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North Cedar Academy prides itself on the dual enrollment program, which allows students to obtain their Associates of Arts & Sciences degrees upon their high school graduation. This is certainly a unique opportunity, but what is often overlooked is the intense academic setting that the opportunity creates. Fortunately, North Cedar Academy prioritizes balance.From their wide array of extra-curricular activities to weekend karaoke nights and mall trips, North Cedar Academy teaches students how to fit entertainment into busy schedules. There is a mandatory study hall on weeknights—trust me, you'll have work to do—but this helps students learn to set time aside. While I tired of the obligatory structure during my senior year, I carried the skills from NCA to my freshman year in college, where I felt that I could balance intense academic pressure and crazy adventures around the city.

Not really one to brag, but I will say that North Cedar Academy helped me develop quite a few invaluable skills, from time management to independency to general academic reasoning. After completing my first year at Occidental, I can definitely say I was well-prepared.

I would have just gotten involved more and held fewer reservations. Between my first and second year, I realized that people don't care about pride. Just let your personality shine.

The North Cedar Academy community is close. It was my first time away from home, but they quickly became my family.

I'd say just get involved with whatever you can, whether that means engaging with peers or joining clubs. You'll be happier.

The academics at North Cedar Academy were really up to the student. I was in the dual enrollment program, so managing a full college workload, especially when I was still taking high school classes part time, was pretty intense and stressful. Having access to the college classes really created unparalleled depth and diversity of classes available. Even in the intense academic setting, I was thankful for NCA because they granted me an opportunity to truly explore my passions.Moreover, NCA is a very tight-knit community. The teachers at the high school truly want to see the students succeed and often go out of their way to help the students learn. The environment is not competitive at all—everyone really just roots for everyone.

The athletics program was relatively new when I attended North Cedar Academy. It was mostly for recreation and pretty isolated. I think it is growing now, however, so my word may not be very good.

I wasn't overly involved in the arts programs, but they would perform now and then. I joined choir when they needed new members, and I was impressed by the student leadership that the director allowed. Again, because it's still growing, I may not be the best person to provide insight.

I don't think there is really a system for students to start clubs, so student organizations are somewhat lacking. There is a wide array of faculty-led clubs, from the arts to athletics to test prep. As for volunteer opportunities, students often need to seek out opportunities that appeal to them. If a student finds an opportunity, however, NCA will work to support them in their endeavor.

Dorm life is fun, especially if you try to embrace the activities. I reckon it's pretty standard.Students are kind of left out of room selection. Staff try to ensure everyone will be happy where they are, and if it doesn't work out, staff will typically try to work something out. As I mentioned earlier, there is a curfew.

The food was a kind of hit-or-miss. Sometimes it was really great, and sometimes not so great. NCA had set mealtimes, so a lot of students kept food in their rooms. I mostly kept tea.

Imma be really honest here: Ladysmith is not the greatest. There is so little to do that we used to go walk around Walmart for entertainment. North Cedar Academy is good at providing internal entertainment, however, so it is less noticeable.

North Cedar Academy is a really small school, so the student body really becomes a family. The vibe was usually pretty low-key when I was there. Of course, that's not to say that there won't be excitement on any given day. NCA students have got personality! There is a curfew at around 10 or 11, but the common rooms can otherwise get pretty lively. Sometimes folks sneak out which can also be pretty exciting.