For high school students, boarding is compulsory. School hours are long and study tasks harsh because schools can’t let the students become complacent; After all they are not only competing against their classmates but also against all the students in China. So, let’s look at what is lost and what can be found in high school boarding.
First of all, students feel homesick. All of them are the apple of their parent’s eye; everything is secure, safe and sound for them. So they will miss the warmth and the happy moments with their family.
Secondly, since school hours are long and study tasks are harsh, students get extra tuition after the long hours of study and - of course –homework.
Teachers and parents have high expectations and this leads to great anxiety so high school students have panda eyes: sad like the great bear but not as cute. What’s more the extra tuition always implies weekends, meaning that the high school students have no time to rest. High school life is a feat of endurance for students and in this contest much is lost.
In other ways, we leave our parents to learn about independence as they say, give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and you feed him forever. We meet new friends forge new relationships and develop a new freedom without well-meaning but nagging parents.
So, I have spoken about two losses and one gain. Homesickness and heavy school load are the losses and independence is the gain.
In my opinion, what is lost in boarding is greater than what is found because the endurance is more draining than the independence is liberating but we have no choice; we have dreams to fulfill and tasks to finish or to paraphrase Robert Frost, “Miles to go before we sleep”.
Thank you for your kind attention and have a nice day.
