This question is a little over the top, and obviously is just a snapshot sort of thing that can’t be too meaningfully extrapolated from fairly, but zixzaxKid and I am deeply curious…
I’ve learned from reading too much cc(!) how much homework-time a kid can generally expect a night at bs, but, literally, what is an example of a random homework night, or multiple nights? Is there any way you could tell me actual assignments you have for a particular night, or several nights? I know anonymity is important, so blanking out the book names – or substituting equivalents works too. For example, "read pp. 92-145 in Pride and Prejudice. Do problems 23-49 in Geometry. 12 page paper on the existential forces driving the nation-state dissolution of academic freedom in the 12th century due in 3 weeks for history… Start getting outline and research together… Latin: conjugate 234 verbs and translate 7 pages of Cicero Etc.
Deep thanks to anyone willing to do this…esp. Juniors/Lowers!
I’m not a junior or lower, but I can give you an outline of homework assignments I might have had on a day in my lower year where I had all of my classes.
English - read next 30 pages in novel.
Math - read chapter in textbook, complete 12 assigned problems
Physics - read chapter in textbook, complete 7 assigned problems
Spanish - read a 10 page handout
Religion/Philosophy - read 15 pages in book.
In general, students don’t necessarily have all of their classes on a given day (we have 75 minute periods on Wednesday & Thursday, instead of 45 minutes on the other days) there isn’t really an immediate pressure to finish all your homework. Some classes meet 3x a week and other classes meet 4x a week, so it’s rare for a student to have all of their classes two days in a row.
This wouldn’t include major assignments I also had to prepare for - essays, tests, etc. However, I would rarely ever have to do this much in a single night, so while this might be an accurate snapshot of homework that could be assigned on one day, it’s not really accurate in terms of how much homework you REALLY need to get done in one night - it would be a fraction of it that would vary depending on the day of the week.
I think it’s more about working and planning ahead - esp. if you know you might be extremely busy on a particular day and won’t have a lot of time for homework after other commitments.
Hopefully that helped a bit.
Hey, it’s been a while since anyone has asked a question, but I hope I may ask another:
I’ve heard most BSs send out an e-mail or put the admission status online, but for Andover specifically, does anyone know how applicants find out if they’ve gotten in on M10?
Last year it was through a portal… @SeattleDreamer
But it crashed bc so many logged were trying to log in at the same time and then Andover sent an email and the portal was fixed in an hour…
Hello! I would love to know everything you feel comfortable sharing here. Tell me about the culture at Andover. Do athletes manage to get any sleep between sports and work? What are your most and least favorite things about your experience at Andover? Thank you!
Andover has a pretty liberal culture. I’d say that people definitely can get sleep between sports and work, but it’s the extracurriculars that you do that will really cut into your sleeping time. The people are the best! (my sister and I agree on this) “Everyone is so nice there” she says. She says her least favorite thing are the cliques, but honestly that kind of drama seems to only really exist in 9th grade.
Today’s the day! Fingers crossed for those applying! Don’t hesitate post any questions you may have about life at Andover so that we can give you a little more insight into what it’s really like here. We’d love to hear if you get accepted (especially if you end up deciding to #SayYesToAndover) and also feel free to message me if you do!!
Most everyone has there own laptop. If someone does not have a laptop then they probably have a tablet. The school helps provide technology for those on financial aid. Most general tech is allowed- but many appliances are not allowed in rooms such as mini-fridges, toasters, water boilers- anything else that deals with heating something up. There are microwaves and refrigerators in every dorm, though.
@infinityprep1234 I didn’t see your list of acceptances. Curious to know where you got in!
Ok so I’d love to hear more about the social scene. Do kids tend to hang out with their sports teams or their dorms or what?
What happens if you start feeling overwhelmed or homesick? Did you feel supported?
Congrats to all the new Phillipians as decisions come in throughout today! I am a current 12th grader at Andover and my sister is a current 9th grader at PA as well. We can answer any questions you all have throughout the day!
@Personof2017 Printers are not provided in dorm rooms, but they are definitely permitted! I recommend if bringing one if possible, but it’s not a big deal if you don’t have one. Someone else in the dorm probably will, and if not, there are still plenty around campus!
@bc12345 !
During freshman year, people definitely do hang out with people in their dorms, mostly because it’s easy. Students are also sorted into dorms with their personalities and compatibility taken into consideration, so these relationships aren’t all temporary. In general, the social scene is a pretty open environment because of the size of the school. While closer friend groups do start to form, most people also have a large network of friendly faces that they develop over time, picking up friends along the way.
I was super homesick in the beginning of the year, but I found support in my Blue Key (a senior mentor assigned to a group of freshmen) who told me about her own homesickness freshman year. House counselors also make clear in the first few dorm meetings that homesickness is totally normal and are very approachable.
@bc12345 I hate to be generic, but it really depends. I’m naturally a really social person, so I hang out with people all over, but some people tend to be more comfortable with their dorm mates, teammates, fellow club members, etc. Everyone’s really friendly to each other over all; there’s always someone smiling on the other side of the path! A great way to make new friends is to join clubs and get involved! A lot of people end up pursuing new interests and clicking with people who they may not have otherwise met.
As for homesickness and feeling overwhelmed, I think the support systems put in place are really great. A lot of kids deal with these, and there are so many people on campus to discuss your struggles with. You can speak confidentially to a counselor in Sykes (our health center), or talk to one of your house counselors. Older students are great resources as well! If you’re entering the 9th grade, you’ll have a upper (11th grader) as a prefect who lives in the dorm with you and has been through it before. If you’re in 10th-12th grade, you’ll have a proctor (11th or 12th grader) who functions the same way.
The whole campus understands that fall term is an adjustment period. A lot of us get consumed by the excitement of being new students and aren’t used to doing this much work; it came easily for a lot of us at our old schools. The workload can be a struggle at first. Teachers totally understand it and it’s definitely not hard to meet with them outside of class for additional help. Another amazing resource is the Academic Skills Center. They literally sit down with you and look at your schedule so you can make sure you find time that you maybe didn’t realize you had.
The key is learning how and when to ask for help, and it’ll come to you as you realize you there’s no way to do it all by yourself. Once you see that, you’ll see all the people you have standing behind you, ready to help
Etc.