Boarding Tips – Things to Bring

The word ‘Boarding’ can often be an anxious topic, not for the students but for the parents themselves, as there’s always a feeling of uncertainty whether your child (ren) would be okay on their own or otherwise.

That feeling of uncertainty is often escalated further if this is the first time you are preparing them to be a full-time or part-time boarder and you haven’t a clue what they’ll need for their time at the boarding house.

To help ease your nerves a little, our MGS Boarding House provides boarders with the basic furnishings, which includes a twin-size bed and mattress, desk, chair, dresser, and / or closet units. Each boarder will have their own furnishings, but room configurations may differ depending on the number of boarders that share the room (either four or six).

However, there are a number of items you should consider packing for your child (ren) prior to their first day at the Boarding House.

Things to bring

1. For School & Boarding House

• School uniform

• Casual clothes

• Athletic or sports shoes

• Modest sleep wear

• Modest bathing suit

• Towels

• Black shoe polish and brushes

• Wash cloths

• Toiletries

These would be essential items for your child (ren) to bring with them to the Boarding House as they alternate between school and living on campus. 

Do take note on the amount of clothing you’d like them to bring as there is limited space in the closets / dressers provided. On that note, the Boarding House does have a laundry service made available for our boarders.

2. Items for Trips

• Overnight bag for trips or sports
• Light jacket or sweater
• Flashlight
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• Umbrella

Trips are an optional part for boarders at MGS where they’d be taken once a month to a local shopping mall and once every two months to a shopping mall outside Seremban or even a field trip depending on the plans made by the Boarding House Parents.

The items listed here would be useful for your child (ren) if they were to go on trips outside of school.

3. Electronics

• Handphone and charger
• Alarm clock
• Headphones
• Laptop (subject to approval)

Your child (ren) might experience homesickness as he or she might not be used to being away from home for an extended period of time and would need to get used to their new environment. 

Hence the reason for us to encourage boarders to bring one mobile phone so that they can be in touch with you every now and then, to help them combat that feeling of homesickness.

However, boarders would be required to turn in their phones to their Boarding House parents when required except if students have the deserved privilege of keeping their devices.

Although we strive on creating a comfortable, homelike environment for all of our boarders, be it local or international, there are a number of items we do not recommend boarders to bring to the Boarding House.

Things to leave behind

• • Pets
  • Expensive items
  • Too much cash
  • Dangerous Items (Firearms, fireworks, knives etc.)
  • Alcohol or alcoholic drinks
  • Non-halal food
  • Controlled substances
  • Tobacco products / smoking equipment (cigarettes, e-cigs, nicotine)
  • Iron
  • Kettle
  • Hot Tray
  • Matches
  • Kitchen or cooking appliances
  • Chewing gum

   

  Meals are provided for all our boarders throughout their time at the Boarding House which includes supper, boarders would not need to cook their own meals while staying at the Boarding House. 

  As we do not serve non-halal food and beef at our cafeteria in respect of our Muslim and Hindu students, we wouldn’t encourage boarders to bring non-halal food to the Boarding House as well.

  If a medical practitioner has prescribed medication which your child (ren) has to take, we encourage you to speak to our Boarding House nurse and hand it over to him / her as he / she will administer and record the events.

  We hope that these tips would help you prepare your child (ren) for his / her boarding experience at Matrix Global Schools.