As the school year progresses, new boarding students at George School have started to settle in. Being a boarder myself, I’ve thought about difficulties other students may be facing adjusting to a boarding school. To gather more insight, I spoke with boarders that live in various dorms and have gathered their opinions on dorm life, balancing their time, dorm activities and more.
Especially with the new seven term schedule this year, students returning and new have had challenges. Students have expressed the difficult task of time management, as well as other problems like the wait for the long lunch line. A new 9th grade student has voiced her opinion on balancing classes and free time. In response to the question “how has life been adjusting to living on campus?”, she discussed some changes she has had to make. “It’s been very different. I used to wake up really early because my school was in a different state than where I lived. I can sleep in now which is really nice; it’s definitely been an adjustment living with a person since I’m an only child but I’ve enjoyed it so far.”
Many students have expressed the challenge of eating lunch in the shortened period of 60 minutes and making it to class on time. When asked about her time management regarding recent issues like the lunch line, she responded with: “It’s been easier to manage time now that I’m in a routine. Teachers let us out early sometimes for lunch which is nice and I have alarms so I don’t miss my classes like if I have a free right before it.” The West Main dorm has also had many dorm activities for the whole dorm to do as a community, such as tea parties and movie nights. This student has enjoyed the movie nights among many activities, “When we watch horror movies it’s really fun because we’re all screaming together and it’s nice to have snacks together.” Additionally, I asked about difficulties she’s faced living on campus. She responded with “I think eating a balanced diet and getting homework done is sometimes hard.” She expressed her concerns about her classes in future terms and the new schedule with more classes and less time. The last question I had for this boarder was her overall opinion on being a boarder to which she replied, “I like being with my friends but it’s been different since a lot of my friends are from a different state. It’s still been nice since the people that live here are really chill.”
I asked another boarder who lives in Westwood about their experience with their new dorm life. When asked about how she’s been adjusting to living on campus, she answered, “Living on campus has been a big adjustment for me. Two weeks into this term I had to change my classes because the workload was overwhelming. Due to the limited time in between classes and the long lunch line, I usually don’t have time to eat.” The popular topic of clubs and dorm activities was also asked of this student. “I signed up for the Black Student Union (UMOJA club), Thrift club and a few others. I’m looking forward to participating and getting more involved. So far our dorm activities have been pretty fun. We’ve made s’mores and taken walks to Starbucks as a group.” Along with the moments this student has enjoyed thus far, she has faced difficulties like many others being a new student at a boarding school. “Some of the difficulties I have experienced were adjusting to the new schedule, dealing with the long lunch lines, the COVID outbreak and dealing with other students cleaning habits or lack thereof.” To wrap up my questions, I asked about this student’s overall opinion of boarding. “Overall, I like the concept of boarding school, but there are some things at George School that I would like to see changed.”
In addition to asking new students about their boarding experience, I asked a returning boarder about George School’s changes since last year, regarding academic life and dorm life as well as how the adjustments have been for her. Returning as a 10th grader, this student has expressed how different it is being someone that new students are supposed to look up to. Her opinion about living on campus has changed since last year, “It’s been a little different (the fact that I’m the sophomore this year instead of the freshman) since last year the sophomores helped us. Now we have to help the freshmen get adjusted and show them how to immerse themselves in the dorm and how to be kind friends.” In response to the question about time management, this student talked about the drastic change from last year. “We didn’t have the seven term schedule last year and honestly I find it hard; for lunch, sometimes there was a long lunch line but it was never as bad as it is this year. Lunch was 15 minutes longer and I could consult with a teacher after eating.”
Since the beginning of the school year, dorms have organized and helped engage their residents in dorm activities and fun community games. I asked this boarder what dorm activities she’s enjoyed and how they compare to last year’s. “I also lived in West Main last year and we did a song lyric activity that was really fun (getting randomized words and naming/singing a song with it). The activities we’ve had so far are really fun too.” She expressed that the activities last year promoted complimenting others and being a friendly community, and conveyed her excitement for the activities to come this year. Despite being a returning student, she revealed the difficulties she’s faced so far. “It was a lot easier last year; the workload for new freshmen seems more than it was for me as a freshman. I’m having some trouble because my teachers give double the work since we have less time than last year. My classes feel super intense and I’m more stressed this year.” To wrap up our conversation, I asked about her overall opinion on dorm life, including how it affected her last year. “I think boarding is such a good experience and everyone should do it; last year I had a difficult time adjusting but it prepares me for college. I like being on campus a lot and I don’t have to leave (accessibility).”
The common consensus of many boarding students is that time management has been a difficult feat so far due to the change of our schedules. Living on campus provides an experience that the average student couldn’t attain otherwise. Speaking with multiple boarders showed me more perspective on their routines, how they manage time, and what exactly makes George School’s community and boarding experience so special.
