In all types of boarding schools, students are sent to live and study at a school throughout the semester, going home only for breaks such as winter and summer breaks. Students are housed, fed and watched after by teachers and staff, receiving all of their basic necessities on campus. This type of a learning environment is structured to help students focus on their studies and engage themselves totally in academic life. Students may be more likely to get involved with extracurricular activities, such as sports teams and school clubs, if they live and study on their school campus.
Dorms at mixed boarding schools separate students by sex. Boys will sleep in dorm rooms with approximately three to five other boys, and the same for girls. Bathrooms, showers and other personal facilities are also kept separate. Most mixed boarding schools have a strict policy regarding socializing between boys and girls in the dorm rooms and dorm areas. Some schools will forbid socializing in an opposite sex dorm building, while others will keep strict hourly limits, such as visiting hours before 6 p.m.
Classrooms at a mixed boarding schools are kept with as even of a ratio as possible of boys and girls. Boys and girls have the same academic track and take all of the same classes. Individual students are given opportunities to excel and take advanced placement classes regardless of sex. While some see this as equal opportunity, others view it as distracting for students to mix, especially during the middle school years. Some parents and teachers believe that boys will attempt to act out for attention, while girls will be less likely to speak out and share their opinions when inhabiting a classroom with boys. These stereotypes change based on individual students and the way teachers handle them, not on the ratio of boys to girls alone.
Extracurricular activities separate the sexes after elementary school, if not before then. Boys are encouraged to do certain activities, such as sports, while girls are encouraged to do others, such as join academic clubs. In a mixed boarding school, there is a risk that boys will be pushed to do typically "masculine" activities, while girls will be pushed to do typically "feminine" activities. Some parents and teachers believe that single-sex boarding schools encourage students to try everything freely without feeling that it is only meant for the opposite sex.