It was widely believed that the structure and discipline of attending a military school would help any young person be a better person and better prepared for college and life. Today, more students and parents are choosing military schools for the exceptional education received in these schools, along with their ability to instill important values like respect, hard work, physical fitness, restraint, discipline, honor, teamwork, and cooperation.

Military Schools Turn Young People Into Future Leaders

Today, military institutions are regarded as places to develop young people into citizens who have great character. They also develop traits like outstanding leadership skills. While military schools were traditionally a place to send kids who were having trouble, today they are so much more.

Many military school students find that the experience broadens their learning opportunities and their skills. For many, it?s their first time being away from home for an extended period. Still others find that adhering to a strict, regimented routine helps them to stay more focused on their studies. With other very good students around them who are focused on getting a good education and achieving high grades, this inspires them to do the same. Positive peer pressure is one exceptional benefit of a military education.

At Military School, Routines and Great Expectations Come Standard

An important part of military school education is expectations that are placed on students. For many, they are expected to keep a clean room, have exceptional personal cleanliness, earn good grades in classes and to take part in physical activities. This leaves little time for things like hanging out with friends or playing video games. For many students and parents, this is seen as a good thing.

Structure and focus are important for fostering an environment rich in qualities that help students to develop into the leaders they know they can become. Sloppiness has no place in a great military education. Many students find this to be difficult to adjust to. Once they?ve successfully adjusted, they find that it is a wonderfully organized way of life that helps them achieve more.

Military Schools Provide An Exceptional Focus On Academics

Many students in military academies find that for the first time they are expected to devote a certain amount of time every day to studies and academics. The idea of scholarly achievement is instilled in them in a way that most traditional schools cannot accomplish. Once great study habits are developed, these habits become second nature to students. Feelings students may have had previously that they are somehow entitled to good grades fall by the wayside once they realize that scholastic achievements must be earned.

Some military schools also foster the skills of cooperation and teamwork. These skills are so important in good leaders. There is also a great emphasis on recognizing and praising good achievements, which helps create a drive in students to continue to do well in school. In addition to rewarding accomplishments, students also experience punishment if standards are not followed and rules are not adhered to. This balance between reward and punishment helps to create a well-rounded and a more disciplined person.

Military Schools Foster Honor and Integrity

The majority of students who have gone through military school graduate knowing what it is to be a person of honor and integrity. They understand the importance of following through on something they have promised to do. They have learned how to make it through when they have experienced failure and they have developed good coping skills. They learn respect for themselves and for other cadets and for their leaders.

These skills are all so important in developing young people who know that they are the ones who are responsible for their success or failure in life. They have come to gain a knowledge, many times well beyond their years, of the things that are required to experience success. The friendships they have made, companionship and camaraderie among fellow students becomes a very important thing that is cherished long into the future.

Military Schools Help Turn Kids Around

Sometimes a parent finds that the best decision they ever made was to have their child attend a military school or even a school with a military focus. They find that their child has become a very self-confident person, athletically strong and has turned into a trustworthy young adult with an exemplary character. It is often not an easy choice to make to send a young person to a military school. It is also sometimes difficult for a young person to decide for themselves that they want to experience a military education. For many students, however, it turns out to be a great decision.

Investing in one?s future is the best investment a person can ever make. Growing into a responsible adult who is fully equipped to face any challenges that come along in life is a wonderful achievement. Military schools offer many outstanding opportunities.

Why Military School May Be Better than a Typical Boarding School for Children Who Need More Structure and Respect

If your teen needs better leadership abilities, organizational skills and character development, a college preparatory military boarding school could be your best option. Military boarding schools are specifically organized to emphasize these aspects of developing a well-rounded and successful young adult and their academics are often better than typical boarding schools.

Here are some ways that a military boarding school may be better?

1. They Teach Character Development

Success at a military school is based on personal merit and accomplishments, developing the self-confidence that leads to character development and success in college and life. Discipline requirements and a value-based education system at military boarding school provide a consistent set of policies and procedures that are necessary for achieving goals. Discipline creates boundaries and over time builds character. The military school code of conduct clearly defines a standard of behaviors that all students operate within. Formal accountability to others, both in leadership and among peers, is a singular characteristic of military academies.

Overall, a college preparatory military boarding school delivers all the advantages of other types of boarding schools and is best choice when your teen needs an increased focus on time management, organization, motivation, independence, and responsibility.

2. They Teach Leadership Abilities

Many boarding schools and some independent day schools do offer some opportunities to develop leadership abilities, like student council and club leadership. Military boarding schools, by contrast, offer an expanded level of responsibility for campus governance, similar to higher education at the ROTC level and at the top service academies. Throughout the chain of command, there are chances to learn the principles of leadership and then put these principles into action through defined positions. Attaining a position is prestigious and requires a careful vetting process, often involving exams, physical endurance, and interviews.

To enhance learning, top college preparatory military boarding schools require all students to participate in accredited leadership courses as part of each academic day. These leadership education training (LET) courses and the JROTC programs prepare students for leadership roles, giving them practical lessons that help them develop into active and engaged learners and leaders. The entire student body in a military boarding school is structured around a formal chain of command so Cadets hold positions of responsibility and gain actual career skills (e.g. management, team-building, and presentation skills). The programs promote academic achievement and leadership development, providing Cadets with skills that they will use for the rest of their lives.

3. Military Schools Teach Better Organizational Skills

Military boarding schools generally impose a highly structured and rigorous full daily schedule that requires a student to develop time management and organizational skills. Structure is one of the cornerstones of a military boarding school education, whereas traditional boarding schools may offer a less structured format. Each day at a military boarding school is highly structured, with all of the essential activities put into a schedule. There is a specific time for waking up, classes, homework, physical training, relaxation, inspections, formations, and even bedtime. Their personal grooming, rooms and uniforms must meet high standards and are checked on a daily basis. Living in this environment where the student needs to adhere to the structured schedule and complete required tasks in an orderly fashion improves their time management and organizational abilities.

Overall, a college preparatory military boarding school delivers all the advantages of other types of boarding schools, including therapeutic boarding schools, plus the advantages of teaching a focus on time management, organization, motivation, independence, character and responsibility.

Article provided by MilitarySchoolUSA.com. Other military school resources include: Military School Directory (International) and USA Military Schools.