Joining us on the Circle this month are two imports from Bedales School, England: Molly Graham and Richie Sweet. Both in the Fifth Form, Molly and Richie will stay in Dumont’s dorm and O’Donnell’s, respectively. Upon arrival, both Molly and Richie found the Circle to be impressive, yet a little confusing to navigate. Commenting on the different style between the two campuses, Molly remarked, “[We have] wooden buildings [at Bedales]. There’s an orchard, kind of like the Circle.”
In contrast to how dorms are organized at Groton, at Bedales, there are two flats in each of the two boarding houses, one for Seniors and one for Third through Fifth formers. Except for the Senior flat, each room holds three to four students across entire grade levels.
“There’s a lot more freedom at Groton. At Bedales, you have to sign in at breakfast, lunch, dinner, nine, and ten at night. Students are not allowed to leave their flats after nine. But at Bedales, there is no dress code, nor do we have to go to chapel,” explains Richie. Weekends at Bedales are also very different. “Not a lot of people stay on weekends. Eighty percent go home; mostly only international students stay.”
Another primary difference between Bedales and Groton is that the English school day is much longer. “We start at eight-forty-five and go until five-thirty. [We have] ten forty-five minute classes,” remarks Richie. On the contrary, more work is done in class and Bedales students receive less homework. Classes are also more lecture-based and less discussion- oriented.
Molly and Richie are both enjoying their classes at Groton. “I quite like Chemistry. I really know what’s going on. Discrete Math is [also] quite interesting. Anatomy is pretty cool–everything is just quite fun.” Richie a talented drummer himself mentioned that he enjoys Jazz. “In fact, my favorite place on campus is probably the Jazz room,” Richie notes.
Instead of playing one designated sport a term, students at Bedales play a variety of activities. These activities change everyday and can be compared to those good old times in PE class. Richie was taken aback by how “much more sporty” Groton students are and how much the school emphasizes physical health.
Groton students seem to have made a healthy impression on Molly and Richie. “[Groton students are] really welcoming, hard working…more academic.” Richie said. Molly also said that “everyone is really nice and friendly and helpful.” Students seem to share their international cultures more frequently at Groton. Richie reminisces about how on one of his first nights here, classmate Yan Davidoff ’18 offered him Mexican candy, while they and another friend ordered Korean food. Meanwhile, Bedales appears to be a less diverse school, with students predominantly British, with some from Asia and only one from the US.
Both Molly and Richie want to get to know more about American culture and to meet new people. So, if you see them around in classes, dorms, or athletic fields, be sure to introduce yourself!