interests, which may be useful to their studies.
However, the majority of students choose a homestay accommodation because they want to learn or improve their English speaking even if they are matched with a family from a similar background. Some hosts on the rent-a-room scheme may be teachers or lecturers themselves, which could be an added advantage. Hosting schemes will also aim to match a family with a student who wants to live as near as possible to the college where they will be studying. Nearly all host families in the UK will be based in the suburbs, just a short distance from city centres on foot or by public transport.
The other good news – and this a big stress buster – applications for a homestay can happen at any time. Students are constantly vacating rooms as their courses end. So despite the thought of getting a panic on at end of the first year arrives, getting a great room should actually not be too big a problem. A hosted homestay – it could be a summer breeze!