What’s your first recommendation you have for someone new to the Academy?
Olivia: I recommend that you keep an open mind and don’t be afraid of change! Going to the Academy is a wonderful opportunity to learn about yourself, because you go through a lot of growth and change during your time here. The best advice I can give is to embrace that change, and the person you’ll become.
Anna: I highly recommend hanging out with the SLCs. At the beginning of the year, I thought it was weird that students would sit in their rooms and talk, but now some of my best memories are when I was hanging out in an SLCs room. They might be staff, but they are wonderful people and great resources.
Adri: My first recommendation would be to familiarize yourself with your peers. Don’t be afraid to talk to new people, seniors and juniors alike. Everyone is so accepting and kind here at the Indiana Academy, so just being yourself and connecting with new people is definitely the way to go. All of the juniors are ‘new students,’ which means that everyone is learning something new each day, and no one will judge when you ask questions.
How do you maintain grades and a healthy social life?
Olivia: Having a designated time to do homework, as well as studying with friends, can help to maintain that balance. I also recommend planners! A good organizational method can help you stay on top of what you have coming up, meaning that nothing takes you by surprise. And when you’re really swamped with work, it’s important to take a break; an activity like eating dinner with friends is a great way to relax while grinding out your work.
Anna: Living with friends has definitely posed a challenge when it comes to getting my homework done. It's hard to stay focused with the distractions of a social life. I recommend setting time aside for homework you’d prefer to do alone, and then having what my friends called “study parties.” These parties made it easy to collaborate when needed; plus, the presence of others encouraged me to be productive. However, to avoid burnout, I recommend that you don’t try to get all your work done at once and instead take breaks.
Adri: Organization is definitely the key to a healthy balance between schoolwork and your social life. I recommend utilizing a planner, and writing down all your assignments and their due dates. This makes it much easier to see what you need to do and plan the times in which you can do them. Then, you can easily say yes to studying, walking, dining out, or exploring with your friends. Sometimes, taking a break from the stress is necessary to enjoy the wonderful experience of being at the Academy.
What has been your favorite class at the Academy?
Olivia: If I had to choose a favorite class, it would be Holocaust Literature with Ms. Nagelkirk. Of the classes I’ve taken at the Academy, it had the most rigorous coursework and sensitive material, which both lent to its difficulty. However, I felt we had many productive discussions during the class and I was truly challenged.
Anna: My favorite class at the Academy was Anatomy with Mr. Mayfield. The class was structured so that it didn’t feel like work. My favorite activity over the year was a lab from the end of the year, where we performed c-sections on cow uteruses. I was thrilled to be a proud parent of my little calf.
Adri: I think my favorite classes at the Academy were my literature classes that I took with Dr. Lobo. There was never a dull day during his American and World Literature classes. Dr. Lobo always has a brilliant perspective about the texts that you read in his class, and he never falls short in allowing his students to take the wheel and lead discussions. I would recommend taking a class with him to any student.
What is there to do for fun?
Olivia: There are tons of fun things to do, most of them involve hanging out with friends in the lounges, quad or your dorm rooms. My favorite way to pass time is either by hammocking in the quad or walking in Christy Woods when it’s nice out!
Anna: There are a number of things you can do for fun at the Academy. Some of my favorite things to do include playing at the Burris playground, especially when you have a big group to play freeze tag. I also enjoy going to the Village or walking to Walgreens, hanging out with the SLCs, and playing pool downstairs in the lounge.
Adri: One of my favorite things to do for fun is walk around the Village and explore. There are so many interesting shops and restaurants. Some of my favorites are the White Rabbit bookstore, The Cup (coffee house), and Insomnia Cookies. However, if you are thinking about staying indoors, there is always a movie playing in the lounges and the Uno games at the Academy are some of the best one can imagine.
What’s your favorite dining hall? What do you get there?
Olivia: My favorite dining hall is Woodworth - I really enjoy going to their nachos and salad bars. The best salad, by far, is the Caesar, and the pork nachos are a comfort food after a long day of classes.
Anna: My favorite dining hall is Woodworth. I like to get their sushi, lemonade, and nachos. I appreciate that they offer a lot of foods you can take back to your dorm room and eat later.
Adri: My favorite dining hall is North, but getting there is the price you pay for their amazing food. Because it is so out of the way, walking there with my friends is a great way to spend quality time with each other. In all honesty, I would make the journey for their pasta anytime.
What are your favorite aspects of residential life (or, for NECPs, how is your experience at the Academy different / the same as residential students)?
Olivia: My favorite part of residential life is that I am living with all of my friends. It’s fun to watch everyone while they are learning to live on their own. Residential life also means being able to hang out almost whenever we want, which is so much fun!
Anna: My favorite thing about residential life is being around my friends all the time. I love being able to annoy them at any time of the day, receive or give help on homework, bake cookies, complain to them, or just walk with them somewhere. You can still have your alone time, if you lock your door, but if you ever want to do something, there is always someone who will do it with you.
Adri: As a part of the NECP program at the Academy, life is a little different from the residential students. I can go wherever I want in Muncie, because I don’t live on campus, but sometimes I wish I lived on the floors so I could bond with my friends more often. Residentials definitely have plenty of bonding opportunities between their floormates, that often I am envious of.
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