How to Survive In a Boarding School

Don't judge the school from the country it's in. A boarding school in a poor country can be good. Try to look at the school's facilities. You may also ask for a taster weekend in the boarding house.

Bring lots of clothes, underwear, toiletries and school supplies. You will need them eventually. Remember you cannot go back home everyday so always bring more than enough.^[1]

Don't be stubborn with other people. If you don't have any friends, you will have a rough school life. Living with people 24/7 is very different than going to normal day school. You will know about their personalities and you may not like all of their qualities but you must learn to accept. Nobody is perfect. If you are stubborn, you will have a bad image and others won't want to interact with you.^[2]

Be concerned about hygiene. Bathe every day and use deodorant.^[3] Nobody wants to share a room with someone that stinks.^[4]

Talk to your roommate more. Usually boarding schools put students of different nationalities together. You may want to know more about their culture and respect them.^[5]

Always obey teachers. Having a bad relationship with a teacher while boarding is not good. Follow the rules even though you may think they are sometimes ridiculous, but it is to ensure you have a safe and disciplined life.^[6]

Deal with bullies. If there is a bully in the school, tell an adult you trust. Boarding schools are usually good and teachers will actually bother to help you.^[7]

Try to be friends with one person and ask him or her to introduce you to other people. But remember - it's the QUALITY and not the QUANTITY of friends that matters.

Try to have as much fun as possible by doing things you enjoy when you are able. This is very important or you will have a very dull life while you spend your time there. You may want to join more activities for boarders and integrate with them. It may be hard in the beginning, but when you have a few friends, you will get the happy atmosphere and eventually make more friends.

Most boarding schools have prep time, so use it to your advantage. It’s easy to lose track of things you have to do without a parent around, so having extra time put aside specifically for your academic needs is very useful.^[8]

Become friends with people that have the same schedule as you.

• For example, if you need to get up early in the morning, find another person that has to get up around the same time as you.