What to Expect from Dorm Life

[fatimahislam]

For many parents (and probably many students) the uncertainty of dorm life is the biggest cause of anxiety when talking about or considering a boarding school. It's an uncertainty that prevents some students from ever enjoying the more positive, less worrisome aspects of the boarding school experience.

Though there's a lot that can't be known until the student is living in the dorm, there are some generalities that can ease the minds of both parents and students.

Most dorms have schedules to which the students must adhere. A typical day looks something like this (though times will obviously vary somewhat from school to school):

7am - wake up call. In larger schools, the wake-up email data is typically a bell or alarm. In a smaller school, it may be a house advisor knocking on the door

8-9am - breakfast in the dining hall

9:30am-5pm - school classes, lunch, and extra-curricular activities

5:30-7pm - diner in the dining hall

8pm-10pm - study hall

10:30pm - students must be in their rooms for room check
Though a boarding school day is fairly scheduled, it's up to each individual student to make sure he's on time, which teaches the students to take increased responsibility for their actions. In addition, boarding school rules are often more strict than other schools and there are consequences for breaking them. Responsibility is also learned as the student has to manage his own spending money, keep his own room clean, and do his own laundry. Not to mention the fact that there's no one hovering over him to make sure he's doing his homework, so there are ample opportunities for students to learn responsibility!
It's likely that your child will be sharing a room with at least one other student. Most dorm rooms are set up much like a simple hotel room. There will be beds, closet space, possibly dressers, and some rooms include desks. The room may have a bathroom and/or shower, but some dorms have community bathrooms that are shared by everyone on the floor.