Hill Top Preparatory School has launched a boarding program to help ease the switch from leaving the safety of a parents’ home to the independent dormitory living that can be daunting to any college freshman.

The boarding program aims to help students gain the life skills they need to live more independently and with other classmates. It also introduces students to an environment where they are given the chance to experience a degree of structured independence.

The initiative is aimed at boys from grades 9 to 12 as the first step in preparing them for life in a college dormitory setting.

Hill Top Headmaster Tom Needham explains that while the school’s students are bright and academically prepared to pursue higher education, the non-academic aspect of college life can create a problem.

At Straff House, a dormitory located on the third floor of the main building of the campus, students learn about sharing a room with fellow students. This includes setting their alarm clock to get to class on time, buying and cooking food for meals, doing their own laundry and maintaining personal hygiene.

“These are kids who will go off to college and will truly benefit from learning more about how to be independent,” noted Needham.