When most people hear the words ‘Boarding School,’ they probably think of disobedient kids with rich parents who want to send them away…but my experience of living, and loving, Gordonstoun, my boarding school, has made me the person I am today – and has 100% helped prepare me for the challenges college has thrown at me this semester!

1. Independence.

Boarding school comes with a lot of independence. While it’s not as extreme as college, my school really held me responsible for making my own schedule and sticking to it. While there were people making sure I was doing well, it was ultimately up to me to decide what I wanted to do and when.

I acquired skills including cleaning my room, finding time to do work, being social, going to class, and finding my own extracurricular activities – all things that are sometimes challenging to freshmen coming straight from a day school.

Thanks to boarding school, I was already familiar with being independent, which helped with my transition into a new place.

2. Walking

My high school was over 150 acres, meaning I was used to a semi-long walk to class…in all weather conditions. Winter is coming up here in Syracuse, and I feel slightly more prepared knowing I survived the Scottish rains and winds without a thick winter jacket gives me hope for a warmer winter here.

While I definitely walk more at Syracuse, Gordonstoun prepared me for the intense amounts of stair climbing and has made me better at timing how long I need to get to and from classes across campus.

3. Dining Hall Food

What Gordonstoun students lovingly refer to as ‘the refectory’ makes Syracuse food seem like a full on God-send.

Boarding school food and I had a strained relationship, resulting in me eating mostly green apples and French fries - whereas Syracuse actually gives us some variety with our dining options. While the college dining experience isn’t state of the art here, either, it’s definitely an improvement – and has taught me to love what we get here!

An added bonus is the fact that we can actually order/leave campus to get ‘real food,’ whereas in boarding school I was not so lucky! I would take meatless Monday forever, over eating at the same cafeteria every day like I did in high school!

4.

Deadlines

When I left for boarding school, my education was really ‘in my hands.’ My parents were literally across the world, and I had to step up and take matters into my own hands when it came to school.

This meant getting close with the staff at my school and negotiating everything from dropping classes, to getting letters of recommendation, to debating exam grades. Through my boarding school classes, I learned how to advocate for myself and speak up when I need help, which has come in handy in a big college where you may not know you need assistance before it’s too late!

5. Sickness

With the mumps and other diseases running ramped at Syracuse, I thank my lucky stars that my immune system is probably stronger than average thanks to the constant stream of sickness circulating boarding school.

With over 450 high schoolers living in close quarters, when one person gets sick – everyone gets sick! This phenomenon led me not only to be possibly the most functional sick person ever but also made me familiar with the dreaded school health care system.

Now, in college, I’ve learned to self-medicate, drink lots of water, and keep hand sanitizer at all times – and have somehow miraculously escaped the sickness (so far…).

6. Friendships/Relationships

Boarding school, especially in a different country, gave me a taste of living in the ‘real world,’ where I was tasked with building a support system around me. Everyone says there's no bond like the ones made in college, but I’d argue there really is no bond like the friends I made at boarding school!

The sense of community around Gordonstoun prepared me for the relationships I’ve formed (and will continue to form) at Syracuse, and I’m forever thankful to all my high school friends for helping me make it this far! (p.s. I miss you all!)

Overall, my experience at boarding school taught me a lot about life, and I wouldn’t trade that for the world – especially because it helped prepare me for college, and probably the rest of my life. So all I have to say is, thank you, ‘stoun!