"The dormitory conditions of the Force Academy are the best. They are located in the main building on the west side of the courtyard, at an appropriate height, with ample sunshine. The downside, however, is that the classrooms and training fields are quite far away. You have to cross the entire courtyard and the large garden, so you'd have to get up half an hour to forty minutes earlier to avoid being late,"
This information sparked the most discussion, with many children fantasising splendidly at the mere mention of the word "force". However, the prospect of having to wake up half an hour earlier than other students cast a gloomy expression on those who have difficulties getting up early.
Clearly, this introduction is biased. Jim and Lady Shangdu are simply reading from the script written by Shiller. The goal is to keep the number of students as balanced as possible in the three academies, to prevent any academy from being neglected.
Since there are no official classes yet, the children can only choose based on their first impressions and interests. Without guidance, all children are likely to flock to one academy, which would not only disrupt normal teaching activities but might also cause dissatisfaction and loss of interest amongst those children who are not quite suitable for that academy.
After the white papers were collected, Jim was surprised to find out that, just as Shiller had said, the number of children in each academy was almost the same, although there was a certain bias.
For instance, local children from Gotham typically prefer the Craft Academy. They do not find words like "underground" and "enclosed" off-putting. Instead, they feel a sense of security. On the other hand, younger children from other cities usually choose the School of Magic Theory. They are curious about the Mage Tower and prefer living in high places.
Older children who are not too concerned about sleep, prefer larger dorm rooms so that they have enough space to move around. Therefore, they all chose the Force Academy.
Soon, the children were led to their respective dormitories based on the results of the academy divisions.
The dorm rooms of the Craft Academy are underground and form a interconnected hive structure. Six common lounges form a hexagonal ring, with dormitories on either side of the corridors connecting the lounges. Regardless of where you come out from, you can quickly reach the common lounge.
The decor follows the typical steampunk retro style of Alchemy, with decorative brass pipes at the connections and edges of the walls. The fireplace is refurbished from a discarded alchemy apparatus, full of gears, pipes and bolts. The chairs and tables are made of natural-color copper, presenting a brown theme overall. However, the carpets and curtains are dark red, decorated with images of medicine racks, test tubes, and bubbles.
Just like the introduction during the division, the place is not humid at all. Instead, it is dry and warm. You can hear the distant hum of the engines and the bubbling of the alchemy, with a hint of herbal fragrance floating in the air.
The School of Magic Theory is situated in the circular Mage Tower area floating in the sky. Six Mage Towers, of varying heights, form a circle, connected to floating stairs in the middle. Although it may look scary, there is a protective air wall around it, so you won't fall.
Children screamed in various ways, with some leaning against the air wall to look downward, then, feeling dizzy, they drew back. There are dormitories at the top of all six Mage Towers.
The decor is predominately modern white. The floor is covered with lightly patterned marble, and large floor-to-ceiling windows in the common lounges offer almost no blind spots. The many black built-in bookshelves are filled with books, and each common lounge has a modernistic sculpture in the middle.
Inside the dormitory, much attention is paid to lighting. The modern drop ceiling emits a warm light halo, and the bedding is made of soft textiles with minimalistic patterns. On the shelves on the walls, unusually shaped magical plants are placed inside tiered dark ceramic vases.
The dorm rooms of the Force Academy are indeed the most luxurious. Their decor is in typical Gotham Manor style, featuring gothic elements. The dark brown floor is reflective. Roses with gorgeous patterns creep in, and there is no shortage of candle holders, carved bookshelves and large canopy beds. Bed clothing is mostly glossy silk.
Even for the children from wealthy families, living in such a distinctive environment is a novelty, not to mention having so many peers to room with.
Soon, they became excited, discussing everything about the place loudly while sitting on the sofas, on the floor, and even on the windowsills in the common lounges. They even forgot to unpack their luggage.
As someone who used to lead elementary and middle school students, Victor had anticipated this scenario. He asked the professors to go to the lounges in each academy to remind the children to unpack and change clothes before attending the banquet.
The uniform at the Magic Academy, is similar to that of church schools in most states in America, and bears resemblance to those of British boarding schools, but is slightly different from that of Hogwarts.
Americans mostly focus on practicality, simplifying and re-simplifying the things passed down from Europe. Therefore, this robe is simply a black top and bottom with a long overcoat, which isn't mandatory. Aside from the fact that the top is longer and covers the knees, there isn't much difference from modern school uniforms.
The purpose of the school uniform is to eliminate differences among students, which helps to avoid comparisons and appearance anxiety. Everyone wearing the same uniform looks like a bunch of black penguins, hence there is not much to compare.