As many of you enter the new school year, it’s important to recognize that some teenagers will begin the process, or rather make the realization, that boarding school is the place for them. Whether you are tired of the same people and places, or you need a little extra attention in the classroom, I can promise you that it will not be exactly what you expect it to be. Whether you are interested in applying, or just want some answers to your questions, I have some answers for you. As I head back to school this fall, here are my four true and not so true things I have learnt from spending my high school years away from home.
1. Boarding Schools Have TONS of Partying
MYTH
To many of my friends belief, the rules enforced at boarding school are beyond those that your parents set for your own households. If you think you can get away with boozing up with just a couple friends, you may as well pack your bags in advance because you will not get away with it. As I have watched my own friends come and go, it only serves as a constant reminder that word goes around fast and you’re taking a huge chance to even risk it. When would we have time to party with sports until dinner, two hour study halls every night, curfew at eleven and Saturday classes? Did I mention they are every Saturday….By the time it’s the weekend, we are all exhausted and usually have to start thinking about the homework that is due the next day. Not to mention, boys in girls rooms or vice versa is a big NO; you wouldn’t believe the stories I have heard with that one. So if you’re coming to party, I would rave right on back to wherever you came from. But don’t worry too much, we still manage to find our own fun without any of that.
2. So it’s Like Zoey 101...Right?
MYTH
I wish...Wouldn’t it be awesome to have a Sushi Rox on campus or better yet get around campus on Jet-X’s. The only thing close to that you’ll see is the local Chinese delivery guy who makes rounds to the dorms every night on the occasional skateboard that usually ends up getting confiscated. Our version of Blix is the local chocolate milk that gets served in the dining hall, which I have to say is delicious, and not to mention free. However, our dorm advisors are way better than that one who cried about her ex-boyfriend all the time, and ate ravioli. They actually let us crash their houses, they make us treats all the time and they provide any extra homework or life advice we may need. Also, you can totally make your dorm key into a necklace because if you’re like me, you will lose yours all the time. Some of my friends even have a navigating tag attached to them, but hey whatever works.
3. It’s All Full of Rich Kids Anyways
MYTH
Although most boarding schools in the New England area are known to be prestigious and an area of quite a lot of wealth, the majority of students that attend these schools use some type of financial aid or have different scholarships. In fact, at my school, 47% of the student body is on financial aid. You don’t need to be drowning in dollars to fit in when most of us fit within the “just making it through” category.
4. You Will Make the Closest Friends
TRUTH
Living with two other girls close in age allowed me to not only form the tightest bonds imaginable but memories that will last me a lifetime. I could even say that we may be too close for comfort sometimes. But when you only have 350 kids in your entire school, you are bound to get to know them at a deeper level. People at boarding school understand that once you're there, you no longer have your family to lean on. That’s why your friends at school become your family, the ones that understand what you may be thinking or going through better than anyone else out there. By attending classes, playing sports, eating meals and spending down time with these same people, there's hardly enough room for all the love that can be found. This is one of the things that makes boarding school somewhere I never want to leave.
