By now, many alumni of Plymouth, Canton, and Salem High School like me have had to give a miniature lecture to our new college classmates about the crazy high school system we attended. It would be easy to just say “oh, I went to Salem High School”, but after going through what we’ve gone through, that just isn't enough. So here are 15 things that will help all your new college friends understand this freak of a high school we went to.

1. What do you mean when you say P-CEP?

P-CEP (pronounced pee—sep) stands for the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park. It’s also called The Park sometimes, as a quick and easy nickname. This Park is a campus of three whole high schools: Plymouth, Canton, and Salem High School.

2. How many people went to P-CEP?

Just under 6,500 students attend The Park each year. Yeah, you read that right. The individual schools are technically average in terms of size, but we just threw them all together to make one Brobdingnagian high school campus.

3. So if you lived in Canton, why’d you go to Salem?

Picture, if you will, Effie Trinket standing in front of a bowl of little 6th grader’s names, pulling them one by one for each school. That pretty much sums it up. It’s all a random lottery. When we were little fetuses in 6th grade we got a letter in the mail with our results and that was that.

There was one way to try and change your fate: the sibling clause. If you don’t want to attend the same school as your older sibling, you can choose to reenter the lottery. Of course, you could get put in the same school again, then you’re stuck with it.

4. So you still had a homeschool then?

Not that it meant much, but yes. Our homeschool decided which sports teams we could join and/or cheer for. They’re also where our lockers were, but that didn’t really matter. Your homeschool meant nothing when it came to your schedule. Your classes could be in any of the three schools in any order, and you better make it between buildings in under 10 minutes or you get a tardy. There are students who have to walk every hour, there are students who are never in their homeschool for a class, and occasionally there are the really lucky students who don’t have to walk, or only have to walk once or twice.

5. Well since you had to walk did that mean they were more careful about the weather?

HA HA HA HA! No. Rain, snow, ice, cold, thunder, we braved it all. They didn’t care. In fact, I remember a few times where other schools in the area had snow days and we didn’t. If the buses could move and it wasn’t -20 degrees, you had school. If you got frostbite, it was your fault for not bundling up properly. If you slipped on ice on the path and broke a bone, it was your fault for not being careful around the ice. If it was -19, bundle up, because -19 is not -20. Occasionally they cared enough to hold us in our classes if lightning was going on or if there was a tornado brewing.

6. Wait, did they salt the path?

There is the expression “salty as the path”. They piled salt on top of the snow on the path, and it did very little for the ice. They tried to help, but all they ended up doing was ruining our shoes with salt and slush. Got a nice brand new pair of Uggs? They’re gonna be ruined within the week.

7. So did you have three of every sports team?

For the most part yes. There were a few combined teams, like the figure skating team and the hockey team. Other than that, each school had its own team, and they often went up against each other. At our games, many friends became enemies for the night.

8. What about homecomings?

Yup, three of those too. Three homecoming games, three homecoming weeks, three homecoming dances. And yes, you could go to all of them. Going to all three homecoming dances is a popular item on many students’ P-CEP bucket list. Of course, this does mean that the dances are crowded, and it becomes near impossible to get a ticket as the dance draws near.

9. What about the marching band?

We had one. And it was huge. One of the biggest high school marching bands in the country. It was also a pretty freaking amazing marching band that never failed to give you a stellar performance.

10. Was lunch crazy with all those people?

YES. Even with three lunch periods in three cafeterias, every lunch was a madhouse of people. You learned quickly to find your lunch squad, claim your spot, and keep to routine. You always left at least one person to hold down your territory while you went to get your food, choosing the shortest of all the ridiculously long lines. The cafeterias were always packed, even with the many groups of students who ate outside (during nicer weather), in classrooms, or in other quirky spots.

11. It’s so big, how do you make friends?

In all honesty, convenience. Unless you were on a team at The Park, you made friends with whoever you saw the most. Got someone you kinda like in three of your classes? There’s your new best friend for the semester. Got a group of people that know each other in your fourth hour? Boom, there’s your lunch squad. Someone lets you get under their umbrella when it’s pouring on the path? They’re your soulmate. That’s not to degrade any of these friendships. Going through P-CEP together creates strong bonds. You do end up making really good friends here, even just through chance encounters.

12. Did the size give you anything that normal high schools don’t?

Well, because of the size, P-CEP was able to offer a lot of classes that other schools just don’t have the time or space to offer. Classes like Forensic Science, Astronomy, Metals Art, Textiles and Design, Honors Philosophy, Honors Shakespeare, Yoga and Pilates, and many more.

There were also a lot of after school clubs. You had your typical clubs like French club and Photo club, but, in true P-CEP fashion, you also had clubs like Breakdancing club, Zombie Apocalypse club, and, I kid you not, Coloring club.

13. Why do people call P-CEP a prison?

Well, there’s an urban myth that the architect who designed Plymouth High School specialized in prisons, that’s where it started. Plus, what high school has never been called a prison by its students? Ours is just a very big prison. With three large cell blocks and some ridiculous policies in the dress code (#freetheshoulders).

14. OMG so if you had a homecoming for each school does that mean you had three proms??

No. We got one big prom. And it was lit.

15. Wow, this school sounds crazy, do you hate that you had to go there?

Well, during your senior year, every P-CEP student feels like college can’t come fast enough. But when we look back on it, we really wouldn’t have wanted to go anywhere else. What other college freshmen are prepared to make it across campus in under 10 minutes without actually sprinting? Who else can say that they went to three homecomings in one year? Of course, we have regrets, but so do all high school students. Like me; I regret wasting my time by taking Intro to Psych, especially since I could’ve switched it for a journalism class. But all regrets aside, we are actually pretty glad to have gone to such a crazy and unique place for our high school experience. We loved to hate it. At the very least, we’ve all walked away with a few good stories.