<p>If I go to Andover or Exeter, am I doomed to work all the time? Can someone who's been there or had a sibling go there or child, comment on the workload? Even during the revisit the students were talking about lack of sleep, working all the time. I'm a very good student, and I do feel fortunate to have been accepted, but now I am wondering if this is really what I want to do. Is this just cold feet? I know I will get an awesome education at either place. Will someone please tell me what an awesome time I will have at one or the other?</p>
<p>I go to Andover and I have plenty of time for fun. I spend lot of time with friends even on weekdays. I go to the mall, movies, and Boston regularly. Kids here brag about how much work they have and how little sleep they get. Keep in mind that they often include "studying" with friends in the count. Yes, there is more work than at normal high schools, but it is manageable. You'll definitely learn time management, and the weekly schedule makes it so consecutive nights aren't overwhelming.</p>
<p>My daughter has had a far better social life at Exeter than she ever had at her private day school. She has a wonderful group of friends and her life is very well balanced; she gets excellent grades but seems to have plenty of time for fun and socializing and overnight weekends with day students. The "all work and no play" stereotype of Exeter/Andover students is just that: a stereotype.
Fear not.</p>
<p>Its just cold feet.</p>
<p>I have a much better social life for sure at Exeter, but I know people who don't get sleep...ever... Prep and Lower years are fine, it's pretty easy to get sleep then. And I guess if you pick the right courses, you can also get sleep Upper year. Don't know about senior year yet. But personally, I never get more than 5 hours of sleep on a reg. school night. However I do not work all the time. I spend a lot of time w/ extracurriculars.</p>
<p>i'm not saying this from experience or anything, but wouldn't you have a better social life and closer relationships? I mean, the first week or two might be hard because you have to make new friends, but so many kids are new in each grade, it'll be easy</p>
<p>bump (10 chars)</p>
<p>I'm a Lower (sophomore) at Exeter and I basically agree with everything that's been said. Your social life is what you make of it. There aren't going to be any raging house parties, but I know that, at least for me, that's not the kind of social life I <em>want.</em> People are less cliquey here and on the whole pretty chill. Plus, you're surrounded by your friends 24/7 and everything is in close proximity, so it's not like you need a car or anything.</p>
<p>I rarely sleep more than six hours a night, though, so be prepared to work hard (not that it sounds like you aren't, though). Still, I would say the intense, caffeine-fueled 2am convos are some of the best parts of Exeter for me.</p>
<p>
[quote]
intense, caffeine-fueled 2am convos
[/quote]
...sounds good to me...;)</p>
<p>i've been at andover for 4 years, and although some years are better socially than others (i.e., upper year--11th grade-- everyone's busy freaking out about college, so obviously the social aspect lessens a bit), i've always maintained a nice balance between friends and schoolwork. just don't overdo it in either direction...i basically didn't do work my 9th grade year, and it screwed me over...luckily i learned my lesson! haha</p>
<p>btw, even when you feel like you're the only one drowning in homework, your friends are probably struggling, too :P misery loves company.</p>
<p>and the time management skills you learn here will carry you through the rest of your life.</p>
<p>lol well a lot of this about exeter is very true... however the workload vs. sleep balance is up to you to decide. there is a point in which i only put in the extra work just to get the A, whereas i could study a little less and still understand everything and get the A-. Sleep is not prioritized here, so like litte_galaxie, i have stayed up past 3am (sometimes on a school night.. :]) just having pretty deep discussions with kids around the dorm, which will be one of the most memorable experiences of exeter. personally, with this being my second year, i have averaged about 7-8 hours a night on school nights, with occasional 20 minute power naps throughout the week (this past term though, i avg. about 6 hours, just because i have more difficult classes, and have been having more late-night discussions). it's about 2-4 hours of homework freshman year, and about 3-5 hours of homework every night lower year (depending how hard/fast you can work without getting distracted by movies/video games :D).</p>
<p>Completely off topic but I'll see if the OP gets it....
George Walton??</p>
<p>helpful, thanks guys!</p>
<p>I too am afraid about going to Andover and because I'm a new person not used to the work ethic, I'll collapse. </p>
<p>Basically the problem with my sleep patterns is that its ludicrously hard to wake me up regardless of the amount of sleep I've had. Like I can function on 4.5 hours a day, I just need someone to wake me up harshly. Alarms help but don't do the trick. Hopefully my roommate will help me get up!</p>
<p>The Andover social life revolves around Ryley/or the Underwood room now I guess and it can get pretty repetitive. The years are also pretty cyclical in terms of what to expect for fun...there's always Sadies, Andover-exeter, Blue and Silver to look forward too but then there are those suffocating Friday nights with no one on campus and nothing to look forward too. </p>
<p>Fun depends on the quality of your dorm, as well as how well you get along with them. If you live in a place like Taylor (boys) or Day hall (girls) you have an automatic social life, whereas in a place like, say , Flagg house or if you are a prefect, you really have to make opportunities for yourself.</p>
<p>Shore-
I have the same problem!!!! Maybe we will have very nice/generous RAs willing to shake us awake every morning...hopefully!?</p>
<p>Haha, at Exeter it's not unusual for people to have multiple alarm clocks.</p>
<p>One kid I know has 9 alarm clocks. Nine.</p>
<p>I really hope we have great RAs too sball12! What school are you going to?</p>
<p>I'm at least going to bring 4 different alarm clocks because I'm an atrocious morning person in terms of getting up.</p>
<p>Haha, my friend has an alarm clock that's on wheels. It a great thing to get you out of bed because once it beeps, it just falls off you table and runs around the room so you have to chase it to turn it off</p>
<p>My son did not have an alarm clock...he used his cell phone and his iPod. He did not oversleep once. Funny, because at home an earthquake couldn't get him out of bed. All he's done is sleep in since he's gotten out of school.</p>