Boarding helps overcome the fear of drought

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By Megan Davis, Boarding Prefect, Scots All Saints College

Meg Davis All Saints College Boarding Prefect
Megan Davis with her brothers Jack Davis (Year 7) and Charles Davis (Year 10), Scots All Saints College (photo supplied)

Megan Davis is from Bourke, NSW. She’s currently in Year 12 and the Boarding Prefect for 2020. A boarder since Year 7 at Scots All Saints College, she shares how boarding has built her resilience over the past six years in the face of drought and other boarding challenges.

Living in the boarding house has helped me overcome the fear of the drought.

Dealing with drought

Bourke has been going through the horrible drought for a couple of years now and things are tough at home. Living in the boarding house has helped me overcome the fear of the drought.

Living with girls from all over NSW who have been experiencing the drought has helped each other connect and overcome this challenge together.

Living in the boarding house has helped me overcome the fear of the drought. With girls from all over NSW who have been experiencing the drought, we’ve helped each other — connecting and overcoming this challenge together.

Boarding has had some big challenges, but as I’ve grown and matured, the boarding house has become my second home. 

Overcoming homesickness

The biggest challenge for me undertaking my schooling away from home was homesickness. I missed home dearly, but to overcome this challenge I kept myself busy with sport and friendships.

If you are homesick, keep yourself busy, just be yourself and you will make so many friends. I have developed resilience through building strong friendships and taking care of my mind and body.

Boarding helped me take care of myself physically, mentally and spiritually.

Tips for resilience

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties and toughness. Boarding helped me take care of myself physically, mentally and spiritually.

Get plenty of sleep. If you don’t, you may be grumpier and more nervous at a time when you have to stay sharp.

Living in the boarding house helps build confidence by encouraging each of to overcome obstacles, attributing this to something we have done rather than to good luck or chance.

Provide opportunities to build confidence one step at a time, but help everyone recognise one success before moving on to the next challenge.

Boarding helps strengthen a sense of character by helping explore who you are, what your values are, and what wisdom and gifts you have that you can share with others.

For students thinking about starting boarding school, it is the best experience anyone could have.

Give boarding a go

For students thinking about starting boarding school, it is the best experience anyone could have. My advice for students thinking about boarding but worried about leaving home is it will be hard in the beginning, but in the end, it will be fine and you’ll have a stronger relationship with your family and friends.

Just keep going, stay strong and carry on. If you have any problems, talk to someone and don’t bottle things up. Take in the moments because it goes so fast!

As Boarding Prefect, I am always here for students that need a helping hand and I bring my optimistic nature to everything I do. I believe it’s important to have a positive outlook on life, and to find some good in what you do every day.

More information about boarding at Scots All Saints College.

Related posts:

Tackling homesickness, 25 January 2017

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