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EF Academy, in general, is a great boarding school. Here, I have friends from all over the world who come from more than 60 different countries. Our school has a great location. It is surrounded by a small forest which provides us the best opportunity for studying and enjoying the fresh air. Moreover, it is only 1h45 mins away from NYC by train, one of the best cities in the world. Our school also has the best facility for students to live comfortably especially the heating system which is extremely essential for the winter. Our school also offer the IB program, which is one of the best high school program and really good for the college application.

I found friends that I can trust and see as my family. Especially my Vietnamese friends, we together created the best performances in Lunar New Year and it was the best memory that I had in my junior life. At first, I had a real big problem with communication. I cannot make friends and can not take part in any activities in school because I was too shy. However, when I come to the Vietnamese student welcoming party and introduce everyone to each other. There, for the first time, I feel like I found my home. Since then, I became more sociable and friendly, my life actually started from there.

Because I was well-prepared before coming to the US, I got used to everything quite quickly without any obstacles. However, the way I react with everyone was totally different. I was too humble and shy to say whatever I think. It is normal for me to do that in my hometown since the adults will show you everything you need to do. Here, it is totally the opposite. You have to find the way yourself and you have to stand up for your own good. Therefore, do not be shy to say your thoughts to others since it is the only way to help you here.

In my opinion, friends here are the best things here. We live as a family since everyone shares the same difficulties. In general, EF is a great school for international students like me to study in. I love the fresh atmosphere here from the forest and the friendliness of everyone. It is a pleasure to live and study here to improve myself and explore more and more beautiful things from around the world. Although the facilities here are actually not the best. But things that make EF a great place are definitely the people here.

beware of the dryers, they are the worst thing in this school.

EF has a lot of great teachers. All of the teachers are hard-working, passionate with their jobs and always ready to help students who in need. There are a lot of teachers come from top universities such as Tulane University, Harvard University, Columbia University, etc. Since the requirements for the teachers to be able to teach IB are a lot, our teachers are all qualified and knowledgeable about the subjects they are teaching. Therefore, I feel really comfortable and happy to have such great teachers who can support me the best in my academics career.

Our school provides great equipment for us to take part in any sport that we like. We have a gym so that students can go here to work out before or after classes. There is also a soccer field, 3 tennis courts, a mix of an indoor basketball court, indoor soccer, volleyball and badminton. Moreover, our school is up on a hill and surrounded by a small forest sot that it is perfect for running especially go track and field. The only negative side of this school is that we do not have a swimming pool here although we do have a community pool down the hill. In the IB program, we do not have the option as PE; however, grades 9 and 10 do and I highly recommend this subject.

Personally, I cannot do art. I also did not take any subjects related to art. However, I know that our school provides all kinds of subjects relate to art and it is a really big part of my school. We have Theater with a big classroom with all of the lighting and pieces of equipment for acting. We also have all types of musical instruments and classes to help students improve their skills in playing music. I am really impressed with the performance of my friends who were taking music and the beautiful drawings from the visual art class.

There are actually a lot of extracurricular activities that you can find here in the EF academy. There are always full of activities for students to join in the weekend from Broadway show or bowling center or trips to Central Park, SoHo, etc in NYC so that students can join and enjoy the great atmosphere of NYC with friends. It also the opportunity to make friends with other students and explore a new and diversity of culture here in New York. I really love the time when I went to NYC with my friends to Chinatown to look for Asian food

There are three main dorm buildings in this school. South, East and West. South building, which is also the newest building. This dorm is for grade 9,10 and Prep students. They are highly secured and can only be entered with an electronic card. The East area is for students who live in 3-people rooms, which also the most popular one. There are always students here studying and socializing with others. If you are an outgoing person, the East will probably your best choice. Unlike East, West is the area for 2-people and one-person rooms, you have to pay extra money to live here. The best thing about the West is the silent atmosphere which is suitable for studying. The rooms in West are also kind of small which is a little bit uncomfortable who want to live in a spacious room.

Our school has one of the best cafeteria systems ruin by Flik. Each meal, the cafeteria provides more than 50 dishes and drinks serve as a buffet, which is suitable for every type of student from different areas around the world. The main dishes will also change depending on the time of the day. Therefore, I enjoy the diversity of the food and drinks here which allow me to have different options for my meal and be sure that I will not get sick of a specific food. The dining area is also spacious and comfortable for all of the students to enjoy their meals

Since the school is located in Thornwood, a small town far away from NYC. Life here is much slower than in NYC. Although life here is slower, the people here are extremely friendly and nice. There is a small shopping area where most of the students go here for food, haircut, and daily-use products. You can also take an Uber to go to White Plains, a bigger town nearby. It has malls and different restaurants for everyone to come and hang out. For me, friendliness is the best thing you can find in this area. Therefore, don't be shy to ask anyone to get help.

Social life in this school is one one the best thing here for the students to explore. Since there are students come from more than 50 countries, students can have chances to discover and know more about new culture and countries. Everyone here respects each other and more than open to socializing with others. I made friends with students from China, Norway, France, Brazil, Hong Kong, etc. I learned a lot and really appreciated the new knowledge from my friends and their countries. It is totally amazing to hear about the story and the traditional from different countries. Everyone lives together as a whole big family which is incredibly warm and really good to overcome the homesickness.