My Favorite Parts About Boarding at Peddie

Tour guide Zachary shares how boarding at Peddie gives students a chance to engage more deeply with campus life – both human and wild! – and enjoy the community.

There are so many things I enjoy about being a boarding student that it’s hard to choose just a few. Living on campus comes with experiences that I wouldn’t have anywhere else. But if I had to narrow it down, these are the three parts of boarding life that stand out the most to me. 

The dorm community and faculty at Peddie are awesome. When you first arrive, there are plenty of people to help you adjust to boarding life, including dorm supervisors (faculty members who oversee the dorm) and prefects (upperclassmen who act as an in-between for the dorm supervisor and the students). 

So far, I’ve had two great dorm supervisors, Mr. Frank and Mr. Toste, who have both been incredibly approachable and supportive in the dorm. The prefects also play a big role in making the dorm feel like home and you can go to them for just about anything. I was a prefect in Potter North last year, and I can’t count the amount of times I helped people with their homework or answered their questions. 

The dorm is also where I (and many others!) have found friends and our community at Peddie. Living alongside your friends creates connections that can only be found within a dorm. 

At Peddie, it is extremely common to see teachers outside of their classrooms. One day, you might see your math teacher walking their dogs around campus; another day, you might run into your English teacher at dinner. It’s easy to walk up, say hi and even ask a question about class. 

These everyday interactions make it much easier to get to know your teachers beyond the subjects they teach. You’ll quickly realize that teachers are not just teachers at Peddie; they are often coaches and advisors as well.

Walking to class might sound like a chore, but for me, it is a great opportunity to get some exercise and appreciate the nature on campus. Of course, there are students who bike or skateboard to class, but walking is an easy way to stay active every day without even thinking about it. And since the longest walk on campus is only about 10 minutes (shorter if you jog!), everything is very accessible. 

There’s also a surprising amount of wildlife on campus, including many different species of birds, trees and even larger mammals like deer and raccoons on campus. There are even two blue herons in Peddie Lake! One of my favorite species to look for are the house finches on top of the columns of the Caspersen History House. Peddie has a great amount of diversity on campus, and I enjoy taking a moment to notice it while on my way to class. 

There are so many things I enjoy about being a boarding student at Peddie that I couldn’t possibly fit them all here. But the dorm community, the relationships I’ve built with teachers and even something as simple as my daily walk to class are a few of the reasons Peddie has come to feel like home.

Learn more about life at Peddie.