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London continues to be a leading centre for international education and attracts many thousands of foreign students each year. They all share the same problem: where should I stay?. Colleges and universities often offer halls of residence, but these may be expensive and may not always be ideal, as they tie the student too closely to the place of study. Privately-rented accommodation can be extermely expensive and may be a long way away from the place of study. It will often be necessary, in the interests of reducing costs, to share with other students. One useful alternative is staying with an English host family. Several companies in London can provide quality homestay accommodation for overseas students, but it is important to ensure that they meet the homestay requirements of English UK or the British Council. Some companies also offer to collect students from the arrival airport and deliver them to their accommodation, a useful facility when you first arrive in a strange new country. Many students find that living in an English family environment leads to a faster improvement in the language and a happier stay. Host families are generally experienced in looking after overseas students and are usually located in residential areas of London, close to an underground or railway station, making the trip to university or college an easy one. Prices are variable, depending on standard of accommodation and distance from the city centre, but they usually represent a significant saving over private accommodation or halls of residence. Host families will do their best to ensure that students feel at home and are treated like a member of the family, not as a paying guest. Students should have a clean and comfortable room with storage and study facilities. Staying with a host family can offer significant savings in living expenses. Host families usually provide bed & breakfast or bed, breakfast and evening meal, but self-catering or full board options may also be available. Meals are normally eaten with the family unless otherwise arranged and special diets such as vegetarian or halal can usually be accommodated. So, if you're coming to London to study, homestay accommodation is an option worth considering and may turn out to be one of the highlights of your time in London. Of course, homestay accommodation is also attractive to visitors other than students. Many business visitors and tourists find it a useful alternative to expensive hotel accommodation. For tourists in particular, it can give them an initial contact with real Londoners and can greatly enhance the quality of their stay.
Article Source: http://www.articleselections.com
Peter Brown is a director of leading London homestay provider Hosts International which arranges accommodation for many universities and colleges. He is also Principal of London Graduate School of Management, a well-known UK business school.
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