Assignment 3- Factual story telling

A Home Away From Home

My Boarding School

Problems never seem leaving me!! Today is my first day in new school and look at me, my I- pod’s confiscated by my seniors, I am late for my first class and I couldn’t even get morning breakfast. Is hostel life so busy?

My school captain calls on me by my new nickname the “new girl” I am warned for the first, and the last time for being late. Now I just am waiting for the juice break, so that I could grab some biscuits and have some juice, as my tummy’s making weird noises. By the way, I am Nancy; I am a sixteen-year-old struggling teenager who has just got admission into a boarding school.

Life is never easy for anyone, either we can just sit in a corner, and cry about it or just laugh and take it easy. My life before entering this school was so much simple and easier. The idea of getting into a boarding school sounded fun for me at first. It was a way to prove my parents; that I was responsible enough to handle my own life. Well when I first entered my new school, everything seemed so beautiful and positive, the beautiful mountains, the campus, the people and so much more. But I never knew that things, which looked good from far, were not always good. The reality is so different from illusions.

My first few months in hostel were terrible; I missed home, the plains, my old school, my friends and my family. I wanted to go back, every single day was so difficult to endure. We were only allowed to speak to our parents once a month and write them every week. The year 12 students, which was the senior most class, was the most privileged people in school. They were always given the first preference from food to school outings. Every morning I tried to look happy and tried to focus on my work, but nothing seemed to work out. Sooner, I seemed to be getting used to loneliness, I was adapting to the environment.

Eventually, I began to pour all my loneliness into my diary, which made me feel better. I did have friends but I didn’t want to overburden them with my sadness.

One day the entire grade had some fun ideas up their sleeves. We decided to mass bunk our night study, which in turn turned out to be havoc and we were instead punished till 11 pm at night. We realized the teacher we messed up with, was not going to just leave the situation; he announced the whole syllabus for mid-semester exams. That was one thing, which I still can’t forget; I remember how much we all were struggling. Studying those topics, which were not even covered up.

I started to involve myself in class discussions and tried to be friends with people around me. Suddenly it didn’t seem so bad, I started to mix with everyone and before I knew it. I had a group of friends who were just like me. We were like any other group of friends sharing common interests and having fun.

Punishments in a way were fun, getting punished by our seniors. Months passed and soon it was time for exams. Everyone got busy in exam preparations. I too started involving myself in studies, but in all this, things were changing. I was changing.  I had started liking it, I seemed to overcome my problems and I was beginning to enjoy my life. Getting punished by seniors, bunking morning exercises were all so much exciting. We would buy a lot of snacks from tuck shop and hide it in our lockers. Munching in midnight on snacks and chitchatting was so much fun.

One thing, which I learnt, was life could be enjoyed in every way. My views of leaving this school were changing. I decided to come back and make the last year of my school life the most happening year of my schooling life. Today I longed to return to the twisty hilly paths of Mussoorie(hill station in India), where I spent the last years of my school. What at first seemed like jail was now a home to me. I long to go back and be with my friends laughing endlessly with no worries of life. Those were the days I shall never forget for they are one of the best memories, which I shall remember forever. This school taught me to take life with positivity and deal with every type of problems.

One thing, which my headmaster told me when I joined school, was that one, who enters this place, comes in with tears and leaves with tears. I never really understood the meaning back then, but now I know it what he meant.