Today, I’m going to tell about my start as Student Services Intern at British Study Centers (BSC) Brighton.

BSC is a English language school that offers a wide range of language courses such as General English, Speaking & Listening, IELTS preparation courses and Business English courses. Students also have the option to book an accommodation in a student house or home stay. Besides, students can take part in social activities, like tours & trips or events organised by the teachers. There are about 120 students and even 250 students during peak season, during summer holidays. The average student’s age is 25 although the minimum age is 16. The school is situated in an old building with 3 floors. Classrooms are in the upper floors. On the ground floor there is the study centre, where students can use computer and books to study, the reception / administration office, the staff room where teachers prepare their lessons, a cafeteria where they can order lunch and a garden. The school is quite small and makes a very cosy impression.

On my very first day of work, I was sat on the bus and had a little chat with the woman sitting next to me. As it turned out, she was language teacher at BSC and was so nice to introduce me to the staff when we arrived. Lucky me!

Unfortunately, I arrived in the administration office at a very busy time. Mondays are always busy at BSC because in the morning all the new students arrive (normally about 10, in peak season about 30-40!) So after my supervisor checked my documents (passport etc), I had to wait until all of the students had been registered. After that, I got to know my colleagues that will be working with me within the next weeks. Everyone seemed so friendly and I felt very welcome from the very first start.

Afterwards, my supervisor showed me around in the school and introduced me to the safeguarding manager with whom I had a little chat about safeguarding procedures. Even before my internship started, I had to do some „onboard training“ on the HR platform as I will be working with underage students. That means, I had to learn about safeguarding procedures and what do bear in mind when working with U18s. Students, especially those under 18 are regarded as vulnerable and the staff must be aware and responsible of students‘ health, well-being or changes in behaviour.

The day went on with some admin duties that I will be describing in my next post.