be considered on an individual basis. No refunds will be granted for students who choose to leave their homestay for personal reasons. Meals in a homestay Your homestay hosts provide breakfast and dinner Monday to Friday, and all meals on the weekends. You are responsible for your own lunch during the week. Meals will only be provided when you are home to participate. Please be sure to call your hosts if you are going to be late or if you are not going to be home for a meal. There will be no refund for meals not taken at home with your family. Students can buy snacks and small meals during the day in the EF Bournemouth Cafeteria. Residence deposit On arrival at the residence you will be required to pay a £100 deposit. This deposit covers such things as lost keys, damage or fines. Any deductions from this deposit will be notified to you at the time. If there are no deductions made the whole amount will be refunded at the end of your programme. Student residence accommodation You may decide to live in our international student residence, The Outlook, which is within walking distance of the school and close to the town centre. All rooms are single en suite and newly refurbished. Meals in the Outlook Students living in the residence have self catering facilities Snacks and small meals are available for purchase during the day in the EF Bournemouth Cafeteria.
8. Money Matters Currency British currency is in pounds sterling (abbreviated to GBP, Great British Pound, or nicknamed quid by the British). The symbol for this currency is £. The pound is divided into 100 pence (abbreviated as p). If you purchase something that is 95 pence, for example, you will probably be told that the amount is “95 pee” rather than 95 pence. You will see amounts written this way: “95p” or “£0.95.” Banknotes come in denominations of £5, £10,
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Bournemouth, UK
£20, and £50. They will each be a different size and a different color to allow you to tell them apart more easily. Coins come in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 pence, as well as 1 and 2 pounds. Banks For short stays it is not possible to open a bank account, however It is a good idea to open a bank account if you will be staying more than 6 months. Spending money We recommend that you bring about £100 for your first days in England to cover costs such as travel to school, lunch, and telephone calls. You will also need to take money for learning materials used in class. We recommend that you bring £100 - £150 for each week you plan to stay in England. This should cover lunches, laundry, travel to and from school, and EF Activities mid-week. For weekend excursions, shopping and depending on what you choose to do during your leisure time, you may need to bring more. Please also remember you will need to pay for any language proficiency exams you plan to take. Only carry as much money as you need for one day – remember thieves exist everywhere in the world! The safest way to carry money is traveller’s cheques. Many places also accept major credit cards. Changing money When changing money in the UK always go to a recognised bank or travel agent. Commission rates will vary so check first for the best rate. We regret that we are unable to change money in the school. Credit Cards EF strongly recommends that students travel with either a Visa or MasterCard. Credit cards enable you to rent cars, reserve hotel rooms, and do various activities, which may be more difficult with cash or traveller’s cheques.
9. Telephones, fax & Internet Telephone All long distance calls must be collect calls, charged to the person you are calling, or charged to a prepaid telephone card, which can be purchased at the EF school. We recommend that
students expecting to stay for a long period of time come with or purchase a mobile phone. Fax There are also some places close to the school that send faxes and charge for the time used. Ask the front desk for directions to the nearest fax machine you can use. Internet The school is equipped with Wi-Fi wireless Internet. Students are highly encouraged to bring their personal laptop computers for email and Internet use on the wireless network.
10. Health care and Insurance The EF staff can recommend nearby hospitals and doctors offices if you need medical attention. Please ask the EF staff or your homestay hosts for assistance if you need medical attention. If you have any personal problems there is always someone who you can talk to confidentially. Insurance All students traveling to the UK are required to have medical and accident insurance upon starting their program of study. You will still have to pay for some treatment if you see a doctor but you can claim the money back from the insurance company. Please note: You will need to keep all receipts in order to receive money back from the insurance company. All students are required to bring proof of insurance in English to show that they have proper health insurance when a medical emergency occurs. Students who do not bring proof of insurance will be required to purchase insurance through EF at the school. Erika Travel Insurance Because security is EF’s number one priority, we have negotiated a comprehensive tailor-made travel insurance package for EF students with Erika Travel Insurance, an international insurance expert. The policy protects you against expenses incurred through accident or illness, and provides coverage for loss or theft of baggage and personal effects. It also provides coverage against interruption of your EF program due to illness as well as liability and legal expenses. The EF staff is trained to assist with your Erika Travel Insurance questions and claims. When you