<p>So, I'm planning to bring an XBOX360 in my dorm next year at groton, any1 up for some nba n2k live or some halo live? haha wow im writing this at 2 am.</p>
<p>If you play halo until 2 am regularly you will not last long at a prep school.</p>
<p>Especially Groton</p>
<p>With all due respect, a true intellectual prodigy could play all night every night and still pull through. Admittedly, those are few and very far between.</p>
<p>I don’t think you’re allowed to have one in your room, at most schools at least. Some have one in the common room, though, but I just can’t see any self-respecting schools letting their students have a games console in their rooms.</p>
<p>A selective school ostensibly admits only motivated, mature, self sufficient students, right? That is why the most selective have acceptance rates in the 20% range. So why would it be so outrageous for such a school to allow students to have gaming consoles in their rooms? Is it because they are concerned that in fact their students are less interested in academics than in gaming? It seems that if you believe your students are mature, then you loosen up on the leash. Mature, motivated students merit the freedom to make their own choices.</p>
<p>Yeah, but Exeter turns their internet off at 10. Trusting? I think not. If other schools are anything like Exeter, they would never let kids have their own XBOX in their room. I’d consider myself heavily motivated and focused, but I’d still be playing Guitar Hero late into the night on occasion…</p>
<p>So what is wrong with that? If you are responsible and motivated and focused, why shouldn’t you have the freedom to play Guitar Hero???</p>
<p>Because it’s a huge distraction! I’m sure you’re aware that all schools let in a few duds, and to give them the power to play XBOX in their rooms, whenever they please would hurt them academically and do nothing good for them. I’m sure that schools understand this. Look, I can’t speak with sureness because I don’t know if schools allow this or not - but what I can say is that no matter how motivated a student you are, a games console is tempting!</p>
<p>And as I said, when you realize that Exeter of all schools turns their internet off at 10, do you really think that they allow kids to keep games consoles in their rooms? Whether or not you personally believe it’s a good idea or not, I happen to think that allowing that temptation for all of boarders is most probably anathema to schools.</p>
<p>First of all, you do not need internet access to game. You can game with a console and a monitor. Second, if you feel that you have to keep your students away from distractions in order that they perform in school, then you must not have much faith in them. There will always be distractions in life and eventually there will be no one around to cut off access to them. Schools that accept the most focused, mature and motivated students in the world ought to give them the freedom to make decisions, including the decision to game. Focused, mature and motivated students will make the right choices. That is why we refer to them as focused, motivated and mature.</p>
<p>TomTheCat,
In reality, few of the “self-respecting” schools you mention in your posts (including Exeter and I believe Andover) limit gaming consoles in student rooms. They certainly restrict use during study hours (for the most part) but do not outlaw them. It is a challenge for many of the boys to balance work and play but most are able to do it successfully.</p>
<p>I’m a 10th grader. I have an XBOX. I’m fully aware that you don’t need to the internet to play contained games. My point in using Exeter’s internet example is that if they turn the internet off at 10 (the internet, in all of its educational abilities) do you actually believe they let you keep a games console in your room? It doesn’t make sense to me and my guess is that it doesn’t make sense to them.</p>
<p>“Second, if you feel that you have to keep your students away from distractions in order that they perform in school, then you must not have much faith in them.”</p>
<p>Well, Exeter turns their internet off at 10. Guess they don’t have any faith in their students! Of course there are distractions and things that kids will need to learn to do later on in life, including how to have safe sex, consume only safe amounts of alcohol, and to drive safely. But you don’t see schools encouraging their kids to have sex, drink, and drive, do you?</p>
<p>“Focused, mature and motivated students will make the right choices. That is why we refer to them as focused, motivated and mature.”</p>
<p>Most of the time, but no one’s perfect. I’ve stolen, gotten into fights, and been very, very rude (occasionally) and I’d still call myself “focused, motivated and mature.” Kids need guidance to learn. That’s what teachers are for. You can’t just give a kid a textbook and expect him or her to absorb it. The same goes for responsible use of electronics.</p>
<p>Tom, you can’t have it both ways. You can’t tell me that the students are focused, motivated and mature on the one hand, and that they also need a heavy dose of imposed restrictions on their freedom to choose on the other hand. Which is it? Are they focused, motivated and mature, or must their freedom be severely limited in order that they achieve?</p>
<p>Kids may need guidance to learn, but they need a measure of freedom of choice in order to grow.</p>
<p>You know what, I give up. Best to do so before I dig myself too deep a hole. I’m sure you agree that Andover is an exceptional boarding school that yields exceptional graduates and allows plenty of freedom to their students. Go and read Andover’s Blue Book.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.andover.edu/Admission/WelcomeAdmittedStudents/Documents/BlueBook0809.pdf[/url]”>http://www.andover.edu/Admission/WelcomeAdmittedStudents/Documents/BlueBook0809.pdf</a></p>
<p>Go to page 16, Dormitory Fire Safety and Room Decorations. Their stand on games consoles and TVs can be found in the fourth bullet point. And, seeing as it’s a fire regulation, guess what? I bet it’s consistent with the law at other boarding schools.</p>
<p>Look, it’s up to you what you want to believe that kids should be allowed. All I’m saying is that I disagree and so does Andover. As, I believe, many other top boarding schools do. Sorry for the misunderstanding.</p>
<p>Specifically, the handbook states:
“The Academy reserves the right to require students to remove from their rooms or from dormitory commons areas any technology (including video game devices and excessively large monitors or speakers) that the house counselor or cluster dean feels detracts from the academic atmosphere of the dormitory.”</p>
<p>Reserves the right…not forbids. So Andover does not agree with you TomCat but probably more with pan1956. The language is not for fire regualtion reasons but for academic reasons.</p>
<p>Although they do provide a distraction for some students, I’m with pan1956 on this one. Give the kids the opportunity to monitor their own use and then deal with those students who have an issue rather than forbidding for all. I guess that’s why I send my child to SPS - I believe in the whole Freedom with Responsibility mantra.</p>
<p>As I said, I give up…</p>
<p>First of all, thank you creative! Second, I never said that “students should have gaming consoles.” I merely suggested that if you have chosen motivated, focused and mature young people, and further that if you have high regard and respect for them, then you provide them with a measure of freedom in relation to something so basic to modern teen life as gaming is. Gaming has become a fundamental activity of the life of teens, much as texting, etc. So while I do not encourage it, I respect the maturity and motivation that all of you exhibit, and I am willing to loosen your leash, because I trust your capacity to make wise decisions.</p>
<p>Well, I would hope my own children would stay away or monitor their usage but I don’t believe in forbidding things. In another thread about a boy in a Canadian BS having problems with gaming , there was talk of college students flunking out due to WoW addiction, so postponing the problem isn’t the answer.</p>
<p>"So while I do not encourage it, I respect the maturity and motivation that all of you exhibit, and I am willing to loosen your leash, because I trust your capacity to make wise decisions. "</p>
<p>Yes - and the school should have procedures and monitoring in place to yank on that leash when the situation warrants, which is why Andover has that clause in their student handbook.</p>