We are so close to being at camp, we can almost touch it! Hopefully, you are just as excited as we are but as a first year, you are bound to have worries too - we totally get that and were all first years once upon a time! As humans, we often have a fear of the unknown...
Have a read through our list of worries we think you might have prior to starting and hopefully our top tips will put your mind at ease!
It might be your first time working with them or in a completely different setting to what you are used to. Our camps are very international so you will be working with kids & teens from different walks of life. We will be providing you with activity ideas, behaviour management techniques and what to do if you have a homesick camper...
Our rooms come in all different shapes and sizes. If you are working at XUK Activity or XUK English, look forward to meeting your roomies and if you are working at XUK Excel, you will most probably be flying solo!
All of our dorms are cosy and will have somewhere for you to unpack your belongings whether that's a clothes rail or drawers.
We have sent you a kit list – we highly recommend bringing all of the ‘Essential Items’. Use our staff Facebook group to ask returners which of our suggested items they recommend.
Use the staff Facebook group before camp starts to begin your bonding. Mingle as much as you can during training. When you arrive, you’re bound to see returners getting very excited (there will be the odd run and jump style hug) when they see their friends from last year. And this will be you next year when you’re reunited your with camp BFFs. Do not be put off, they’ll be welcoming you into the team from the word go!
Top Tip: Why not challenge yourself to have at least one conversation with everyone in the first 48 hours?
Top Tip: Sit next to somebody you haven't spoken to yet at every meal time.
Be organized, if you’re making your own way allow extra time for any delays such as traffic - nobody wants to walk in late to a room full of new people and miss the beginning of training. Our coach service from London is a good way to start bonding with your future friends before we’ve even got to camp!
It might be your first time away from home or your tenth, you’re bound to miss family and friends back home and your home comforts. Share your address and drop hints for care packages. Receiving post at camp is super exciting. Remember your friends and family will be missing you too. Camp is a bit like a bubble and sometimes you forget about the outside world, but try and find time during a break or on your day off to call your nearest and dearest! Also, tell them about our camp Facebook pages (XUK Activity, XUK English, XUK Excel) or our Instagram, they can then see what we’ve been up to at camp every day.
Even if you’ve worked at a camp before, every camp is so unique, you’ll have a lot to learn - policies, procedures, routines etc. We will cover everything in training but there’s only so much information a brain can take at once. Trust us when we say “it will all make sense once the campers are here!” By the end of Week 1, you’ll hopefully feel like you’ve been working for years and everything would have fallen into place.
Top Tip: Make the most of returners, they were newbies once asking all the questions so totally get it.
Top Tip: Learn from those around you - if you see somebody playing a great game with their dormitory, steal their idea!
You’ve successfully landed yourself a job with us so we have obviously seen your great skills, personality and trust you to look after our campers. This might be the first time you’ve had to look after someone other than yourself, but do not worry, we’ve got you covered! Listen carefully in training, make notes and use your paperwork - it will guide you through each day, remind you of your responsibilities and how to deal with situations as they arise! We are here to help you...
There are bound to be more thoughts and questions going around your head right now! We really mean it when we say to contact us if you are unsure of something - there is no such thing as a stupid question so please give us a call or send us an email to put those worries to bed!
Bring on the summer at XUK Camps, we know you’re going to love it!
#xuk2018