<ol>
<li><p>YOUR ROOM: Take only the essentials to start. Youll have lots of time and opportunity to add stuff later. Its much better to start out small and get a feel for what makes you happy than showing up big.</p></li>
<li><p>STATUS SYMBOLS: Be wary of status symbols. Dont be the kid who arrives with the gigantic, bad-ass stereo, the big screen computer, the refrigerator (if allowed), a closet of couture clothing, fancy handbags and $300 shoes etc. Yuck turnoff!! </p></li>
<li><p>FIRST IMPRESSION: This is first impression time. What kind of person do you want to be its your choice now not Mom and Dads. How do you want your peers, some way less affluent than you, but your equal in every other way, to see you? Do you want them to see money first? Or your personality? </p></li>
<li><p>LAUNDRY: There will be the much-argued decision to do your own laundry or send it out to wash and fold. In that argument, I always side with the kids who take care of their own laundry. Excuses like not having enough time, dont know how to do it, Ill never get around to it etc are just embarrassing. Youre on your own now and this is basic plumbing. And one more thing
when you come home for vacation, keep doing your own laundry!! Why should your Mom always have to do it?</p></li>
<li><p>YOUR ROOMMATE (if they give you one freshman year): This is always a big crapshoot. You may luck out and get someone perfectly compatible or you may have a total nightmare of opposites. More likely its somewhere in between. If you happen to be in the 5% of kids who get the nightmare match, dont freak out. Give it some time and try to work things out for yourself (yes, that means discussing your concerns directly with the roommate!!). If you have a prefect system or house adviser system, ask for advice.</p></li>
<li><p>YOUR COMMUNITY: Almost nothing is more important (and harder to do when youre new) than engaging in the community and interacting with different kinds of people. When you read comments made by seniors at great boarding schools, most often youll hear them say I wish that I had gotten more involved with xyz activity sooner. So be gutsy. Try new stuff. Dont be afraid to fail! </p></li>
<li><p>YOUR FRIENDS: Sure, youll have a group of kids that you like the most, but whatever you do, dont let yourself become a clique-kid. Talk to everyone, spend time with different kinds of people; get to know them. This is your chance to adopt one of the great habits/skills of all time: the ability to, pleasure in, and comfort with reaching across divides. When you get to college and especially when youre in the workforce, the ability to move easily and happily among different kinds of people is worth its weight in gold. The final piece of advice here: if someone tells you a secret, keep it. Be known as a person who keeps his or her word.</p></li>
<li><p>TIME MANAGEMENT: Despite what I said about engagement in the community, you can be too crazy and sign up for too much stuff too quickly. Its WAY better to experience a month of classes, homework and sports before adding other activities. Calibrate wisely! You might have been the smartest kid in 8th grade (and maybe youll be the smartest kid in your boarding school class), but chances are that youll just be another hardworking fish. Moderation and balance are the way to stay happy. Getting to know your limits is a sign of maturity. Finally, when you have free periods during the day, do your homework. Do NOT leave it for nighttime. </p></li>
<li><p>LAUGH AT YOURSELF BUT NOT AT OTHERS: Everybody loves kids who can laugh at their own mistakes. Even if this is painfully hard for you, practice a good attitude, a ready smile, an easy chuckle when you blow something. That old saying Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone is true. If you can manage not to take yourself too seriously, youll be amazed at how it helps you socially. And when one of your friends makes a mistake, or has a setback, go out of your way to lend a hand, spend some time, whatever it takes to be there.</p></li>
<li><p>HOMESICK: Yes, you will be homesick. It might be for just one day, or maybe the whole year! Dont freak out. Normal, normal, normal!! When you have a rough day at school, someones a jerk to you, some clique rebuffed you, some teacher gave you a bad grade, you overheard some hall mate saying something mean and then, at the end of the day, you realize that you cant go home to the comfort of your family and your room, well, it can be really upsetting! Ive seen the toughest freshman guys tear up at night. All of this is normal. And you know what? It goes away, bit by bit. One day it will hit you - you havent felt homesick lately! Looking forward to vacation, yes. Homesick, no. And its the most empowering, fantastic feeling. Because it means that for the first time, youve begun to figure out how to be happy as an individual, to be comfortable in your own skin. Theres really nothing better than gaining this sense of self and self-confidence.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>thank you. 10char</p>
<p>AMAZING! 
I’m posting this in my bedroom! Thank youuu</p>
<p>Lovely post, rebelangel. Thank you. I’ll be sure my son reads it.</p>
<p>Great post rebelangel. My favorite is the homesick part. Every new student should read it.</p>
<p>great post rebelangel!! this should be on the CC version of “how to survive BS” lol
i love #9 <3</p>
<p>thanks, seems like really good advice</p>
<p>Thankss
10char</p>
<p>i like ur screename scared but chill</p>
<p>haha thanks, it basically described me throughout the applying process =P</p>
<p>i think it describes how everyone felt during that time</p>
<p>epic post there.</p>
<p>Great post, how can we get it in the featured discussion section.</p>
<p>Thank you Rebelangel! I think this is one of the most helpful posts I’ve read on CC so far :)</p>
<p>Nice job, RA. I especially like #4, #8, #9, #10. A good Boarding School Almanack!</p>
<p>bumping this thread. New students, please keep a copy of this with you. It’s great advice!</p>
<p>bumping – it may be an old thread, but well worth reading!</p>
<p>This is great! Glad I don’t have to worry about #2 or #3 (don’t have that kinda money) #4 because we have to do our own laundry, and #5 because we get to choose our own roommates and we only have to share 1 trimester a year.</p>
<p>Love it when people find old threads like this :)</p>
<p>Thanks! 10char!</p>
<p>I’m dragging a piece of posterboard, grabbing a fistful of markers, and making a poster of this right now. Seriously, this advice is that good! :)</p>
<p>Like UKgirl23, I’m sighing with relief. #2 and #3 don’t even apply to me-in fact, I will be the one scrutinizing the other students for any traces of contempt. I’ve been doing chores like laundry all my life, and I’m certainly not going to stop now, so #4 is not applicable. But I’m definitely going to watch out for the other ones!</p>