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A typical day at Maine Central Institute

2008-06-11 09:41:08

Daily Residential Life

After a hearty breakfast students begin the academic day that runs from 7:45 until 2:53. Everybody breaks for a 48-minute lunch in the dining room or two blocks away in the town of Pittsfield. At the end of the school day the co-curricular activities begin, with offerings to appeal to everyone's interests. The co-curricular program is an integral part of MCI life.

Classes are on a rotating class schedule with 10 periods from 7:45 a.m. to 2:53 p.m. The schedule continues to rotate for six days. There is a five-minute warning bell before homeroom and before the end of lunch, and a four-minute passing time between periods.

Dinner is held from 5:30 to 6:30 and is followed by study time from 7:00 to 8:30. From 8:30 until 10:00, on-campus activities are available. Parks Gym is open in the evenings and on weekends. Basketball, weight training, and intramurals are favorite choices.

Advisor Meetings will be held on Mondays and Thursdays. School meetings will be held on Wednesdays.

Weekend Residential Life

After a leisurely brunch, the campus springs to life on weekends. Options abound - sports activities and competitions; a bus trip to some of Maine's finest skiing areas; a trip to nearby shopping areas in Newport, Bangor, or Portland.

MCI requires residential students to attend at least two cultural events each quarter. Choices include our own campus offerings: our nationally renowned vocal and instrumental jazz ensembles as well as our world class Bossov Ballet Theatre. Students might choose to attend a Broadway show or international performance at the Maine Center for the Arts. Fine films are enjoyed at Maine's Arts and Foreign Film Theater in nearby Waterville.

The "Maine Experience" is another area of participation by our residential students. Hiking in the famed Acadia National Park and Baxter State Park, white-water rafting on the Kennebec River or Penobscot River, whale watching, and snowboarding down the Pinnacle are popular activities. Families across the United States plan all-too-brief vacations in Maine to share the experience that MCI students can enjoy each weekend.

MCI residential students can also experience the hospitality of our community by becoming involved in our Host Family Program. Students enjoy having "a home away from home" and joining with members of a local host family for weekend activities. This program is school-run and is available when school is in session. When school is closed, the host family program is also closed. When students sign up for a host family, they are committing to become involved with an American family throughout the school year.

For those students who do not want to become involved with a host family but need a place to stay during vacation, there are MCI Home Stays. This is a separate program and is in effect when school is closed. There are four school vacations during the school year when the residence halls are closed. MCI will arrange for a local family or the student's hosts family to provide room, board, activities and supervision for a student for a fee of $300 per vacation week or $40 per day for a shorter stay.

To learn more about Maince Central Institute click here.

Posted by lina