dawgluvr

If anyone is reading this, think you can offer some advice? Please?

I just got accepted into Loomis Chaffee... (VERY late admission) and I'll be going for my last 2 years of high school. Just wonderin what junior year is like at a boarding school, since I hear its the hardest year of high school, and wanting to know if its a good decision to go. I've never been to a boarding school before, or to Windsor CT for that matter... and I live in the south (GA), so is there anything major I need to look out for/ know about for next year?

Any kind of heads up on what life is like at boarding school or living up northing would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

_ballerinamazing

im not a junior,
but ill see you somewhere next year since i will be attending kent,
aka,
your biggest rival!
im entering as a sophomore,
just be excited!!

liddyb4

How familiar are you with a northern climate? Do you know people that are living with New England fall/winter/springs (very different than the South!) or do you need a specific list of clothing items that will be needed?

General advice: boots are your friend. You will not look dorky wearing some type of boot 6 months out of the year. Otherwise it is flip flops. Strange, but true. And...Uggs are not waterproof.

ThacherParent

Congrats on your admission. It's a great school. Lots of warm clothing of course, but the biggest warning may have to do with time management. Junior year at most competitive boarding schools is a challenge. The kids who have been there since ninth grade have been gradually indoctrinated into ever greater work loads and are somewhat (not always) prepared for the final huge Jr. Yr. push. If you can be disciplined about your time management and use your free periods and other down time during the day to complete a chunk of your assignments, instead of leaving everything until after dinner, you will do just fine.

Best of luck to you!! It should be an amazing experience and you'll make wonderful friends for life.

ajisa

what were your stats? did you take the ssat? psat?
its a great school

dawgluvr

thanks.
I have been to the north before, but not enough to see what the climate is like. Would playing sports fall winter and spring be too ambitious for my junior/ first year at Loomis?
and i took the psat the begining of sophmore year and scored 92%. my stats aren't great but I think I had strong essay/ recommendations

risingjunior

I'm a rising junior just starting from GA too! Anyways, I would go for it. It'll be an amazing experience. I have a friend at Loomis who likes it (I wouldn't say love, but to be honest, she isn't really the boarding school type, so if you are, I'm sure you'll love it). I would play sports. You may want to take a season out (I would do either winter or spring, for finals, but fall may be good too as you adjust).

SsPixie17x

Everyone's advice to juniors at my boarding school is: "Are you well stocked on caffeine? Good. Try not to cry. Godpseed!" Ahem, but apparently it's not as hard as people make it out to be, and it's only stressful if you make it that way. As long as you keep up your work ethic, everything will be fine.

PS: Winters are brutal. I'm in Massachusetts for school, and I don't think the Connecticut climate is much different. The worst is the wind -- a really good jacket that stands up against the wind is a must, lots of Chapstick, scarves definitely, really sturdy gloves, and earmuffs. At first I thought it was ridiculous that I would seriously need earmuffs, but they help so, so much. Oh, and as ugly as Uggs are, they're heaven for your feet, and you can get away with them in the middle of a New England winter. Be sure to get waterproof spray and waterproof them though, or they'll be discolored after maybe outings.

kwwistehuff

Im in the same situation as you. Attending The Hill next fall and im pretty excited and anxious.

lville08

Relax.

Save the worry for senior year. In time you will realize that junior year is really all the work you SHOULD have been doing sophomore year. It's a tough year because this is the year when it REALLY matters, not because classes are harder. Remember all those foundations classes you took freshman and sophomore year? They prepare you--or at least, should have--for junior year, that's their purpose.
Junior year was a whole lot of work, but looking back, it was the most fun. You're finally one of the "older kids" on campus and at that point, I feel that everyone gets a better academic sense of self, by which I mean you know your study habits and your limits; you know when you're better off sleeping than pulling an all nighter, and you know how you can dig up some facts from a foundation course to BS your way through an in-class essay .

You don't need to worry. All you need is a warm bed in which you can get a good night's rest, and maybe a roommate/neighbor to make sure you're awake for class! If you're studying and feel those HEAVY eyelids are foiling your studying efforts, go ask your roommate/friend to wake you up in 15-20 minutes. Take a break, have some caffeine, and resume. Or take a shower and stretch in the warm water--my standby wake-me-up method!!

Good luck

itsren

buy a lot of clothes... Uggs are good coming from georgia, the cold might be a shock