FEEDBACK: Royal Hospital School student testimonial

Arriving at the Royal Hospital School (RHS) in Year 9 was a huge step for me. Being dropped off by my parents, who travelled back to Germany straight afterwards, left me feeling a mixture of emotions. On the one hand, it was incredibly exciting to begin a new chapter in a different country, with different people and a different language. On the other hand, this could also feel overwhelming at times.

For me the best way of dealing with the challenges of boarding school was to reach out and talk to my Housemistress as well as the Music Department as music had always been a significant part of my life. One of the best pieces of advice I received was to get involved in many activities around school. At first this sounded even harder and scary to me but it turned out to be key to making the most of my time at RHS.

Through my variety of involvement as a sacristan, member of the orchestra and choir, hockey, French ambassador, a peer mentor and prefect as well as being a music scholar, I made friendships across different year groups and got to know members of staff whom I would never otherwise have met. These listed ways of getting involved around school represent only a small collection of the many opportunities available at RHS. Even if an activity is not something you want to continue long term, you always gain something from
the experience, whether that is confidence, new friendships or the chance of getting to know the school outside the classroom.

Now as a Year 13 preparing to leave for university in the UK, I look back on my journey at RHS with so many memories around the whole school, making me realize how far I have come not only academically but also as a person. When joining, I never expected to stay until the end or even going to a university here in the UK but I am so glad that I made this decision and would always choose this path again!