Fulford Academy - Review #1

Fulford isn't like the massive boarding schools you see in movies. It's smaller. What makes it unique is that it feels like a test run for adult life but with guardrails. They give you real jobs. I was a Prefect, which meant I was partly responsible for other students' well-being. They also let us start things. A few of us realized there was no prom, so we built the committee and made it happen. The structure is tight but within those walls, you have surprising freedom to create your own experience.

The best thing was being selected as a Prefect. It forced me to look outside myself and help others navigate the same stresses I had. My biggest achievement was seeing that first prom happen after months of planning. I grew less self-conscious and more willing to take initiative.

I would have worried less about fitting into a specific group right away. I spent a few weeks observing, and that made the transition longer. My advice is to sign up for something, anything, in your first week. It gives you an instant group and a purpose outside of class.

I liked the balance most. It was a serious academic place, but it also let me sing, play tennis, help plan a dance and learn to lead. It wasn't one thing. It was a place that let you try on different versions of yourself to see what fit.

Find the small piano room in the arts building. Hardly anyone uses it, and it's a quiet spot to think. For visiting students, ask about the process for starting a club. It tells you a lot about the school's culture. The snack bar's hot chocolate was the best on cold days.

The workload was heavy. You had to learn to manage it fast. What I liked most wasn't a specific class but the way teachers made you defend your ideas. My history teacher would play devil's advocate on any essay topic. It was frustrating then but it directly prepared me for my Political Science degree. The environment was focused, not meanly competitive. We shared study guides.

I was in the Tennis Club. The program had good variety. You could be competitive or just play for fun. I liked that some activities, like horseback riding, got us off campus. It was a different kind of focus. The facilities were fine, nothing flashy but they worked.

I was in the choir. That was my creative outlet. The teacher was incredible at pulling a cohesive sound from a mixed group of beginners and experienced singers. Performing at school events made you feel like you were contributing to the community, not just taking a class. The arts felt valued, not like an afterthought.

The best part was that if you had an idea, you could propose a club. It wasn't just a list you picked from. We wanted a prom, so we made a committee. Someone else wanted a film club, they made it. That autonomy was a big deal. It taught you about follow-through.

You become close with your roommate fast, for better or worse. Mine became my closest friend. The rooms were basic, two beds, two desks. I liked the late-night talks after lights out. The dorm parents were around if you needed them, but they didn't hover. You learned to live with someone completely different from you.

The cafeteria food was cafeteria food. Some days were good, some days were not. What I liked were the meal times themselves. Everyone was there. It was the main social hub of the day. No assigned seating meant you could sit with different people and hear different conversations.

The town was small and quiet. We could walk to a coffee shop or a store on weekends. It wasn't exciting, but that was okay. It made the school feel like its own world, which helped the community bond. A trip downtown for an hour felt like a real event.

Your social life is the school. Your friends are the people you live with, study with and eat with. It's intense. I liked the spontaneity of it like someone would have an idea on a Saturday and a group would just form. You couldn't be a ghost even if you did not feel like it you were forced to participate, which was ultimately good.