Idyllwild Arts Academy - Review #13

Living on campus surrounds you with your education and makes you think about it in the context of your life in a more efficient way than traditional high school. The arts focus offers more connection points to create a web of connections between subjects. You begin to easily see how math, music, English, art, history, etc, are very interrelated on a daily basis.

Just being there with an open mind lead to the greatest transformations in my personal development as a person, an artist, a friend, and a student. I talk about this in later questions more thoroughly.

The only thing I would've done differently was spend less time on my phone. Go study, go create, go enjoy nature. Talk to your homies or jog through the woods. Go skip stones or try your friends instrument. Just do anything in Idyllwild besides sit down on your phone, because whatever you do here is guaranteed to teach you something or make you better, or just be plain fun.

Can't pick one factor. It's all a beautiful part of my life that I wouldn't change for anything, even the bad parts. You learn a lot from struggle, and even with the countless benefits of the school, it offers plenty of opportunities to struggle. Educational struggle, artistic struggle, friendships, romantic, personal, you name it. It's a reasonably safe place to over come these struggles, but embrace them, too, along with the benefits. I'm glad I did, I'm grateful to the place, the students, and all the faculty for how they shaped me. Doesn't mean it was all positive (but for the most part it was because of this mindset I'm describing). Respect the place and the challenges and it will teach you plenty about being an effective person, leader, dancer, singer, painter, writer, community member, you name it. Try to take it all in because there is so much in every moment that you can learn from and/or enjoy.

MaNeal boys for life. Respect your dorm parents because you definitely are keeping them up late at night for no reason at all. Talk to your teachers because they want to talk to you (if you're not a boring fool, which you probably aren't if you're attending IAA). Teachers have so much to teach outside of the classroom.

All the teachers I had were very knowledgeable in their subjects. Ryan Strickland, for example, is a very well rounded teacher and you can tell he knows a lot about his subjects (math and sciences). But he is so interested and excited in these subjects that it is easy to get interested in something like astronomy as if it was a personal hobby rather than a class, which it then becomes.

I enjoyed the laid back nature of arts school athletics. That includes Frisbee and capture the flag. There is a growing gym with free weights, power rack, and cardio machines. For those interested in increasing personal strength, speed, and other fitness goals, the tools are available. Lots of kids play pick up basketball and soccer. Our current PE teacher, Sterling, is knowledgeable and very excited about fitness and eager to share this knowledge. One of the school's best fitness resources is the beautiful hiking trails, many of which students have free access to.

As a creative writing major, the school offered me lots of opportunities to collaborate with these majors, be it a graphic novel, a short play, or even song writing. The gallery openings, recitals, and plays offered round-the-clock inspiration. It is good for any artist to experience various art forms at all times, and Idyllwild offers this above and beyond what is available to most artists in college and post-education life.

There are good options for when you need to take a break from creating or practicing. As I mentioned, great do-it-yourself athletic opportunities, lots of social clubs, study groups, and even some political clubs. Students have the freedom to create their own club as well.

Living with your friends is awesome. You learn a ton about how you deal with the world and improve your problem solving capabilities when issues natural arise when you live in close, cooperative quarters with many hormonal artists.

Food's pretty good. Always a fully stocked salad bar. Always a good amount of protein. As many servings as you want for most items. Dining staff are bad asses and very friendly-- be polite! The chefs are always open to adding recipes. Also, the town offers good food on the weekends, and there are a couple of grocery stores that have plenty of options that you can cook during the week in the dorm kitchens. Plus, there's the book store on campus, but as far as I know it doesn't have many healthy options, although it might have improved since I graduated as staff told me they are trying for healthier options.

Obviously, this is one of the schools biggest assets. Walking the grounds is extremely meditative. If you're into natural beauty at all, this lovely place will satisfy you. I really miss the environment (I mean the literal rocks, trees, gushing streams, etc) that Idyllwild Arts was built in. I found it beneficial for my mental and physical health which results in higher quality of life, better grades, and more creativity in your art. No kidding at all. You gotta be aware of it. Don't be one of those kids who sits in MacNeal all day playing frivolous video games, its a waste of your full potential at IAA

I've made the best friends I ever have at Idyllwild. Maybe it's the close proximity, maybe its the shared intellectual drive, artistic passion, or sense of looking for more beyond traditional high school. It's hard to quantify what many faculty and board members have called "magic," or something similar in the many speeches they give throughout the year, but if you go into your experience open minded to it and willing to find it, I'm sure you will.