Boarding school: The springboard for success

ACCORDING to research conducted by The Association of Boarding Schools, the number of boarding school graduates who achieve prestigious top management positions in their mid and late careers is significantly higher compared to the number of private and public school graduates with similar achievements.

What causes this disparity? How can boarding schools help nurture high achievers? Optimal Time Management As part of round-the-clock immersive communities centred on the their growth and development, boarding school students will face fewer distractions and are thus able to spend more time on both academics and extra-curricular activities compared to the average public or private school student.

Boarders also typically follow a set daily schedule that allows them to optimise their time. Instilling Passion Additionally, unlike most regular public or private schools, boarding schools tend to offer richer curricula with a wider variety of subjects and activities, such as arts, theatre, sports, music and robotics, providing boarding students with more opportunities to explore their interests and discover their talents, strengths and skills.

Under the mentorship of highly trained faculty members, the students are able to develop their interests into lifelong passions that may even flourish into fruitful future careers. Fostering Independence Boarding school is an ideal place for students to prepare themselves for the challenges and responsibilities of adulthood while in a safe and supportive environment.

In their new home away from home, boarders learn to become disciplined and self-sufficient individuals.

They are encouraged to take responsibility for their own actions and gain vital living skills such as completing chores and budgeting.

They are given the freedom to try new things and learn from their mistakes.

This freedom to make decisions enables them to develop remarkable levels of confidence and resilience. Subsequently, the high standards that boarding school students are accustomed to help them transition smoothly into college and work life.

In fact, a significant 70 per cent of boarding school graduates report that boarding school helped them develop self-discipline, maturity, independence and the ability to think critically.

With these skills, boarders will not just survive; they will thrive well into the future. Building Strong Connections In today’s society, who you know can be just as important as what you know.

Networking is an essential skill to become successful in almost any field. Fortunately, boarding school students have a head start.

The shared communal experiences of boarding school produce friendships that are deeper and more meaningful.

Boarding school graduates state that they establish lifelong friendships at school and look back most fondly on their time spent together then.

Additionally, with many boarding schools hosting an international student body, boarders will have an excellent opportunity to build a global network of connections, which may be advantageous for their future.

Cultivating an Effective Learning Environment

The strong relationships forged at boarding school also provide great academic benefits.

In one study, 78 per cent of boarders reported that they are motivated by peers compared to 49 per cent of public school students.