Fulford Academy - Review #1

It's like a big, weird, global family camp with homework. What's unique? Everyone is from somewhere else and everyone is kinda starting over. That makes people more open. The school is one big building and a couple houses, so you're always bumping into people. It's impossible to be a ghost here. They make you try everything, which is cool because you find out you're good at stuff you never thought of.

The best thing was organizing the International Food Fair. Seeing the whole school community come together, teachers and students, just eating and laughing. I changed because I learned how to talk to anyone, from any background. I'm less shy.

I would have packed less formal clothes and more comfy socks. Seriously. Advice? Bring photos from home for your wall. Say yes to every invitation the first month. Don't be afraid to look stupid trying a new sport or a new food.

The people. The friends, the teachers who know your name, the kitchen lady who remembers you like extra gravy. It's a community.

You HAVE to find the secret staircase in the main academic building (just ask a second-year). The poutine from the chip truck downtown is a must. If you can, get into the Simms House dorm; it has the best common room vibe. And always have snacks to share; it's the fastest way to make friends.

I liked that the teachers talked with you, not at you. My history class was just us debating around a table. It was more like a conversation. The workload? You gotta keep up. But if you're struggling, they notice. My science teacher found me in the hall and asked if I wanted to go over the lab before dinner. They're just around.

Mandatory sports are the best idea. I tried rowing in the fall on the river. So cold, but so beautiful. I'm not competitive, but being on a team was fun. The best part was the bus rides to games against other small schools, singing terrible songs.

The theatre program is scrappy. We don't have a huge stage, but we make it work. I helped with set painting and loved it. It's just a bunch of people being creative and making a mess together. The music teacher lets you borrow guitars to learn in your room.

We had these "Cultural Evenings" where students from a country or region would put on a presentation with food, music, etc. I helped my Korean friends make kimbap for one. It was chaos in the kitchen, but everyone loved it. That's the kind of stuff you remember.

Dorm life IS the experience. My roommate from Brazil taught me to samba. We decorated our door for holidays. The common room is where everything happens from last-minute homework, gossip to watching shows on someone's laptop. The residence parents are like cool aunts and uncles. They have candy in their office.

The dining hall is where you get the gossip. No assigned seating, so you mix. The food is hit or miss, but the soup and bread are always good. They do theme meals sometimes, like for Diwali or Lunar New Year, which are awesome.

Brockville is cute and I'm from there. We'd walk to the coffee shop, "The Bookworm," it's a café and bookstore. Perfect. There's a path by the water to walk and talk. Not a big city, which honestly forces you to hang out with people and make your own fun.

Amazing. Because you live together, you become super close super fast. We had dorm competitions, talent shows, movie marathons. Your friends are from all over the world. You learn slang in five languages. It's not cliquey because everyone is new together.