Boarding school advice

New school year, new you! A lot of you may be moving school or moving to uni, or even going to boarding school. You may or may not know, depending on how long you have been following me that I have been at boarding school for five years now, so I have learnt some tricks along the way that I thought I would share.

Firstly, It's not easy living in with so many people, who you see all the time, so a piece of advice I would give would be to always respect your self and your boundaries. In the evenings find small bits of time to be with yourself, either reading, watching some tv or going for a long shower. This pockets of time give you time to yourself so you can recharge and relax so then you can get back to being with your friends without being tired. 

Another thing that makes boarding life so much easier is having the right people to share a dorm with. I know a lot of schools sometimes have single rooms but if you do share with others I would recommend trying to get someone that you know you get on with but at the same time can be chill and calm so that you don't get exhausted. Your dorm should be a safe space for you and you should feel that you NEED to do anything. That's why usually I wouldn't choose to be in a dorm with someone I am really close with because you often feel there's a pressure to be fun all the time which you don't need to be!

The final piece of advice I would recommend is what you should actually pack for your dorm- I find that every dorm you have should be your own because it makes it easier to transition from your room to your new room and it makes the room look nicer! 

My first item would be your own bedding and pillow. I think having your own bedding makes it so much easier to transition and gives you a piece of home at school. 

Photos are another thing I would highly recommend when going to a new dorm, it always helps me if I am feeling a bit homesick because I know that I have my family there (kinda). It also makes your area your own and gives it a bit of colour. There are loads of apps and website that you can print pictures from for free- check it out! 

If you are allowed a phone at your school I would highly recommend, if your quite young beg your parents because it does make a difference to your day if you can just call someone outside of school. I started when I was young but my parents gave me a phone to contact them and it definitely helped when I was homesick. 

If your school allows snacks to buy as many as you can- not joking. Being at school all the time is tiring and your body needs more food to get through the day. Obviously, you get food but sometimes you might not like the food or you just need more after a long day. I would recommend packeted rice, chips and granola bars. 

And obviously, the last recommendation would be school stuff, such as revision notes, pencil case, (if you have) a computer, files and file dividers and notebooks. Having school stationery it means that it will be easier to be organised and efficient so you can achieve your goal grades. 

I hope this was helpful and gave you some good tips to smash the new school year!

(my old dorm having a chill night)

Love, Aria 

xo