Valentina writes about Broadstairs

BROADSTAIRS

This charming Victorian town is in the south-east of England in the county of Kent (sometimes called ‘the garden of England’), and it’s 80 miles from London. The town is not too big and the city centre is near the main beach, Viking Bay. There are also other beautiful beaches with golden sand such as Botany Bay, Joss Bay, Louisa Bay and Stone Bay.

Here there are a lot of shops, cafes and restaurants all around the world, including Chinese, Turkish, Mexican, and Italian.

There is also a little train station, with 2 platforms, where you can take a train to London and the nearby towns. Here, the train, in my opinion, is the best way to travel because it is cheaper and faster than the car or the coach.

The town is known for its sandy beaches, which attract a lot of tourists every year, and some of its buildings such as Charles Dickens’ house, in which he wrote his novel ‘David Copperfield’.

In the town centre there are also, in certain periods, some festivals, like the Water Gala, in which there are rides and the ferris wheel and people playing water games and sandcastles competition, or the Folk Week. In this last event there are a lot of people playing an instrument or dancing in the city centre streets. This is a very particular event and I liked it.

There was a very inclusive atmosphere: all people together with no difference. There were also some stands that sold typical food and objects like clothes, garlands of flowers, handmade objects such as ceramic pots or bracelets, plaques written to beautify the house or the garden but also food such as fresh fruit, crepes and donuts.

During the summer there are also fireworks.You can see them near Viking Bay four times: once a week for three weeks (18th, 25th July and 1st August) and finally on the 22nd of August. Before the fireworks you can dance or listen to live music in the square near the beach.

Chiara’s update: week 6

Hi! I am Chiara. This is my sixth week here and I am having a great experience.

With Hilderstone College I have been on some excursions, and I really enjoyed those. Two weeks ago I went to Leeds Castle, a beautiful building with a big and lovely garden. Here there is a wide variety of birds, like ducks and swans. Valentina and I went to the maze of the Castle and we also saw the  falconry display.

Last week Valentina and I went to Canterbury, where we went shopping and visited the beautiful and historic city. There we saw Canterbury Cathedral, which is the most important cathedral in Britain. We visited also St Augustine’s Abbey and Eastbridge Hospital (medieval pilgrim’s hospital)

I spend a lot of time with the host family: I play a lot with the kids, we watch movies together (e. g. Harry Potter) and we cook together. With my host family I can also improve my English.  

Recently there have been two festivals in Broadstairs: the Water Gala and Folk Week. Every Wednesday night there were also fireworks and they were very beautiful. There were a lot of people in Broadstairs and there were markets, music and dancers in the streets.

INTERN DIARY: Valentina and Chiara

 

Hi! We are Chiara and Valentina and we are 19 years old. We are two Italian students who are going to university next year. Thanks to our school in Italy, now we have the opportunity to do an internship at Hilderstone College for 12 weeks. Here we work in different offices like Student Services and Accommodation, Resources, Finance and Marketing. We also help with social media, social activities, students file and personnel matters. in every office we have a mentor who explain to us what we have to do.  So far we have worked only for two weeks but for now it’s very interesting.  Sometimes our tasks are a little bit boring because we have to do a lot of work on the computer.

Thanks to this experience we are learning how to work in an office. We are also improving our English and meeting new friends, from all around the world, among the students.

The college also offers some social activities like sport (football, basketball, tennis and volleyball) or dance or talks about important subjects like politics or geography. There are also some excursions to give the students the opportunity to visit nearby cities and, more generally, England. For example, last weekend we went to London and we visited the British Museum and, on the first Saturday after our arrival in Broadstairs, we went to Canterbury and we visited the Cathedral.

The college is located in Broadstairs, a small town in which there are a lot of events like the fireworks on the beach.

 

 

INTERN PAGE: Ivana talks about her experience at Hilderstone College

I have been doing an internship at Hilderstone College for 4 weeks now. My trainee programme covers every aspect of the College’s professional life.  My weekly schedule is very varied, which I really love. I have the opportunity  to be a part of every department at the College.  I assist the Finance department, Marketing, Accommodation and Welfare, and I also spend some time helping the Principal. During my internship I have learned about accounting, creating promotional materials and newsletters. I have been invited to a meeting with a new homestay family, interviews with students and I have also experienced shooting a video about the College.

I can honestly say I enjoy every day here. It is the best way I can gain practical and pragmatic experience and learn how to do the work well, rather than simply reading about the theory. A major advantage of internships is establishing relationships with working professionals in every field at the college, and then with students as well. A member of each department has always a reserved time for me, and they are like my personal and professional mentors.

Moreover, the College organizes a social programme every day. I have enjoyed a roller disco, folk dance and welcome evening, and I like the educational evening talks and other activities.

Doing a traineeship at the Hilderstone College is for me a great step on my path to being a lecturer in International Business. I am a member of a wider multicultural environment and can educate and practise school management from every field.