When I tell people I attended boarding school the first thing that comes out of their mouth is “you must have been a bad and problematic kid.” I am sorry, but if that is your idea of boarding school then you are ignorant and should educate yourself on this matter. Why? Because boarding school is a truly amazing experience, you make friends for life, you mold into the person you want to be, and you focus on education, your future and what is important in life.
1.) Education
Boarding schools focus on the education of the student. Therefore, classes are small as they want to keep students encourage and active by participating. This system allows flexibility on the methods of teaching and is able to satisfy students’ needs to the best of their ability. Boarding school offers after school programs for tutoring as well as study hall hours. Tutoring is also offered as one-on-one with the teacher for a better understanding. Teachers truly take pride in teaching and help the students as much as possible. They are great educators, advisors and friends. Study hall hours are mandatory and are specifically design for students to do their homework and study. In fact, boarding school has a lot of kids that want to attend great universities and therefore take full advantage of the education program. Boarding Schools have strict rules but always have academics as the number one priority.
2.) Sports/Clubs
There are a variety of sports and clubs to choose from. Sports are mandatory, but clubs are not. Clubs are usually an after school activity that students wish to join because of their personal interest. Clubs are ran by students but overseen by an advisor. Example of clubs are Hispanic club, art club, model united nations and more.
The athletic program is a requirement at boarding schools. Schools usually have three seasons and each season the student must elect a sport. For example, fall sports are field hockey, volleyball, soccer and tennis. Basketball is offered on the winter and lacrosse and softball during the spring. Some schools offer an equestrian team and it is offer all year long. Therefore, riding could be your sport for all three seasons.
3.) Activities
There are various activities during the weekend to choose from. Each weekend has different options to try and satisfy all the students. Some of the weekend activities include movies, mall, day trips to other nearby cities, museums, theaters, ice skating, festivals, amusement parks, community service and more. They also have school dances/mixers that are hosted by different schools in the same circuit. During long weekends they even offer a ski trip. Some boarding school’s even offer end of the year programs that are mandatory to graduate. For example, the boarding school I attended, Oldfields School, had trips to France, Spain, Costa Rica, etc. They also had other programs such as cuisine, photography, dance and more. This program is supposed to be educational and fun.
4.) Home away from home
At first is really hard to adjust because the students are young and is usually their first time away from home. Some students are very home-sick for a few weeks, some for a few days and some never get home-sick. However, everyone gets over it with help of teachers and students and accepts the school as their new home. Once you accept the boarding school as your new home, it will become your home for life. You meet people that you will always be friends with, you have teachers that will always hold a special place in your heart and you become part of a community. Boarding schools usually do not have many students and therefore everyone is very close to one another. They see you go through your ups and downs as well as see you grow physically, mentally and emotionally. There is always someone there to talk to, someone that will listen and someone that will have a shoulder for you when you need it. The memories built are memories that you will never forget. The people you meet will be unforgettable and most likely in your life till the end. I can guarantee you that you do not have to see them for years, but when you do it will be like nothing has changed. Those were the most important years of our lives and we have an unbreakable bond. At the end, we only had each other .
5.) Independence
Everyone that attends boarding school is young, and thus they become independent. Students gain responsibilities and learn about the challenges and obstacles of life. Students are responsible for cleaning their room, doing laundry and of course attending classes and doing their homework. They also learn about finance and money management as they have a budget for their weekend activities. Students have to take care of themselves and their health and must be proactive to self-care. While becoming independent, individuals also set short-term and long-term goals for themselves. Goals are extremely important and it is great to see kids develop goals as teenagers. Goals display that students want to be in control of their life while making the best decisions they possible can.
Boarding School is an awesome experience! It teaches you to be who YOU want to be!
1.) Education
Boarding schools focus on the education of the student. Therefore, classes are small as they want to keep students encourage and active by participating. This system allows flexibility on the methods of teaching and is able to satisfy students’ needs to the best of their ability. Boarding school offers after school programs for tutoring as well as study hall hours. Tutoring is also offered as one-on-one with the teacher for a better understanding. Teachers truly take pride in teaching and help the students as much as possible. They are great educators, advisors and friends. Study hall hours are mandatory and are specifically design for students to do their homework and study. In fact, boarding school has a lot of kids that want to attend great universities and therefore take full advantage of the education program. Boarding Schools have strict rules but always have academics as the number one priority.
2.) Sports/Clubs
There are a variety of sports and clubs to choose from. Sports are mandatory, but clubs are not. Clubs are usually an after school activity that students wish to join because of their personal interest. Clubs are ran by students but overseen by an advisor. Example of clubs are Hispanic club, art club, model united nations and more.
The athletic program is a requirement at boarding schools. Schools usually have three seasons and each season the student must elect a sport. For example, fall sports are field hockey, volleyball, soccer and tennis. Basketball is offered on the winter and lacrosse and softball during the spring. Some schools offer an equestrian team and it is offer all year long. Therefore, riding could be your sport for all three seasons.
3.) Activities
There are various activities during the weekend to choose from. Each weekend has different options to try and satisfy all the students. Some of the weekend activities include movies, mall, day trips to other nearby cities, museums, theaters, ice skating, festivals, amusement parks, community service and more. They also have school dances/mixers that are hosted by different schools in the same circuit. During long weekends they even offer a ski trip. Some boarding school’s even offer end of the year programs that are mandatory to graduate. For example, the boarding school I attended, Oldfields School, had trips to France, Spain, Costa Rica, etc. They also had other programs such as cuisine, photography, dance and more. This program is supposed to be educational and fun.
4.) Home away from home
At first is really hard to adjust because the students are young and is usually their first time away from home. Some students are very home-sick for a few weeks, some for a few days and some never get home-sick. However, everyone gets over it with help of teachers and students and accepts the school as their new home. Once you accept the boarding school as your new home, it will become your home for life. You meet people that you will always be friends with, you have teachers that will always hold a special place in your heart and you become part of a community. Boarding schools usually do not have many students and therefore everyone is very close to one another. They see you go through your ups and downs as well as see you grow physically, mentally and emotionally. There is always someone there to talk to, someone that will listen and someone that will have a shoulder for you when you need it. The memories built are memories that you will never forget. The people you meet will be unforgettable and most likely in your life till the end. I can guarantee you that you do not have to see them for years, but when you do it will be like nothing has changed. Those were the most important years of our lives and we have an unbreakable bond. At the end, we only had each other .
5.) Independence
Everyone that attends boarding school is young, and thus they become independent. Students gain responsibilities and learn about the challenges and obstacles of life. Students are responsible for cleaning their room, doing laundry and of course attending classes and doing their homework. They also learn about finance and money management as they have a budget for their weekend activities. Students have to take care of themselves and their health and must be proactive to self-care. While becoming independent, individuals also set short-term and long-term goals for themselves. Goals are extremely important and it is great to see kids develop goals as teenagers. Goals display that students want to be in control of their life while making the best decisions they possible can.
Boarding School is an awesome experience! It teaches you to be who YOU want to be!
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