“Hostel for me has not been that much different from home. There are fights and mistakes are made but we have our moments. We have our times for laughter and our times to be serious. Being in the hostel exposes you to motivated individuals with different backgrounds and even similar stories. I’ve learnt to tolerate people, the types of personalities that people possess and the fact that we all have our own opinions. I’ve learnt to respect each point of view and treat them the way I want to be treated. In the short time that I’ve been here, I’ve loved this group of girls like sisters.” –Zethu Gr.12

“Hostel has blessed me so much! We all learn independence and responsibility. The hospitality of Mrs Moss and Mrs Sandells makes us feel at home and the governance of Mrs Peltason teaches us how to be respectable and elegant ladies. I am grateful and proud to call the hostel girls my sisters. The comradely and bond we share is beautiful. The saddest part of being in grade 12 is leaving such an empowering and united family. To the hostel girls: we really are “together for greatness.’’’-Sibonokuhle Baart gr. 12

"Hostel is indeed a home away from home. It’s been 8 months but feels like 8 years. We have many memories together. We are together for greatness; we love each other, laugh together and have fun.”-Emihle Zooeni Gr.8

“I remember arriving here and not knowing what to expect. I won’t lie I was pretty scared because I didn’t know the girls and I wasn’t used to having so many rules and times for every activity. As time went by I got used to everyone and everything. I got the chance to learn and know more about everyone on a personal note plus I got to understand more about myself. I never really understand why the hotelier to themselves as sisters but now I know. Hostel isn’t just a place we go to afterschool but a home, the girls aren’t just schoolmates but they’re family, the matrons and duty teachers aren’t just women who look after us but are like our mothers and everything around here is grounded and united by love. I remember saying I’ll never miss this place but now I know that I’ll miss everything about it when I leave.”-Yolanda Mantewu Gr.12

“I have been in love with hostel since the moment I set foot in it; I just felt a sense of belonging, like I am at home. I love the vibe of the hostel, the loudness, happiness and love. Hostel makes you feel independent in a way. The best part for me is living with your favourite people and waking up seeing their faces every morning. It’s like stepping into a place that makes you forget about all your problems. It’s my happy place.”-Zamakhuma Makwabe Gr. 9

“If I were to describe the hostel, I would describe it as being a circus. In a circus you get different people who have their own special acts to show the audience. The same applies to the hostel. Everyone has their own unique personality. We respect each other and learn a lot from each other. The hostel is the best circus to be a part of.”-Ziviwe gr.10

“The hostel has really been a ‘home away from home’. I’ve experienced joy, love, tears, laughter, but best of all I’ve experienced sisterhood and its true meaning. Having a home filled with girls may sometimes be difficult, but we have learned how to adjust to each other’s personalities, backgrounds and differences. I am truly proud of being a Riebeek College hostel girl and a Sholto McIntyre hostel prefect. I’ve learned a lot about myself during the past 3 years that I have been in the hostel. And I will miss the girls dearly when I leave at the end of the year. I will remember and cherish the good times we have shared together as a sisterhood, but most of all I will remember each and everything that I have learned from the girls. I say “once a hostellite, always a hostellite”. – Sweety – Siziphiwe Vumazonke gr.12

“Hostel is a home away from home where you feel warmth and love. It isn’t just a place for learners to study peacefully and be focused on education. It is also a place where you first meet strangers who become people you just know, who become friends and eventually in this case young ladies who become family. What I like mostly about hostel regardless all the fun we have at socials, movie nights and build burger days is that as an individual you learn to be responsible and independent. You get use to not being around your parents; you stand out as an individual and are able to speak for yourself.” - Usixolise Sana gr.10

“Hostel!!!! No words can describe this place, honestly. What I can tell you is that if you want to experience the joy of forever laughing and smiling, this is the perfect place for you. I must confess though that it’s not always smiles everywhere here, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Not even for 10 bars of solid gold.” – Vuyisa Ntshoko gr.9

“Hostel has become my second home, and the hostelites have become my family. There is never a dull day when we’ve all together, we are always there for each other despite our different personalities, occasional clashes and fights. Hostel has taught me how to be responsible, social skills, the value of sharing and how to be a source of wisdom to my younger peers. Also being an example to them. I will forever be grateful for the lessons I’ve learnt and the wonderful people I’ve come across with, especially Mrs Moss, our matron she’s the best!” – Sibabalwe Mrubata gr.12C

“My first time here at the hostel it was hectic for the first few days. To adjust to this new lifestyle with set times to when you must do what, but as always I learned how to keep up with the hostel rules. At first I felt so out of place, but in no time the hostel girls made me feel at home. The hostel is like my second home. Although Fridays I don’t wanna go home and on Sundays I don’t want to return to the hostel just yet, but I like it here at the hostel. There’s never a dull moment with this crazy bunch my hostel sisters.” – Gleron Armoed gr.12G

“Being at the hostel has been a great opportunity from the laughs we share, the bonding’s we have and the little arguments we have. Hostel people are my family away from home. I felt welcome from the first night I arrived. Even though I’ve been at the hostel back in grade 8, but this year has been a highlight of my hostel years. Even though I find prep boring at times and quiet time pointless cause we always make it a catch up time. I enjoy every moment of it. The most things I enjoy about the hostel life are the times I spend with the girls and how Mrs Moss shouts over little things. TOGETHER FOR GREATNESS.” – Miss K Awona gr.11

“What an exquisite home I have. As frequently said hostel is a home away from home. At the beginning it can feel like jail away from home, because you staying with all these people you don’t know, some are loud, others weird and other very happy, but at the end of the term it won’t be exiting to go back home like it was on your first weekend. At hostel everyone is different, but we understand each other. Hostel love can’t be compared to any other love. Hostel is a place like no other, always getting that ecstatic feeling when you have to come back to hostel on Sundays. Hostel is a resplendent home where we all share splendid times each year.” – Phumza gr.9

“Hostel for me is an escape from the stressful and negative world. There is nothing that makes me happier than Sunday evenings when I know I am going back to hostel. There is never really a dull moment at the hostel, from waking up to Ayanda’s terrible singing to taking selfies on “our selfie stick” oh and how can I forget Mrs Moss’s Master Chef Desserts. Yes our personalities may clash now and then, but in all honesty, we all enjoy each other’s company and nothing beats our catching up sessions at prep break. I personally didn’t know what it felt like to have sisters until I started staying at the Sholto Hostel. I love each and every girl at the hostel and as our Motto goes: “sisters at heart and partners in crime”. – Thabang gr.10

“Home away from home. A place where I found myself. Every day is a fun day. I’ve met true sisters and made unforgettable memories. The girls all have different personalities, but we treat each other like sisters. We all have our ups and downs, but mostly ups, even though the obstacles we face, they only bring us closer. The matrons and duty teachers are like our parents, because they always make sure that we are in good hands”.

“Hostel is home away from home. It is where the love is and it is where I belong. This year has been an amazing one here at the hostel. I’ve made new sisters and the bond we have is unbelievable, it grows stronger and stronger every day. We sometimes have our differences, but there are always solutions to them. Our 7pm – 8pm tea sessions are always the best. There is never a dull moment… why have a dull moment when we have our own wooden mic’s here. There are different personalities and backgrounds, but here everyone is treated equally. There’s never a day without a laugh… I mean we have got plenty of humourists here. We make memories every day, memories which we will never forget”. – Mihlali Burgane gr.10

“Hostel is home away from home. Before I became part of the hostel family, I was so worried if I’d fit in or not, if I’d have a sense of belonging. I always thought “oh dear, I won’t be able to survive a whole week without my mother and my siblings. I proved myself wrong, instead within a week I formed sisterly and motherly bonds with the hostel family. I only came to the hostel in the third term and yet it feels like I’ve been here for a long time, like I’ve had these bonds since forever. One thing I learned is that you won’t know how living at the hostel feels until you get time to yourself, time to work, you get showers, whatever you name it, and the only difference from your home is that you don’t have more than 10 siblings cracking jokes the whole time. Hostel is home and home is where the heart is”. – Yonela Mapela gr.10

“I don’t even know where to begin when having to describe my stay at the hostel even though I’ve only been here for 2 weeks or so. I am an only child so you can imagine how I feel having more than 20 wonderful sisters to wake up to or spend the day with every day. I enjoy being at the hostel, because it feels just like home and for the few days I’ve been here my days have been filled with nothing, but happiness and laughter. Another thing that I really love as well is how strict the hostel is when it comes to homework and I thing that, that is something that is very important. There’s nothing like the hostel and I love it here”. – Thimna Hobongwana gr.10

“There is no way you can forget about the hostel. I mean where else do you have to submit your phone; do prep; go to Spar only on Tuesdays; if you get five demerits you get grounded;  have more than five guardians and more than twenty sisters and admit without someone pointing a gun at you that you love the hostel? Not forgetting that if you break something, you pay…unless you write an apology letter, no wonder the hostel is out of paper. What I like about the hostel are the people. Why? Because without them there will be no hostel”. – Zimnandi Gwarube gr.10