Been There, Slayed That: Rihanna’s NCS Experience

Written by Rihanna (she/her), who did a ‘Boss It’ away from home experience in Walsall and also went to the Big NCS Sleepover event.

3 min read

Been There, Slayed That is a weekly series where people give the lowdown on their NCS experience. This week we’re hearing from Rihanna! #MyNCS23 
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1. Why did you decide to go on an NCS away from home experience?
I signed up to the Boss It experience because I wanted to experience something new and fresh; something outside my comfort zone. I wanted to feel more confident and learn new skills.

Then, because I went on NCS Boss It in the summer — and had a blast — and some friends from there were going, I decided to go to the Big NCS Sleepover to see old friends and make new ones along the way.

2. What did you most enjoy?
On the Boss It experience, what I enjoyed most was the people at NCS — from the NCS team leaders to the people who I was with, everyone was amazing. I also enjoyed the canoeing and the disco night that we had!

On the Big NCS Sleepover, my favourite activity had to be the silent disco. Everyone got along so well and we all hyped one another up and it was just vibes. People of different backgrounds and cultures coming together creating unity and having an amazing night.

3. What did you find challenging?
I was the only girl that went to the Boss It experience from my area and I found it challenging to feel comfortable around others at first. I barely knew anybody which I found pretty overwhelming. However, I had great NCS team leaders who made me feel welcome and I shared my feelings with them about how I felt nervous. Soon enough, I became friends with many people during my stay. Everyone was so friendly.

I have a fear of heights so when I did ziplining on the Big NCS Sleepover I conquered that fear with the help of my friends and the team leaders — who didn't force me, but encouraged me to go for it. You only live once!

4. If you could do it all again, what's one thing you'd do differently?
I would bring more snacks as me and my roommates loved our late-night snacks. Also, definitely bring an extension cable!! We only had one double plug in our room!! But apart from that everything was good I would do it all over.

5. What memory from your NCS experience will stay with you for life?
A lot. Spending time with the people at NCS, the games like ‘Mafia’ we played in between our Boss It sessions, the disco party we had where we all did the cha cha slide, and the coach journeys to our activities like rock climbing and canoeing. We sang the whole way back and it was pure vibes!

I’ll also remember all the old and new friends I spent time with on the Big NCS Sleepover. It was amazing to be with many people and learn and grow from one another and that will stay with me for life.

6. If you had to sum up your NCS experience in three words, what would they be?
Boss It: Amazing. Lively. Unforgettable.

Big NCS Sleepover: Empowering. Vibey. Amazing

Rihanna, any final thoughts?
NCS is the place for growth and achievements. It's a place where there is no limit to what you can do and there is always something for everyone. From my experience, I had a blast and the people there did too. I made lots of friends, and we’ve already met up outside of doing NCS!

Want to sign up for an NCS experience? Grab your place today! Or if you’ve already been, tell us about it to be featured on the blog.