Guy, from Switzerland, has been with us for a total of 8 weeks. Here is what he has to say about his Hilderstone Experience!
Initially I never intended to come to Broadstairs to attend an English course at Hilderstone College. I spent 3 weeks on a farm further north in the UK, in the county of Shropshire. The plan was to work there until the beginning of January. I did not receive a salary during the 3 weeks I stayed there, as was agreed on. It turned out much worse, than I first expected it to be. I was cold all the time and hadn’t enough food for a week. After a short time, it was clear to me ‘remain here and you will not have a great time’, so I discussed the issue with my mother and my godmother. My uncle recommended attending an English course at Hilderstone College, as he was there himself a long time ago.
It was the 18th of October; I left the farm and prepared myself for a long journey across the UK to the far south-east of England and to Broadstairs, where I found the Hilderstone College my uncle spoke of. The first impression I got from my host family was that they were very friendly and there was enough food, which was very important to me back then. I was pretty excited about my first day at Hilderstone College and it turned out a success, throughout. I quickly made friends. The first guy I met was Mats, a Swiss guy. He introduced me to another Awiss guy, Simon. I thought, ‘A good time is already promised’.
Although, the College itself seemed quite odd to me at first glance I got used to it after a short time. At this time and even now there are just a few students, so I quickly noticed that it felt extraordinarily familiar, how all the students and teachers worked together and the respect that was paid to all the present students and teachers. At this point, I would like to add that the teachers are exceptionally sincere. That helped me a lot, as I had times here when I was not sure if the advanced English course was the right level to attend. Recently I had been struggling with mental attitude and we talked about it, and I felt great afterwards as I knew how to tackle it.
Before Lockdown I enjoyed the traditional pub life in Broadstairs, and trying the different regionally brewed beers. For me it was a pleasant change to what I was used to on the farm, as there was no chance for me to drink a beer in the evenings.
After my first week another student started his English course at Hilderstone. Felix was his name. We then began to undertake several adventures. ?
When the lockdown started, I used to go out in my free time and enjoy the fresh air and the view of the sea. To keep me fit, I tried to go running but packed it in after 4 weeks. I developed a routine of going out for a walk every evening. I just noticed how it influences my well-being in a positive way.
Since a teacher gave me a ukulele, I play it frequently to find a balance between studying and enjoying myself. Apart from that I tend to go down to the seafront and buy myself a coffee at ‘Salt of the Earth’, the best coffee shop by the way, and read my book. Enjoying the view presented to me and reading an interesting book called ‘Game of Thrones’, it gives me the feeling as if the whole world belonged to me.
So, you see, much to experience here and for sure worth a go. Find it out yourself.
See you at Hilderstone College! ?