<p>Is boarding school fun? Mostly wondering about Exeter or Cate, but overall is boarding school fun</p>
<p>Define fun. Big party fun? Good conversation fun? Kick back and loaf around a lot fun? Fun working out and studying together? Fun hanging out in a spare hour or so during the day, or on a Saturday night after you’ve put in a few hours studying? Boarding school is some but not all of the above.</p>
<p>What is in boarding school and on that list?</p>
<p>Learning is always fun, but challenging yourself can be rewarding, yet stressful. Be prepared for both.</p>
<p>Yeah, boarding school is a lot of fun. I’m generally happier here than anywhere else because I’m with friends all the time and I’m always doing stuff.</p>
<p>I’ve heard Exeter is terrible and too difficult, is that true?</p>
<p>I don’t know how Exeter and Cate are, but I can’t imagine they’re much different. For me, boarding school is fun because as PreppedSoph said, I’m always with my friends. There’s always someone you can hang out with. The classes are rarely boring, and I find myself much happier here than I did at my old school. I find myself frequently having moments where I am just completely happy and content and wouldn’t be that way anywhere else. So yes it’s fun.</p>
<p>boarding school and fun are two words that should never be put together… It is the opposite of fun. Wanna spend weekends loaded with homework and doing nothing but studying all day for that test tomorrow? If yes, then go to boarding school.</p>
<p>“terrible and too difficult”</p>
<p>What are the criteria for “terrible”? I’ve enjoyed all my years at Exeter, even though academics are very rigorous. It depends on what classes you’re taking; last term was particularly difficult for me, but I didn’t get all depressed or anything. You’re around your friends all the time, and there’s tons of things to do. </p>
<p>Exeter is a place for not only learning but being challenged, and not only learning in the classroom but learning to live in general (as cliched as that sounds). The school is full of cool, fun-loving people. It’s not as if we’re filled with a bunch of anal-retentive nerds lol</p>
<p>everblades, which boarding school do you go to? Sure, you will have homework on the weekends, but it doesn’t mean you’ll be stuck in your room doing nothing else but studying. Weekends are a time to hang out with your friends, go watch a game (or play a game, if you’re an athlete), go to the movies, go to Boston, go to a dance, just chill, go to the mall/movies, just to name a few examples. If you manage your time well, weekends are good. If you don’t feel like you can learn good time management, then Exeter will be hell for you. That being said, almost everyone here does a good enough job of managing their time that there is room for fun.</p>
<p>I know both of these schools well. As I indicated in another thread, you’re choosing between totally different experiences. Exeter, a huge school/mini-college, brings out very strong feelings on this site, positive and negative. It can claim #1 boarding school status in many measurable areas like course breadth, college admissions etc.; Cate is not as strong statistically. On the other hand, by many accounts, Exeter’s Achilles heel seems to be a soulless, factory-like quality with many graduates who feel pride not so much in the school itself, but in having made it through. You need to judge the differences for yourself. In many ways, these are two of the most self-selecting schools in the country.</p>
<p>How is cate different?</p>
<p>I am a current Exeter student who just started this year, and I was afraid that Exeter would take away all my sense of fun. However the opposite occurred once I arrived here. My friends and I make frequent trips to town, or just hang out in our rooms during free time. Because of the scheduling it is quite common to have hours of free time during the day and most classes only meet 4 times a week. I think Exeter is a place where students have fun, but also strive to do well academically.</p>
<p>Cate is a much smaller school, which brings with it the small school advantages like every kid is known by virtually every faculty member, it’s almost impossible to slip through the cracks, a family-like atmosphere. Then there’s the location. While I love New England, and covet those beautiful, crisp Fall days when the leaves are turning, or stunning newly-fallen snows, the reality is that at least half your time at Exeter will be spent in cold or wet or slushy or gray weather; winter term and a good portion of Spring term can be (and often is) depressing. Cate sits on a mesa in Southern California overlooking the Pacific. It’s mostly warm and gorgeous the whole School year. </p>
<p>Cate also does an outstanding job sending its kids to wonderful colleges. It’s not as strong statiscally as Exeter, but darn close.</p>
<p>You’ll have to decide!</p>
<p>If possible, try to visit both schools while they’re in session. And don’t feel pressured by other people’s opinions when you make your decision (assuming you get to make a decision). Boarding schools as a whole have some very interesting persistent stereotypes.</p>
<p>Chrome is “so right” about visiting the schools while they’re in session. It’s the only way to get the real vibe of a place. I also advocate for spending more time on the campus than just the tour or interview. Look at the schools’ athletic schedules and see if you can schedule your visit on a day with games. It’s great to walk over to a field, see how the kids interact when they’re not in class, even be able to get a sense of school spirit and sportsmanship.</p>
<p>But it seems like Cate the check in time doesn’t change on weekends so do you still have all the school day restrictions on weekends?</p>
<p>Check-in time doesn’t mean an end to fun…remember, you’re in a dorm full of peers, with television, games, pool table, computers, etc. </p>
<p>Schools like Exeter can be a lot of work AND fun–but it’s not the place to go if you want a lot of down time to relax with friends (you’ll get some, but you’ll be lots busier than you are at home) or if you think fun is going to big, alcohol-driven parties (not that you’d be doing that at any boarding school).</p>
<p>I actually don’t want a party school. I just dont wanna Like have to cut into my sleep and stay up all night working on stuff.</p>
<p>^Oh… um…</p>
<p>Well, I’m not going to lie; all-nighters happen. But they are few. How well you manage your time determines how much your average hours of sleep/night decreases from your old school.</p>