Life as an International Boarder by Connor

Life as a International Boarder by Connor

Hello all, my name is Guo Cheng, or you may call me Connor. I started Denstone in 1st form and I have just started in lower 6th (year 12). I have spent the most difficult time at Denstone with COVID-19. I have also changed from a small boy that could barely speak English and don’t even know how to make a tie to now an experienced international boarder knowing both side of the culture. And of course, most importantly, this has improved my socialising skill as now I have friends from many other countries and cultures. Academically, I have done my GCSE with all 7s 8s & 9s including English language which is normally the biggest problem for most internationals.

One of the best ways to improve your language speaking skills is by speaking to your friends. This has helped me a lot and turned me from a quiet kid into a member of a conversation with my friends. The first term is always quite challenging but the teacher and other staff has helped me a lot. The cleaning lady was being very nice to me and the dining hall staff was also being kind and tried their best to communicate with me. Academic wise, there was an EAL teacher who offered me a lot of help on prep which is very helpful as there were subjects that I have never heard of before on my timetable (e.g. RE). The teacher was being patient and allowing me to use my phone in class to translate.

There are plenty of evening activities or weekends activities if you wish to board on weekends as well. There are several useful facilities on site include a swimming pool and well equipped gym that will open during night in the week. There are music rooms for you to practice at night if you are very musical. We have courts for many sports include rugby, football, hockey, tennis, netball, cricket and badminton. Personally, I join the local tennis club and train two times a week in the evening, and it is great fun if you enjoy playing tennis. The weekend activities for international boarders are even better. We have the famous Alton Towers next to us which is the biggest theme park in England. If you enjoy roller coasters then I would highly recommend you to go. We have frequent trip to there and also several other ones like visiting the shopping outlet or the Trafford Centre.

Overall, Denstone College is a great choice for international boarders and I would highly recommend it. There are plenty of opportunities for sport and music. This is a great place to learn the culture of England or to study English.