Over to our students: What is boarding life really like at Collège du Léman?

Choosing a boarding school is a big decision.

For students, it can mean leaving home, moving to another country, making new friends, getting used to a very different kind of everyday life. For parents, it naturally comes with questions: Will my child settle in? Who will they turn to when they need help? Will they find their place?

A school website can tell you about Boarding Houses, programmes and facilities. But they only tell part of the story. The people who know boarding life best are the students who live it every day.

At Collège du Léman, students from more than 120 nationalities live and learn together in our international community in Geneva, Switzerland. No two experiences are quite the same. Some arrive knowing nobody. Some are living away from home for the first time. Some have to get used to a new language, a new culture or simply a new routine.

So, rather than telling you what Boarding at CDL is like, we asked our students to talk about it themselves: what it felt like to arrive, how they made friends, what they found difficult, what surprised them and how boarding has changed them.

These are their stories, in their own words.

Finding Your Place in a New Country

Starting boarding school in a new country means getting used to a lot at once: a new school, a new language, new people and life away from home.

For Lavinia, who joined us from Italy, it meant experiencing many of these changes at once.

Lavinia, Grade 12, Italy

When I first arrived at boarding school, everything felt new. Having always studied in Italy, I had never experienced an international school, and the language barrier made academics particularly challenging. At the same time, being far from home and surrounded by people from different cultures made it difficult to feel completely settled. Instead of letting these difficulties discourage me, I decided to work hard and gradually catch up. I put a lot of effort into improving my English and adapting to a different academic environment.

However, I also realised that I did not have to face these challenges alone. My teachers were always there to guide me, give me advice and support me, especially during the first months. Their patience and encouragement helped me gain confidence and believe that I could succeed. The Boarding community also supported me beyond academics. My House Parents, alongside the Boarding staff, gave me the space to talk about my difficulties and helped me look at Boarding life from a more open perspective. Through these conversations, I began to understand that being surrounded by people from different backgrounds was not something to be afraid of, but an opportunity to grow.

Today, I feel much more confident, have made many more friendships and am more willing to step outside my comfort zone. I was also fortunate to receive an academic award, but what means most to me is the journey behind it. This experience showed me that the strength of Boarding lies in the people who support you and help you become more open, independent and confident.

Becoming More Independent

For many students, boarding means learning to take more responsibility for themselves: from managing schoolwork to pushing themselves when no one else is there to remind them.

For Chihana, it also meant learning English from scratch and discovering what she could achieve by keeping at it.

Chihana, Grade 12, Japan

I became more organised and independent because I am not living with my parents anymore. I have to take responsibility for myself and push myself to study. When I was in Japan, I often did not do my homework or prepare for tests until my mum told me to. However, since I started living in Boarding, I have become much more responsible for my own studies. At first, I also struggled because I could not speak English at all. It was difficult to understand my classes and communicate with others. However, I kept studying and making an effort, even when I did not understand everything.

Over time, my English improved, and now I am able to keep up with my classes without major difficulties. Last year, I achieved a GPA of over 4.0. This experience gave me more confidence in myself. I learned that even when something is difficult at first, I can improve if I keep trying. This confidence also motivates me to challenge myself and continue improving in the future.

Finding Your People: Friendships in Boarding

Boarding is also about the people students meet. When students live together, opportunities for friendship are part of everyday life: at meals, during activities, on weekends and during trips.

For Marjorie, the ski weekend in Crans-Montana captures that feeling better than anything else.

Marjorie, Grade 12, USA

The ski weekend is when I think everyone can just come together and have fun. We all get to leave slightly early on a Friday and get onto the buses. All my friends and everyone that I know are piled into these big buses to go to Crans-Montana. Tea and I sat together and started playing these guessing games with people I had not even talked to before. It was fun, and there were no awkward moments. We all had Boarding in common, and it just felt like such a tight-knit family. Everyone was friends with each other. When we skied, we were put into groups. It was me, Bisher and Momo. It was quite funny at first because I had not really skied before this, so it was really me just figuring it out.

Learning to ski properly with my friends was fun because no one actually cared how fast you could go down or what cool tricks you could do. It was fun because you were surrounded by people who would laugh when you fell down and then help you get up without judgement. When you were on the ski lift, it was finally a good moment to take your gloves off and remove your goggles. Sometimes, you could see your friends skiing down the mountain. We usually tried to shout their names, but it was obviously hard for them to hear.

At the end of the day, when everyone was tired and their legs hurt, you and your friends would all come together to have one big dinner on a Saturday night. The community in Boarding is unlike anything I have ever experienced at a regular school. There is no embarrassment or uncertainty. If I needed help or wanted to make a friend, I would have no hesitation in asking.

Pushing Beyond Your Comfort Zone

Not every lesson comes from the classroom. Sometimes it happens when a student decides to try something difficult, struggles, tries again and eventually discovers that they are capable of more than they expected.

For Chong Xi Filippo, a ski weekend became one of those experiences.

Chong Xi Filippo, Grade 12, Italy

The 2026 ski weekend was one of the most memorable Boarding experiences I have ever had. Alongside the entire Boarding cohort, I spent a weekend at Crans-Montana in February. I believe that the experience started with the bus trip: chatting with my friends, planning the places we were going to visit once we arrived and taking pictures of the scenery. These moments were as memorable as skiing itself. Once we arrived at our hotel, we quickly unpacked and went to bed, as we already knew that the following two days would be very physically demanding. And we were right. As a snowboarder, the first day was particularly difficult, as my sessions consisted of me constantly tumbling down the hill, taking the surface lift, just to tumble down the hill again. Repeat until evening. However, as hard as it might have been, I persisted, and that ultimately led me to go down the reds for the first time ever.

On the trip back, I was as happy as ever, as I knew that I had been able to break through my self-imposed mental ceiling, allowing me to greatly surpass my original expectations of my performance.

I think this represents the excellence encouraged by Boarding and the school: not always being perfect, but having the strength, courage and determination to work towards a goal, regardless of how difficult it might be.

The Everyday Moments That Make a House Feel Like Home

Of course, boarding life is not made up entirely of trips and special events. It is also the everyday moments. It is coming back to the House after lessons. Seeing friends. Taking part in an activity. Having dinner. Finding time to study. Talking to a House Parent. Preparing for tomorrow.

For Tea, those routines are an important part of feeling at home and supported.

Tea, Grade 12, Kosovo

Boarding school is not just about going to classes and getting your homework done. A big part of feeling happy and comfortable at school comes from the little things that happen every day, like coming home to House Parents who ask about your day, seeing your friends after a long day of classes, having activities to look forward to, and knowing that you have people around you who care. A good routine after school can make a big difference to student wellbeing. Having activities planned helps us stay active and involved, while also giving us a break from studying. Whether it is going to the gym, playing a sport, or spending time with friends, it is a good way to relax and clear your mind after a long day.

House Parents also play a huge role in our wellbeing. They are almost like our second parents. They know us, notice when something is wrong, and are always there to ask how our day was. Having people who genuinely care makes the house feel more like home. Then there is dinner, where you get to see all your friends, and a tasty dinner after activities is always worth it! After dinner, study hall helps us stay organised and makes sure we do not forget our homework. Finally, having a regular sleeping schedule helps us get enough rest and start the next day feeling ready!

Different Stories, One Boarding Community

The students in these stories arrived from different countries and with very different experiences. At CDL, they have faced different challenges and found different opportunities.

Lavinia shares how she found confidence after moving into a new international environment.
Chihana reflects on becoming more independent while learning English.
Marjorie remembers the friendships that grew through shared experiences.
Chong Xi Filippo describes pushing himself beyond what he thought he could do.
And Tea shows how routines and relationships can help Boarding feel like home.

Their experiences are all different. They are not a single definition of boarding.

Together, however, they offer something that a brochure cannot: an honest look at what it can feel like to live, learn and grow in an international boarding community.

Discover Boarding at Collège du Léman

If you are considering an international boarding school in Switzerland, our Admissions team can help you understand the Boarding experience, academic pathways, student life and admissions process.

Explore Boarding

Discover more about Boarding at Collège du Léman.

Speak with Admissions

Our Admissions team can answer your questions and help you explore the right next steps for your family.

Drop us a line at admissions@cdl.ch or call +41 22 775 56 56.