The Egoge: A Military School With Extra Hazing

In Sparta, in order to become a full citizen, you had to go through this intense public education program called the Egoge. The students were also required to make their own bed. They would send these seven-year-olds down to the river to pull reeds out of the river bed by hand and make a mat for themselves to sleep on at night. This was supposed to help them be sneaky and stealthy but if they got caught, they would catch a beating.