Does my houseparent really hate me?How do I cope with homesickness?How often should I phone home?Why are there so many rules?Why do the toilets suck?Can’t I just go home?Are teachers crazy?These are just some of the questions that might enter your head when you first arrive at boarding school. Or maybe you’ve been there a while and you’re still baffled.

Maybe you’re struggling to cope and you’re not sure which way to turn. Maybe your teachers are doing your head in.

There’s nothing quite like boarding school. A group of random people are thrown together and forced to live, work and sleep under the same roof.

How can they possibly be expected to get along? Is such a thing even possible? What about exams? Prep? Revision? Disgusting food? What about the unfairness? The punishments? The lack of privacy?Mr Skerratt has lived in a boarding school for three years working as a pastoral assistant and tutor. He has come up with 29 tips for handling one of the strangest living situations on the planet.

Here’s how you can have a great time in the process!. .