The British weather may not feel like it at the moment – icy Arctic blasts instead of warming Mediterranean currents – but the summer term is nearly here. It’s also that time year again when students are busy revising for end of first year exams.
For those international students in college halls of residence the time is fast approaching when it will be time to vacate their rooms and start to look for a place to stay elsewhere. Why waste valuable time in a fruitless search for a half-decent and affordable space when you could go straight for a hosted homestay accommodation.
Many of you might simply be tempted to just wait until the summer vacation before getting down to some serious room hunting. Not such a good idea! The summer months can often be the time of considerable movement among the student population, especially with the early arrival of international students on the hunt for accommodation.
Further pressure on finding somewhere suitable
The Government changes to visa availability for post-study work has made an impact on international student recruitment. However, with one third of all international students in the UK studying on a business and administration course, nearly three quarters of business schools have added more courses. (Chartered Association of Business Schools, March 2016). On average, over half (53 per cent) of schools have reported a rise in the undergraduate intake by more than two thirds over a ten year period. This number is expected to reach more than one in five by 2018, according to latest figures from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
The competition for affordable accommodation at any time is fierce. But the number of students vacating their halls of residence – as required after the first year – inevitably puts further pressure on finding somewhere suitable as the best places are quickly taken. For a young overseas student away from home for the first time, it can suddenly feel very daunting indeed to suddenly have to deal with private landlords and lettings agents. Who can you trust? Will you ever get your deposit back?
You can avoid all these potential pitfalls by simply opting for a hosted accommodation. This does not mean that you suddenly find yourself in a house full of noisy kids. Host families are drawn from all walks of life and backgrounds, and it’s the job of host organisations to match a student’s preference as closely as possible.
Wide selection of vetted and approved families
The best hosting schemes will always have a wide selection of vetted and approved families on their register to cater for all types of students preferences by age group, background culture and religion, dietary and special needs. Younger students on a shorter English Language course may prefer the convenience – not to mention the reassuring security – of staying with an older family or a couple without children in the house.
Some hosts on the rent-a-room scheme may be teachers or lecturers themselves, which could be an added advantage. 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,
As near as possible to the college
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. The good news is that 9 in ten of host families in the UK live in towns and cities and most are based in the suburbs, just a short distance from city centres on foot or by public transport.
At Hosts International, for example, a student studying in the vast, sprawling city capital of London will find that a standard accommodation is generally contained in zones 3 and 4 while a more superior accommodation in is located in zones 2 and 3.
Opting for a hosted homestay accommodation really does take the hard work, uncertainty and stress out of trying to find a suitable place to live while studying at an university or college in Britain. Especially if you’ve been so wrapped up in your studies – or in a woollen beanie to keep your head warm in the recent polar weather – that you have only just now woken up to the fact that you need to vacate your room very, very soon! A hosted solution could be your answer…