The decision to become a boarding student is always hard because it is a big step that significantly impacts one’s life. Being a boarding student is a commitment to a lifestyle that helps to build resilience, independence, and many other great qualities.
Boarding schools like The Global College provide a unique opportunity for students to learn how to navigate their lives away from a familial environment, which fosters personal growth and allows students to be prepared for a rapidly changing future. In this article, I will explore how being a boarding student contributes to the development of independence and self-reliance.
Learning Self-Management
The main feature that boarding schools cultivate is self-management. In a boarding house, YOU are the person who takes charge of your daily life.
As a boarding student, I’m always the one who plans out my schedule. Every school day looks different for me. Sometimes my day starts at 8:30am, but on another day my classes begin at 9:20am or even at 11:20am, which means that I need to manage my extracurriculars, sports, and assignments around these times as efficiently as possible.
On some days I need to wake up earlier just because I know that I need to finish my preparations for a test or practice sports. Sometimes I can also go to bed late because I need to practice my German. Nevertheless, it’s all about balance. As a boarding student, you acquire this knowledge and practice on how to balance your life, which helps a lot!
I remember how I was struggling during the first semester. Most of my time was taken up by homework, assignments, extracurricular activities, and sports. Later on I understood that it is extremely useful to have some sort of calendar to keep all your deadlines and tasks in one place. When the second semester came around, I already knew how to study efficiently and manage my time, so I started to spend more time with my friends and do more activities that I enjoy such as reading or watching movies.
Living in the Boarding House teaches you to be responsible and manage your life independently. It makes you ready to step into adult life, where you will handle various tasks without the immediate assistance of your family. Self-management is the priceless gift that you receive as a boarding student and it’s one of the reasons why you should consider being a border at TGC.
Decision-Making Skills
Boarding students need to make many decisions every day. Should I go out with friends today or should I study? Will I go to the gym today or will I pass?
However, in a boarding house, you have freedom but it’s a responsibility as well.
You choose your classes and extracurricular activities; you choose the things you need to get done today and tomorrow. TGC boarding students learn to weigh options, and make informed choices.
It is important to make decisions that impact your academic life positively. That’s why every day you can see TGC boarding students in the study room. Nobody forces them to do it, they take on responsibility and make their decision to study.
Decision-making skills are a quality you acquire while being a boarding student and it’s a useful tool that you will carry with you throughout your whole life.
Building Strong Interpersonal Skills
TGC boarding brings together students from all over the world which creates an environment where boarders learn to adapt and interact with people from various cultures and backgrounds.
The close-knit community encourages students to develop social skills, resolve conflicts, and foster the ability to build relationships with people whose values differ from yours. All of these skills are invaluable in navigating both academic and personal life.
After becoming a boarder, I got a big grasp of Spanish culture, food, and values. Many people from boarding house staff come from Spain and you see them on a daily basis, which allows you to immerse yourself in a new culture by communicating with people from it.
Some students in the boarding house are loud and active, and some on the contrary, prefer a more passive lifestyle. There are no two same students in the whole boarding house and this diverse mix of personalities that live with you teaches you to adapt to different situations and broaden your horizons.
Becoming a Strong Communicator
Effective communication is key to success in any aspect of your life. As boarding students, we need to communicate with each other and staff members daily. This everyday communication helps to learn how to efficiently express your needs, resolve conflicts, ask for help, or simply express your opinion.
I’ve seen some people who seemed to be shy at first, but then they became more communicative and open. Therefore, if you don’t have a great communication skills – no worries, while living in the TGC boarding you will acquire this useful tool together with many others!
Becoming a Problem-Solver
Boarding life has its challenges, but as a boarding student you quickly learn to adapt and overcome them. Being a boarding student encourages you to develop great problem-solving skills. You learn how to manage conflicts with roommates, handle academic pressures, and deal with homesickness, which is necessary to know for your future independent life.
Choosing to be a boarding student is more than simply changing your living place. Boarding changes your lifestyle, and mindset and allows you to develop independence. It is a unique experience offered by TGC which significantly contributes to your growth as a person. There is no better way to try out an independent life, than being a boarding student in The Global College.
About the Author
Ksenija is a boarding student from Latvia. She is a multilingual enthusiast with fluency in Latvian, Russian, and English, along with proficiency in German and basic Spanish. Ksenija loves to read and actively helps her community by being a volunteer in a library and organizing different projects. Interested in Public Policy, Business, and International Relations, Ksenija looks forward to combining all her skills and experiences to pursue her passion for helping people.
