Riverside Preparatory Academy - Review #4

Riverside is arguably the finest military boarding school in America. RMA has modern,and overall superior facilities,with ever expanding opportunities to utilize them. The faculty is carefully screened in order to have great academics. All of the fine arts programs are nurtured in an environment that brings out the best in its participants. A new gymnasium,a complete track and football facility,and tennis courts are present. The Nautatorium is an outstanding facility and is the envy of many schools. Discipline, attention to duty, respect for others,courtesy and pragmatism are well stressed.

I believe the best things were strong discipline, and the formation of some friendships that are still strong 46 years later

Don't try to be a know- it - all. When I got to RMA, I found out quickly what I did NOT know.?

I love sari reside Military Academy because it taught me how to manage time, be pragmatic and get things done in a timely fashion. I developed some strong friendships there.

Come prepared to follow instructions and to, learn if one bucks the system there, it will buck you. My favorite snack was an order of fries with mayonnaise, and cherry flavored Vicks Cough Drops. Of course a cold Coke hit the spot.

Riverside taught a cadet how to study. The chance to stay in one's room for evening study was an incentive. If a cadet failed one subject,a two hour study hall was conducted. If a student failed 2 subjects, the cadet had to attend the night study hall and a required study hall in the afternoon,while others enjoyed free time of about an hour. If academics were more in jeopardy, a Sunday night study hall was conducted. Grades were posted each Saturday morning, and report cards were sent home accordingly.

Track, football, basketball, wrestling, tennis, swimming and rifle teams were active. I liked staying in shape and generally having fun. There was a mandatory intramural athletic period if one was not participating in a varsity sport.

The music program and dramatics are vastly superior now to what the were when I attended RMA, but they were good even in my day. I liked participating in band - a lot better than drilling with an M1 rifle.

Music and fine arts programs, drill teams, sports and town leave were all great activities...

A good place to make friends. Rooms were in suites with two suites sharing a bathroom and shower in most cases. Other buildings at the time had community bathrooms and showers.

The meals were served cafeteria style, and dining was in a hall with either a faculty member or cadet officer heading each table. Sunday morning breakfast was the best meal of the week. SOS on brick- hard toast was the worst.

At the time I attended Riverside,it had two campuses. One was in Gainesville, Ga and(( fall and spring) and the winter months were spent in Hollywood Fla. There were vast differences. Gainesville was a rural North Georgis town, There were a variety of stores and restaurants there, On Sunday's after church, some of us would go to the old Dixie- Hunt hotel and send the bills home to our parents. In Hollywood Fl, there was a mall located within easy walking distance from campus. We got to go to the beach three to four times a week.

In Gainesville,there was Brenau Academy ( a female boarding school. In Hollywood, Fl , there was the mall and the beach. There was a strong Union among the cadets,which made it a very cohesive student body.