What are boarding schools like?

[Syvelocin]

Yes, well, if you've ever been to one (preferably in the UK, but I'll take whatever anyone else has) would you be so kind to give me a detailed description of what it's like (and I mean detailed*). I'm writing a realistic fiction novel set in a mixed boarding school, and I've never been to a boarding school so I lack knowledge of what it's like to be at one, so I can make it sound as realistic as possible. I could use some help :)

*Everything and anything you can tell me would be lovely. Some specific things, but you're definitely not limited to them, just giving some examples, are things like:
-The food: what and when you eat
-Entertainment: What do you do when you're not in class?
-Dorm rooms: What are they like? Size/decoration restrictions, how are room mates chosen?
-Phones, toilets, etc: How does all that work?
-Rules/restrictions: Curfews, where you can and can't be at certain times, rules on pretty much anything
-The building: What's it like?
-The staff: Who works there, what jobs do they have, do they live on-campus.

Etc.

Thank you :)

[Quahog]

I went to a boarding school for a few months or so. I was sent there for behaviour/school problems. My parents thought it would be a good learning experience. The school staff felt that I could handle being in a regular school, so I was taken out of the school.

Hopefully I can help you with your novel.

It was so long ago, so I might be wrong, but there were no more than 100 students enrolled at a time.

It was an all boys boarding school. Between the ages of 12-17.

-The food: Usual stuff, Pancakes, French Toast for breakfast. Sandwhiches, Hamburgers, Hot dogs for lunch. Steak, Fried Chicken, Spaghetti, for dinner.
-Entertainment: We had a game room. Which had 2 tv's. Video game systems. Board games. We also had a library which had 5 computers, which were for school work only, and a gym that had basketball courts.
-Dorm rooms: There were 4 boys to a room. 2 bunk beds. We weren't allowed to put up any posters, but we were allowed to bring diaries, blankets, and family pictures, but that was it.
-Phones, toilets, etc: We are allowed 1 phone call per day. The phones are in the gameroom. Every month, you are given a sheet of paper, which allows you to jot down 3 numbers you are allowed to call. Mom, Uncle, Grandma. etc. If the number is not on that slip, you are not allowed to call them, and you will be punished if it isn't. If you need to change the numbers, you need to talk to staff.

There were toilets in the cafeteria, and the gym, and I think the gameroom. There were about 3 bathrooms with showers in the bedroom building.
-Rules/restrictions: General rules. We can't fight. We are not allowed to touch staff. Depending on the person, we aren't allowed to have relationships with the other boys. etc. We can't be out of our rooms, unless going to the bathroom, after 10 pm. We had to be up at 8am. Class started at 9. Class was usually over at 3. We get lunch, and different breaks. After 3, we are allowed to hang out in the gameroom, in the gym, outside area, or study in the library or in our room. If we were to break any rules, we were on supervision. A security staff officer, followed you everywhere. Basically, all you could do was go to class, study, and go to bed. This lasted for however long we were given the punishment. 1 week, a few weeks, or a month. If we further broke the rules, we were put in isolation. I never really found out what that was, as I never broke the rules, but I'm assuming they put you in a room by yourself all day.

On the weekends, and sometimes on friday's, if our behaviour was good, they sometimes would send us on field trips, to the video arcade, or to the movie theatre, or to the amusement park etc. But we had to be really good.

We were given 3 breaks, where we could spend time with our family. We get a week of in April for spring vacation. We get 3 weeks off in the summer. We get 2 weeks during Christmas.

-The building: It was like a college university, I mean the way the buildings were designed. I even heard that was what it used to be.
-The staff: There were teachers, behavior staff, and school security. I think it's obvious what they did. Depending on your age, you were given a different teacher, the behavior staff usually would just supervise the cafeteria, and gameroom, and would check and see if we were in the bed during bedtime, and would check and see if we were still in bed during class hours. The security was only seen when we were checked in and checked out, and if a fight happened, and if we were on supervision etc.

I wish I knew more. But it was a very, very, long time ago that I went.

The movie the Emperor's club, might be able to help you figure out how all boys, and all girls boarding schools were.

Give this is a good read too. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boarding_school

Good luck on your novel Rith.

[Azunite]

Jesse sorry but with all those restrictions your school is a barracks. I have never heard such restrictions here.

[Quahog]

Jesse sorry but with all those restrictions your school is a barracks. I have never heard such restrictions here.

I tried to explain the place the best I could. I could say it is a holiday resort, but that's not what it is.

[Azunite]

If you are going to write a novel about boarding schools, write the boarding school twice as harsh Jesse mentioned.

[Syvelocin]

Thanks much Jesse, that was really helpful :)

If you are going to write a novel about boarding schools, write the boarding school twice as harsh Jesse mentioned.

Any harsher, and I don't think I could fit the plot of the story into a boarding school XD It's just the setting, but things like what Jesse mentioned will help with the realism and volume of the book. More inspiration with which to craft the novel around.

[Azunite]

Thanks much Jesse, that was really helpful :)



Any harsher, and I don't think I could fit the plot of the story into a boarding school XD It's just the setting, but things like what Jesse mentioned will help with the realism and volume of the book. More inspiration with which to craft the novel around.

I would like to help you with your novel but the books I have written are usually about fantasy magic wars, intrigues, rebellions and complicated love stuff :P

[Syvelocin]

I would like to help you with your novel but the books I have written are usually about fantasy magic wars, intrigues, rebellions and complicated love stuff :P

Well, complicated love stuff fits :P I think it's more of a Drama/Thriller than a Romance but still.

I've written a lot of fantasy stuff. This is my first go at a realistic fiction. I'm two years into writting it (I take a while...)

[Jennifer's Ashes]

Yeah, I go to an English boarding school.

-The food: what and when you eat
At breakfast theres a choice of cereals and something extra; like bacon, sausages or croissants. We also get toast. And sometimes theres eggs. We always have the choice of coffees and teas and stufffffs. Lunch theres always the salad bar, a vegetarian option, a "lite bite" (something lowfat) and the hot main. For dessert there is always two options and one always has some sort of sauce or custard. Then right after school whe have "tea," some sort of cake or pastry with a hot drink. At supper its pretty much just like lunch.

-Entertainment: What do you do when you're not in class?
after tea we have an hour to hang out and get into normal clothes or go to clubs, matches, activities, etc. (home clothes are called "mufti." I.e. Mufti day is when you can wear your own clothes to school.) and we can watch TV in the "common room" which is like a living room for us. After that theres an hour of homework, then supper, then an hour of clubs ad stuff, then bed. On the weekends we can go shopping, to the movies, into town, to museums, or just stay at school.

-Dorm rooms: What are they like? Size/decoration restrictions, how are room mates chosen?
At my school each person is given a raised bed with a built in desk and wardrobe. There is a desk chair and a matress and you bring in all the linens and a desk lamp. You can hang stuff on the Walls as long as it isn't porn, and most people have bulletin boards. Every few weeks, we move dorms, and we always move along with one person we were with before. (the dorms are with people your age in groups of five or six

-Phones, toilets, etc: How does all that work?
They want you to give them your phone while youre in school but people
sometimes bring in an old one to put in and keep their real one.There are big bathrooms with stalled showers and toilets and TONS of mirrors.

-Rules/restrictions: Curfews, where you can and can't be at certain times, rules
on pretty much anything
NO LEAVING CAMPUS WITHOUT PERMISSION. Were pretty remote, just kind of on top of a hill and with 40 acres of grounds. Also, all the rules Jesse mentioned apply at my school. Except the punishments, they are just cruel. If we seriously break the rules we get gated. That means we stand up in front of the whole school at assembly (which we have every morning btw) and say your name and why you got gated. You also Can't leave campus for X amount of time.

-The building: What's it like?
Google leweston Sherborne. Find the website, click on senior school, and theres a gallery on there somewhere.

-The staff: Who works there, what jobs do they have, do they live on-campus.
There's all the normal teachers like you get at the normal schools but some of them are on the boarding staff. You also get gap years (and they act as student teachers and live on campus) but theres one housemaster or housemistress and there's always a deputy. They definitely live at the school. Picture a fat old man/woman, likes to shout at people.


Congratulations, you have managed to sit through a fantastically lengthy take on boarding school by yours truly! I applaud you for not having fallen asleep. And If you did, well, can't say that I blame you.

Hope that helped.