First Day at School: The Life of a Boarding and Day Student in Ghana’s Senior High Schools

 First Day at School: The Life of a Boarding and Day Student in Ghana’s Senior High Schools

When I arrived at Bekwai SDA Senior Secondary School  now Bekwai SDA Senior High School  the feeling was a mix of excitement, anxiety, and curiosity. The sound of bells, seniors shouting across the compound, and the smell of fresh-cut grass made it feel like a world of its own.

My dormitory, Amoah House, stood tall among the other halls. I still remember carrying my chop box and mattress, sweating but smiling. It wasn’t just a building, it was a new home. In that moment, I became not just a student, but a boarder.

 The First Day — A Rite of Passage

For many Ghanaian students, the first day in SHS marks a true beginning. Whether you’re a boarding student moving into a hall or a day student walking to school from home, that first bell carries the same weight  a signal that childhood is giving way to independence.

In every school across the country from Mfantsipim to Opoku Ware, Wesley Girls to Bekwai SDA, new students are stepping into routines that will shape their discipline, friendships, and memories for life.

The Boarding House Life — A World of Its Own

For those who live on campus, the boarding house becomes both classroom and community. Life in the dormitory teaches students to wake up early, manage chores, and live among peers from every corner of Ghana.

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At Amoah House, mornings began with the ringing of a bell and hurried footsteps to the bathhouse before morning devotion. Meals were shared in dining halls, laughter echoed through prep sessions, and late-night conversations made lasting bonds.

Boarding life teaches self-reliance, teamwork, and time management. It’s also where students learn discipline from keeping clean lockers to obeying “lights out.”

Advantages of Boarding Life:

Builds independence and social skills

Encourages discipline and time management

Reduces distractions from home life

Builds strong friendships and leadership qualities

But it’s not without challenges. Some students struggle with homesickness, strict rules, or the pressure of seniority systems. Yet, these experiences often become powerful lessons in resilience.

 The Day Student Experience — Home and School in Balance

For day students, the rhythm is different. They wake up at home, help with chores, and commute to school each morning. They study hard but also carry the realities of home life with them, family duties, transportation costs, and less campus interaction.

While boarders are adjusting to dorm routines, day students often enjoy home-cooked meals, privacy, and parental support. They live between two worlds, home and school, balancing both with maturity.

Advantages of Day Schooling:

Constant family guidance and emotional support

Comfort of home and better rest

Lower boarding fees and expenses

Fewer disciplinary challenge

Still, day students sometimes miss the deep bonding and independence that boarding life builds. For them, success often requires strong focus and excellent time management.

 Two Paths, One Goal

Whether boarding or day, every SHS student in Ghana shares one dream to learn, grow, and succeed. Each path has its own lessons:

The boarder learns to stand alone.

The day student learns to balance worlds.

In the end, both produce confident, responsible young adults ready to take on life beyond the classroom.

Meeting the Bullies — The First Reality Check

Every new student soon realizes that not all smiles mean friendship. In many schools, senior-junior culture still runs deep. Some seniors act as mentors, while others test your patience. That first week often comes with being sent on errands, shouted at for slow responses, or even teased for your accent or hairstyle.

But beneath the tough exterior, most of these “bullies” are products of the same system, students once treated the same way. Learning how to stand firm, stay respectful, and choose your battles becomes part of your growth. It’s one of the earliest lessons in confidence and emotional maturity every SHS student learns.

Looking back, Amoah House was more than just my dormitory, it was where I discovered discipline, laughter, and the strength to adapt. And for every student walking into SHS for the first time today, whether they carry a chop box or a backpack from home, the journey is just beginning.

Both lives, boarding and day, are different classrooms in the same school of growth.

10 October