I was excited to leave home; that was actually my first time leaving home. I cried a lot when my parents dropped me off. I didn't have friends who were in boarding school, don't know how the system works, or have little or no experience. That first day, the only thing I came to school with was my box and other school requirements like a mob, a broom, and others. No food items, and the worst case was that I didn't eat much at home before coming back due to how excited I was.
Image is mine
The school allowed bread and fruits, but none were given to me; probably my parents didn't have the idea. Getting to the hostel, a two-story building, my hostel was on the last floor, named St. Maria Goretti. My side mate was also a newbie like me. She offered me her food, but I declined. To sum it up, I missed the school food that day and went hungry throughout that day. That was my first welcome.
As the session progressed, I began to know and meet people who became my friends. When it comes to bullying, which is usually rampant in boarding school, I usually stand up for myself.
When it comes to my academics,I wasn't really very bright, but at least I got promoted to the next class without repeating any. I was an all-rounder. I performed in the drama club and also in the cultural club.
The fun part of my stay in boarding school, we usually have this social gathering we call "social night," where we perform drama, pantomime, dance, watch movies, and lots more. We do these social nights after our visiting day. Different classes are given the opportunity to perform, and the best dance group or pantomime group is rewarded. It's also a time to call out the dirtiest student, the neatest student, and much more. When the social night ends, we watch movies on this olden-day inch television. It was so small, needing you to strain your eyes. Most times I watch, while other times I would rather sleep.
Another sweet part was that when we went on an excursion, we went to Cameroon. It was fun visiting these neighboring countries. It was a one-week stay, and we had fun being away from school under the guidance of the teachers that went along with us. We visited Abuja too for an excursion, just as we did in Delta State. It was all fun for me. We pay a huge sum of money for those excursions.
An ugly experience I encountered was when I was given a post in school. That was when I was in SS2. I was given the post of chapel perfect. This position was difficult for us. We were like three given this position. How can three people keep a population of over a thousand students calm during prayers. It was usually rowdy when students gathered for prayers. It was my duty to keep them calm and to continue the prayers. My school is a missionary school owned by the Catholic Church. Our principal was a Rev. sister then. It was difficult for me to keep them shut; I had to strain my voice. The principal made the work worse by asking us to write down the names of noisemakers and submit them to her if we failed to do so. We, the chapel, will suffer the consequences. That post earned me a two-week suspension from school, along with those of my other colleagues.
Boarding school is fun. I can tell you more and more about my experience, but I will stop here for now.
Thank you for your time!