I am one of those few people in America who can say that they loved high school. For me, high school was the best four years of my life. Don't get me wrong, college is great and all, but my high school experience was filled with pleasant memories that I will never forget. Maybe it was because I had awesome friends, was involved in a lot, had amazing teachers, and had a ridiculous amount of fun. But none of those things would have been possible without the high school I attended. An all-girls Catholic school. Most people would cringe at the idea of a setting like that, but for me, it's home. Here are the things I miss about my all-girls private high school:
1. Uniforms
Being able to wake up every morning and throw on the first thing in sight was a blessing. It also didn't matter what you looked like, because everyone was wearing the same thing. I used to sleep in shorts and my polo shirt, and then all I would have to do in the morning was throw on that plaid skirt and some shoes.
2. No boundaries
I had no problems screaming out "WHO HAS A TAMPON?" in the middle of class or the hallways. And, when this did happen, there were at least five girls coming to my rescue. I openly sat with my feet up on the desk, picked wedgies with no shame, put on deodorant in the middle of class, and everyone was happy discussing personal bodily functions at the lunch table.
3. Food
Have you ever watched a group of girls split three trays of brownies, two bags of chips, bowls of french fries, endless amounts of candy bars, and Lil' Debbie's all in one sitting? I have. This was actually a common occurrence at lunch and in homeroom during those designated 'everyone bring in food' days.
4. Everyone's hideous appearance
Almost every girl would roll out of bed five minutes before they had to leave for school and not even look in a mirror. Not to mention that makeup was something that was only touched on the weekends. We all had bags under our eyes, hair in a messy bun that hadn't been touched in two days, and our shorts hanging out from underneath our skirts.
5. The teachers
For some reason, teachers at all-girls private schools connect with students a lot more than other schools. By senior year, I was on a first name basis with most of my teachers and actually enjoyed hanging out with them during my study hall. Not to mention the wonderful human that is your guidance counselor. That woman watched us all cry, complain about our periods, and listened to every single detail of our personal lives.
6. Hairy legs
I would probably shave my legs four times throughout the whole school year. It eventually became a competition to see whose leg hair could be the longest. If your leg hair poked through the tights you wore under your skirt, then you were in the lead.
7. Education
Now I know what you're thinking—this school I went to sounds more like fun than a school. Well, on top of all the fun we were constantly having, we all really did receive a good education. We studied our butts off, and received top quality education.
8. Sense of community
By senior year, the girls in my class truly were my sisters. Our class as a whole went through a lot— car wrecks, cancer, the passing of loved ones — and when these tragic things happened, the entire class was there to help the one girl who was going through a rough time. We all loved each other even though we occasionally went through some drama.
9. Involvement
The amount of clubs I was in was actually crazy. Being involved wasn't just for the brainiacs, it was for everyone. Not to mention the crazy amount of volunteer work I was doing. With all those clubs and involvement at school came copious amounts of community service. While most of it was required, you really did learn to love it. The number of opportunities to help others was really wonderful.
10. Gaining sisters for life
My best memories of my teenage years are going to sporting events, mission trips, retreats, class sleepovers, and even sitting around the lunch table. I made so many friends who I truly love and care about. We all become sisters by the end of our four years and it's really crazy how much we all miss it.
To any of my Assumption High School sisters out there reading this—thank you for giving me the best four years of my life. Once a rocket, forever a rose. And to those in all-girls private schools: cherish it while it lasts.
