Because of boarding, I know my friends on a deeper level and out bonds are so special
– Hannah (Form 3)
Despite only joining the School this academic year, boarding came naturally to Hannah.
“I actually find boarding really good, because you get to know people much faster when you live with them than if you were just in the same classes.”
“I feel like a lot of people must think it’s really hard to live with your friends because you might end up getting sick of each other, but you get along really well with your House mates, and we haven’t had many arguments or anything.”
With her Boarding House feeling like home, Hannah finds she doesn’t get homesick because she’s with her friends.
“I surprisingly don’t really get that homesick. Right when I first came to Oakham School I told my roommates that I’m from Germany and it was quite fun because they wanted to learn some German words and I feel like talking about my home and culture meant I was able to share it and celebrate it rather than feeling sad that I’m not there.”
“I’ve met two girls here that I travel with now who are also from Germany and I’m able to speak with them in German so it kind of makes you not miss it as much and not get worried that you’re going to forget the language.”
Whilst she is a boarding pupil, Hannah stays well-connected with her family and sees them often.
“Travelling home to Germany is always quite easy and it’s a fairly short trip so I can go there quite regularly for Long Leave Out weekend. Sometimes I’ll choose to stay in the UK and go to London, because I have a friend there and my parents will fly over here quite a lot too because it’s so close.”
The bonds Hannah has made in her House are, and always will be, very special to her.
“You experience so much more with your friends in House, because it’s not like you’re just in lessons with them; you see so much of their lives and you get to share the highs and lows with them.”
“The bonds you make with everyone around you are so special in the House I’m in. Even if you’re not as close with some people, you always know where to go if you need to talk to someone, and you know that there’s always someone that’s there for you.”
Boarding here is giving me so many experiences I never would’ve had back home in Nigeria
– Iwinosa (Form 3)
“When I first thought about coming to England to a boarding school it felt a bit weird as it wasn’t something I’d done before, but it’s strange now, because I don’t feel like I’ve been homesick at all since arriving here.”
“I mean, of course I miss my family and my home in Nigeria but it’s not like I’m scared or anxious; I feel very at ease at Oakham School.”
Iwinosa has been able to try things she’s never done before.
“This year is the first time that I’ve ever played hockey, which was really fun. There’s no hockey in Nigeria at all, so it was really interesting to learn more about it and give it a go. I’d only really heard of ice hockey before and didn’t know you could do field hockey.”
Outside of the timetable, Iwinosa is also enjoying all of the activities available at Oakham School.
“We recently did karaoke in our House and it was so much fun – I like to joke that I’m a pretty good singer now actually. There are so many things that you can do at the School outside of class time, so you never get bored.”
“We’ve also been out on trips with other Houses and recently went to Rutland Water for a long walk with another Girls’ House. We also recently went to Leicester Outdoor Pursuits to have a go at the wall climbing, which was really fun but I was so scared doing it!”
I’ve moved around a lot so boarding has given me more stability.
– Mollie (Form 6)
Originally from the UK, Mollie’s family move around a lot for work so she sought the stability of boarding at Oakham School to complete her Upper School years.
Mollie joined the School this year when her family moved from Thailand back to the UK.
“My family moves around quite a bit because of my dad’s work so I’ve always found myself living in different countries.”
“I was most recently at an international school in Thailand, which was great and I really enjoyed it, but when my family said they were moving again I knew I wanted to come back to the UK and stay here more permanently.”
“I feel like I can’t really compare Oakham to Thailand, because they’re both so different from each other but are both so good in their own ways. I will say that I definitely miss England whenever we’re living somewhere else though; it will always feel like home to me.”
Mollie was nervous to board at school as it’s not something she’d thought about before.
“I definitely felt nervous coming here, because it was something that was unknown to me, but I wanted to do it. “
At a vital time in her education, Mollie has found a home away from home at Oakham.
“As I’m in the senior stage of my school education, I knew that this was a really important time to be focusing on my school work and for me it made sense that I would stay in one place to do that and have this stability.”
“I feel like Oakham School really supports me and I’ve made myself at home here in the short amount of time I’ve been at School.”
“My friends and I laugh because when we’re out and about we’ll always say that we’re going to head home soon and we really mean we’re going back to our House. It’s great that we’re all so comfortable here.”
Keeping in touch with her family is still a high priority in Mollie’s life.
“I call or FaceTime my parents every day and it’s nice to keep in contact with them as much as I do and feel connected to them.”
“Knowing that my friends are always there for me is really good too because they’re literally like, two steps away from me and it’s always so nice to talk to them.”
Mollie’s new home away from home is seeing her make friendships for life.
“In the short time that I’ve been at the School I’ve already made friends for life. Whether you want to spend the evening as a House or you want some time on your own after a busy day, your friends are always there for you, and we have a mutual understanding and respect for each other.”
