"In spite of holidays when I was free to visit London theatres and explore the countryside, I spent four very miserable years as a colonial at an English school"

This quote by Patrick White reflects on his experience of being a colonial pupil at an English college. In spite of the holidays which allowed him to discover London theaters and the countryside, he still located his 4 years at the school to be really unpleasant. This recommends that the institution atmosphere was not for his happiness, which the vacations were not enough to offset the absence of delight he felt while attending the school. It is most likely that the college was not inviting to early american trainees, and that Patrick White felt isolated and also out of place. This quote highlights the difficulties of being a colonial trainee in an English school, and the relevance of producing a comprehensive and helpful environment for all pupils.