I’m from Hong Kong, but before I came to Lucton School I was at a High School in America. It is very different to studying in the US; the clothes, the systems, subjects, classes, food, and especially the accent. It took me weeks to realise that, ‘all right?’ meant, ‘hi?’ and people were not actually worried about me. That’s something I noticed when I first arrived, everyone was really friendly and talked to me straight away; I felt very welcome.
I’m in my last year of A Levels and am studying art, music, and Chinese. I started the courses late; however, the teachers at Lucton have been great and helped me catch up, and if I ever get stressed they are very understanding and let me take time out before helping me refocus on my studies. They are also helping me find the right university course, at the moment I am deciding between pursuing art or studying Japanese.
Boarding life is good; in the evenings I spend time chatting with my friends, watching movies, and use the Sports Hall, and I like that we have our own kitchen and can make our own food if we like.
This year I am the Deputy Head of Boarding and, with the help of the Corridor Captains, we have meetings with senior staff to discuss how boarding can be improved, which is great as I feel that we have a voice. I like to help the new boarders, as I know how it feels to go somewhere and not speak the language, it can be difficult. I would encourage all new boarders to talk to one another and make friends, and not just from your own country. You can’t force friendships, but in my experience, it has not been hard here.