A Home Away From Home

Moving into your dorm or a shared apartment is one of the most exciting – and challenging – parts of the IB journey. It’s where you will make lifelong friends, share late-night snacks, and grow as a person. But for many of you, it will also be the first time you are truly “on your own,” and you have to start handling daily tasks that, so far, were primarily a part of your parents' to-do list. 

When you move to Ikast and live in either the IBG Dorm or one of the Green House apartments or houses, you will have to take care of many things yourself. You will be responsible for tasks that many of your friends will not face until they start university. You will need to learn how to cook, clean, and do your own laundry. You will also have to plan meals that are both healthy and fit within your budget, and remember that items like toilet paper, toothpaste, and cleaning supplies are now things you need to buy yourself – even if they sometimes feel like unnecessary expenses.

In short, welcome to adult life and the responsibilities that come with it 😉

NEW for August 2026

The GKX Boarding House

Starting this August, we are opening our very own GKX Boarding House, centrally located in Ikast! 

It will not only be a cozy home for some of our students but also a social hub for all GKX members. We will be hosting regular activities to create Danish hygge – like community dinners, board game and movie nights.

*Accommodation in GKX Boarding House only available for 💎 Diamond members

Why You Might Need an Extra Local Adult in Your Life

Your teachers and IB coordinators are professionals in teaching and academic guidance, but it is not their role to give you recipes for healthy, low-cost meals, advise you on how to clean toilets, or mediate disputes with your roommates when you don’t agree on how often it is reasonable to invite friends for small parties or it is hard to agree on an expected cleaning level. Such things have to be learned by trying (hard). 

At GKX, one of our primary responsibilities is to ensure the well-being of our young students. We do this, among other things, by fostering relationships between our students and local families. During my years as a host family, our own teenagers often brought friends into our home – especially those without a close adult nearby – for a chat or a meal. They enjoyed stopping by for a coffee and perhaps, most importantly, a hug to ease the homesickness they sometimes felt.

Now, after four years of offering our services at GKX, our mentor families and home visits are among our most popular offerings. The sense of security in having a trusted adult to turn to, whether for big or small concerns, creates a “home away from home.” It is a place where our students can spend time, feel comfortable, and belong, even when their closest family is far away.

GKX Steps in as Your "Extended Family"

We provide both group meetings and individual, one-on-one support that goes beyond the classroom and the dorm room. And as a more personal “add-on,” we are developing a network of local families who open their homes to international students.

For the families, it is a chance to make a difference for a young student, to get to know their thoughts, family traditions, and to exchange “exotic” recipes. It is a chance for a new friendship that often involves the whole family and becomes lifelong. For the student, it is “a home away from home” and a family to reach out to when a hug, a meal, or a second opinion is needed. 

In today's article, you meet one of our students' mothers and read her experience with her daughter's mentor family:

• Peace of Mind from Many Miles Away

Last but not least, as a thank you for your interest in our email series, we would like to invite you to meet the team behind GKX. During this session, we will tell you more about everyday life in Denmark – and how we can help you prepare for a great start to your studies.

Warm regards,

Britta Brandt

Founder, Global KnowleX