When you hear about college life, you may think about the food, or how hard you have to study, the freedom you have, or even the memories you’ll make. But a lot of people seem to forget the “Dorm Life,” that quintessential time in your life where you share everything (no kidding) with your roommates and grow together as a single functioning team. Here at the Island School, you don’t just get to share your life with a couple kids like in college, but rather 29 kids for three months in two huge rooms! And the best part about sharing every moment with them is the memories you make.

I’ve never spent any moment of my life in a dorm. I’ve always woken up at home and slept at home. I heard about these kids at boarding schools and sleep-away camps and really wondered, how on earth do you even get a moment of peace and quiet with everyone watching your every move? But, to be honest, why would you ever want peace and quiet when you have 27 of your best friends not even five feet away from you? They’ll always be there for you when you’re having an issue, and have your back when things get rough. You can absolutely always count on them!

Another awesome aspect of dorm life that I’ve come to love is the fact that you can share anything and everything, whether it be clothes, sports, or beauty tips, if you’re missing something, chances are your dorm mates have it for you! Along with that, is their willingness to share their support. They’ll never let you down, whether it be jumping off of High Rock together for the perfect group picture shot, or pushing you to get up The Wall. I’ve never seen a more cheerful and supportive group of kids than the one’s I get to share 100 days worth of memories with.

In the end, after the Island School semester has long passed and the memories have been written down in our place books and journals, when the sunburns have faded (as well as the abs), and the tan lines have evened out, one thing will always remain: the bond you have with your dorm mates. I recently got the privilege to meet and speak to the alumni, all the way from 2002, who came to visit the Island School for a trip down memory lane. I never saw an alumnus without a smile on their face while they were visiting. The same smiles they had when they were high school sophomores and juniors hanging out with their best friends down in the best place on earth, were the same smiles I saw today. I know that the friends I make now are the friends I make for a lifetime.