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Cut-Throat or Genuine?

By: Rebecca Chen, Intern

FRIENDSHIPS AT BOARDING SCHOOL

 You walk by that girl in your dorm, she smiles nicely and says hello. Later that day, you spot her sitting with her best friends in dining hall whispering and glaring at you. You are not quite sure if she’s the friend you thought she was.

Friendships at boarding school are different than friendships anywhere else in the world. Some people believe that the competition to succeed interferes with the relationships that you form with friends. Others love everything about their friends and would not trade them for the world. After speaking with a number of students who requested that their names not be mentioned, I was able to find out more on the subject.

A junior mentioned that she believes the academic competition at boarding school both hurts the friendships as well as makes them stronger. She said, “The competition can motivate you to excel in your work, or it can make you want to kill the girl. It depends on the kind of person you are.”

In contrast, a freshmen said that all the people she has met are genuine so far and she does not see competition affecting her friendships. However, this could be debated, as the prep has not been at boarding school long enough to have to deal with the college application process and other competitive ordeals.

On a different note, a few of the people interviewed said that they felt as if their “friends” sued them for homework. Is it possible that people are now backstabbing their friends for grades, instead of the usual boyfriends? A different junior mentioned, “I know a girl who only speaks to me when she needs help with her work. If I say ‘hi’ to her on the paths, I get no response.” That is not always the case though. Many students at boarding schools are truly happy with their friends and would never use them.

Friendships in an environment where you are with people all day, every day, progress more rapidly than anywhere else. Annoying habits may surface sooner and gossip spreads faster than it takes to get from the dining hall to your first class. It all depends on the friends you choose to hang out with and whom you trust. However, being with your classmates this much can also be an amazing experience that leads to memories that will last forever.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 at 3:03 pm and is filed under OMGosh. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.