The academic work load was staggering, especially when compared to that of my elementary school, where we had spent our days painting Tibetan peace flags and singing Kumbaya. No such luck at prep school, however. I remember staying up all night, tearing my hair out over stacks of notecards. I knew that the school prided itself on its academic rigor, and that that was the main reason I was there to begin with, but that first year I often found myself thinking that I was better suited for a public school.