Mook Amornkul, from, Bangkok, Thailand, is in eleventh grade at St. Timothy's School in Stevenson, near Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

"It is very helpful to come to the U.S. if you would like to learn English."

Why did you decide to attend boarding school in the U.S.A.?

My father wanted me to have a better English education before going to college. I also wanted to have a new experience for myself.

How did you choose your school?

I have an aunt she lives near St. Tim's and helped me find several schools to visit.  I wanted to go to a school that was small and that could help me learn English quickly. After I went to all of the schools on my list and took tours, I liked St. Tim's the best.  All of the students were so nice and friendly and the people took good care of me while I was here.

What do you like best?

I got to learn English and am much more comfortable speaking it now.  I am also happy because I like my friends a lot.

What do you miss most?

I miss the food! I also miss my family, my friends, and speaking my native language.

How has your English improved?  How has this program helped you to handle 
future study at U.S. university?

This is my third year at St. Tim's.  People say my English has improved a lot.  Since I am the only Thai person here, I always have to speak English.  There is no one for me to speak Thai with! St. Tim's as really prepared me for college because our daily class schedules are structured like college.  I have also gotten used to American food and the weather here.

What was your biggest surprise?

I was surprised at how hard the students work here. Everyone studies very hard but the teachers are always around to help us if we have questions.  Back in Thailand I never had to write essays and papers, but here I have to do that for a lot of classes.

What was your biggest disappointment?

I don't have as much freedom here at school as I do at home.

How have you handled language differences?

At first I only spoke to other EFL students and my EFL teacher because I was self-conscious about my English.  Then after a while people started coming up to me and talking.  The friendly people made it a lot easier and my English started to really improve.

...adjusting to a different educational system?

It was easy at first because I took EFL classes for English and history my first year at St. Tim's.  After that, my teachers really helped me a lot because they knew that I was still working on improving my English.

What are your activities?

I am in the International Club right now.  I also play golf, lacrosse and JV basketball.  Before coming here, I never played lacrosse before but made the team the first time I tried out!

How easy or difficult is making friends in the U.S.A.?

At first it was a little bit hard because there were so many nice people and I didn't know who I wanted to be friends with.  After I started becoming friends with one or two people, they introduced me to all of their friends and now they are my friends too.

What will you remember most?

When I leave St.  Tim's I will definitely remember that I worked very hard here.  I have studied a lot during my three years but it has been worth it.

What is your advice to other students from your country?

It is very helpful to come to the U.S. if you would like to learn English.  The first year away from home was a little hard because I got homesick from time to time but now I love being here. If you make good friends and keep them, you will have so much fun!

Source: Boarding Schools In The USA