Abingdonian 2017

5 www.abingdon.org.uk Summer Term Micha lmas Term for years to come. We will do our most important exams of our lives yet, and we will, hopefully, grow into cultured, well behaved and thoughtful young men. I won’t lie, it is hard at first. Not only is there a whole new school to get used to, there are also hundreds of new faces to get to know. Many are fortunate enough to have some from their previous school with them, but many others, like me, will not. But quickly it gets easier. Soon enough, be it from your new tutor group, new house or class, one can find new friends and old that will form a big part of the support structure you’ll need for your future years at Abingdon. And that is actually a very important aspect of this School. From your friends, teachers, housemasters, the list goes on, there is always someone to help, literally. Importantly, I never forgot that if I had a problem I could simply ask.The community around does truly become a vital piece in your life, Although the first few days are hard, the routine at Abingdon soon becomes the norm. Within a very short period of time we all got into the rhythm of things. I also started to take part in the endless Other Half activities Abingdon has. Academics are very important but, as the name suggests, they’re only one half of the whole picture. From writing in a multilingual magazine, a professional newspaper, to more sporting, physical activities and making music, the choice is hard to make. For some this is an opportunity to improve the skills they already have, but for many, like me, it was a rare opportunity to try something new, and, to be perfectly honest, I absolutely loved it. Much like I said before, The Other Half is a perfect opportunity to meet new people who have the same interests as you. To this day, a big chunk of my best friends I only met simply because we have the same likes and ended up in the same Other Half activity. In the end, as much as third year may seem scary or frightening, it will probably turn out to be one of the most enjoyable and formative years yet. Johan Nerlov, 3SJB Jonah Walker Johan Nerlov