A typical day as a boarding student at SSHL

Follow Charlotte through the course of a typical day as a boarding student at SSHL!

Charlotte is originally from Frankfurt in Germany and moved to Sweden to enroll at SSHL in August 2020. Her grandmother was Swedish, so she wanted to come here to find out more about Swedish culture, learn the language, and get back to her Swedish roots.

Charlotte tells us about a typical day as a boarding student at SSHL. 

6.30am: Wake-up time!

Charlotte’s alarm goes off and she gets up and gets ready for her day. While most Swedish schools have no uniform, SSHL does – but tradition has it that it’s worn only on Wednesdays in a typical week.

– It’s really nice not having to think about what to wear that day! says Charlotte.

7.00 am: Breakfast

Charlotte sits down with the 25 to 30 friends in her boarding house dining hall as they tuck into a cooked breakfast with cereal, eggs and more.

– Sometimes, we’re lucky and the cook makes pancakes too!

School rules allow you until 7.30 to arrive – but don’t blame anyone else if you arrive late to find the pancakes have all gone!

Charlotte is having breakfast together with the other girls in the House.

8 am – 8.50 am: Mentor time

Wednesday means an early chance for Charlotte and her class-mates to speak to teachers who act as school mentors.

– If we need help with anything at school or have a problem, we can talk to them about it, Charlotte says. Sometimes, the session involves mentors making presentations on important topics to the whole school. Each house at SSHL also has House Parents, who are present around the clock to provide friendly support and guidance for boarders.

The students are supported by both teachers, mentors and academic tutors in their studies.

9.00 – 10.15 am: Maths

Charlotte has just started with a new maths course called Analysis and Approaches. This is one of two courses she could follow in the IB Diploma Programme she’ll start next year (the other being Application and Interpretations).

– I really like maths because of how you get to follow the logic, she says.

Charlotte with her class in the Maths lesson.

10.15 am – 12.00 pm: Lunch

Wednesday means an earlier and longer than usual lunch break (times are staggered so all students can eat in SSHL’s main dining hall).

– The food is very good compared to my last school, says Charlotte, who is Vice-President of the SSHL Food Group (one of the many school clubs and societies students can join). The group promotes awareness about food waste, raising money for a school in Kenya with a bake sale, and working to ensure a high quality of food and beverages in student meals.

So, what’s her favourite option among the lunch dishes prepared by the schools’ chefs?
– Spaghetti bolognese!

The longer break also allows Charlotte and her friends to enjoy a pastry in the school cafe, or pop down to the shops in the centre of Sigtuna. She also loves to enjoy the scenic, natural beauty of the area.
– I grew up in a city, so I really enjoy being so close to the lakes and the forest.

Charlotte and her class mate takes a walk to the lake on the lunch break.

12.00 – 12.50 pm: Biology

Charlotte has a biology class in this slot for the next five weeks, following five weeks of physics and before five weeks of chemistry.
– We’re starting a project on how to do lab reports about experiments, she says.

In physics, she learned about measurement and the laws of motion.
– We learned about measuring quantities, speed, acceleration, and so on. It was really interesting.

1 – 2 pm: Swedish Language

Charlotte speaks fluent English in addition to her native German. She’s already in an advanced Swedish class, despite it being her third language. The only class above her is Swedish Language and Literature, which is “for people who are fluent in Swedish”.

– I knew very little Swedish before I came here, she says. What I like about our class is that we’re only around 15 people, so you can get a lot of help from the teacher. We also do a lot of speaking and presentations, so that we actually learn how to use the language.

Charlotte and her class mate on their way to class. 

14.00 – 16.00 pm: Free time

– I hang out with my friends in the boarding house. We like to watch TV, or movies or play Mario Kart. In my house there are loads of different nationalities: Swedes, Germans, Americans, Swiss – it’s really nice to hang out with people from different backgrounds.

4 pm: Volleyball

A wide range of sports are played at SSHL. Charlotte plays volleyball twice a week and has been training for a weekend tournament in Stockholm.

– My favourite days are when I get to sleep a little longer (a special privilege on days where her schedule starts with a free period) and then play volleyball in the evening, which is great fun!

Charlotte is also on the school tennis team, which consists of five girls and five boys. They sharpen their skills, and their competitive spirit, at the local tennis club next door to SSHL.
– Last year we were planning to go to Amsterdam for an international tournament but it was cancelled due to the pandemic, she says.

Charlotte with the volley ball team in the sports hall. 

6.00 pm: Dinner

Back to the dining hall, where there’s a new dinner menu every week. Charlotte especially loves the burgers, as well as a dessert of apple pie with traditional Swedish vanilla sauce (vaniljsås).

6.30 to 8 pm: Homework

Charlotte does between 60 and 90 minutes of home work. Each house at SSHL has a House Tutor on hand to provide academic support six days a week outside classes whenever needed.

Charlotte studying at her room. 

8.00 pm: Free time

– We sometimes go and visit friends at other boarding houses to hang out with them, Charlotte says.

She also explains that the boarding experience is supporting her personal development in ways that will be of real value in the future.
– I’ve learned how to communicate with so many different people, even though not everyone speaks English and people come from different cultures, religions or ethnicities. You all learn how to live together. I think that will be really valuable in life.

10 pm: Students must be back in their boarding house

10.30 pm: Lights out

Well, that’s a typical day in the life of a student at a Swedish boarding school!

Parents of students are always welcome – and often get involved in organising spontaneous dinners or activities during their visit. So, how often does Charlotte speak with and see her family?
– I message my family a lot on WhatsApp and whenever I have free time, we of course spontaneously call each other or do video calls, she says. She also goes back to Germany five times a year – the school is just a 20-minute drive from Stockholm Arlanda Airport – and her family recently visited her in Sweden.

– My family think it’s a very nice place and they really like the school, she says.