Ridley College - Review #2

When I stepped onto Ridley College’s grounds in Grade 9, I didn’t know how much the house system would shape and change me. Ridley uses its house structure not just for sports or team competitions but as a daily framework with mentors, house captains, inter-house events. All this built a sense that you belong before you fully find your feet. From memory, this structure made settling in easier for me because there were people who knew me by name, knew my goals, and expected me to follow through. The boarding program isn’t huge, so staff see you at meals, in residence, in classes. That visibility felt like both pressure and support, and looking back I believe the combination pushed me to grow faster than I expected.

The best thing Ridley gave me was confidence to speak, to lead, to step forward even when unsure. Serving as lead critic forced me to articulate opinion, deal with feedback, face moments of vulnerability. Academics prepared me, yes, but learning to fail and stand back up mattered more

If I could do something differently, I’d start service and leadership roles earlier rather than later, because the learning grounds. Advice to new boarding students would be to bring an open mind and willingness to ask for help. Don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed reach out early

What I appreciated most was having a community around me. Teachers, staff, peers all mattered to me. They spoke to you, held you to hhhhigh standards, and believed you could meet them.

During performances, go backstage. It’s messy but real. Make time to watch classmates’ work even if it’s not in your field. And take the arts seriously. Also, always bring something comforting from home, it’ll seem small, but a pillow, a mug, or a photo helped me get through tough nights.

My strongest subjects were literature and history. Teachers at Ridley made classes feel like conversations they were open, often challenging, always pushing us to think beyond what was comfortable. When I struggled with a difficult text or an essay prompt that felt ambiguous, there was always a teacher willing to meet after class, to walk through the ambiguity with me. We also had IB level courses (I remember Grade 12 History and Theory of Knowledge) that forced me to justify my viewpoint, not simply repeat others’ (it felt good). The workload was demanding. I had nights when I questioned whether I could keep up. Yet that pressure taught me persistence.

I was not much invested in varsity athletes, more in the intramural and house competition lane. I played badminton and did the evening fitness sessions. What I appreciated was that Ridley coaches didn’t expect everyone to win medals they expected effort. That allowed me to participate without the fear of failure holding me back. The house-matches were particularly fun as well as short, energetic, and full of school spirit.

The theatre productions were a highlight. Even when I was backstage working on tech, I learned about storytelling, timing, audience reaction. Music nights, art exhibitions gave students whose strengths weren’t in sports a chance to shine. I remember staying late in the theatre after a performance, talking with crew, reflecting on what worked and what didn’t. Those moments stuck.

Service was built into school life. I volunteered locally, with tutoring younger students and helping run Ridley’s fundraising events. Participating in Critics’ Roundtables for shows broadened my perspective, it also taught me to see art as more than performance but as community expression. Joining student council gave me insight into organizing events, juggling schedules, dealing with setbacks when things went wrong. Those tasks weren’t glamorous, but they built skill which l'm still very proud of till today.

Living in residence pushed me to grow up faster. Shared spaces, different sleep schedules and study habits. It forced me to compromise. I recall late-night study sessions in the common room, helping someone proofread an essay or someone else helping me calm down when I was stressed about exams. We had staff nearby who were approachable to assist, too. If I had to choose a downside, it was missing home at times. But those feelings also taught me resilience.

Dining hall meals were both routine and important. Breakfasts early, lunches fast between classes and dinners where everyone gathered. There was always chatter from classmates comparing notes, talking through the day’s challenges to swapping pieces of advice. On themed dinner nights, cultural nights or celebration dinners the atmosphere was relaxed and warm. Food wasn’t always gourmet, but the community around it made it feel meaningful.

St. Catharines is calm but varied. Sometimes we could go into town for coffee or walk by the lake. Campus is close enough to town that getting out felt possible, but far enough that it didn’t distract. The balance helped weekends off campus felt restorative, and walking off campus helped clear my head after busy weeks.

Ridley’s social scene didn’t revolve around big parties instead it revolved around events tied to school house nights, performance nights, weekend gatherings in residence. Because the school is large enough to have variety but small enough to know faces, I made friends across grades and backgrounds. Some of my best memories are informal prep with classmates before a production, late cinema nights, spontaneous study breaks in the library.