From Kindergarten to Senior year, I was part of a Catholic school community. After reading this, you might think I hated it, but I'm just using a few funny memories to poke a little fun at the school system that made me who I am now and provided me with friendships that will last a lifetime. I'm sure every Catholic student can relate.

1. You're very familiar with the khaki vs. plaid debate.

Back in middle school, this was the right of passage we all hoped and earned for. At the start of 7th grade, we finally got to ditch the plaid skirts and start wearing the khaki. This transition did little to prepare us for the freedom of actually having no uniform in high school.

2. Morning prayer ALWAYS happened.

Has the day really started if you haven't stood up from your desk and listened to morning prayer on the intercom? The answer is 'no.' I can't tell you how long it took me to remember that morning prayer is not a thing in college and class just starts like normal.

3. Starting school a week early was the worst.

This was always a bummer when summer would be cut short and we'd be back to school before everyone else. But, at least we got some extra breaks on religious holidays!

4. Liturgy days (and the dress code that goes with them) will never be forgotten.

It seemed like we had one practically every week. Guys had to wear nice shirts and ties while girls had to wear dresses or skirts (but not too short!!!). The difference between freshmen and senior girls on liturgy days was stark. The freshmen always curl their hair and wear sky-high heels while the seniors are doing well if they can get it together enough to wash their hair and find a dress to throw on.

5. Service hours were a serious matter.

This is how we all felt the day before service hours were due and we still had 20 hours to complete. Challenge: accepted.

I actually miss having to do service hours. They were required, but that meant I had to go out into the community and volunteer in some capacity. And you always had friends to volunteer with because everyone had to do them. The crazy rules were pretty insane, though, and if just one hour was logged incorrectly, it could destroy the possibility of graduating. JK, this wouldn't actually be the case, but they sure made it sound like that!

6. We made Rosaries... for fun.

When we were bored in elementary school, the one activity I remember doing more than any other was making rosaries. Why we all needed 12, I don't know.

7. Wearing shorts to class now feels very weird.

Even after the days of wearing uniforms were over, the school dress code was almost equivalent to the Bible for a lot of teachers. I still have to remind myself in college that I can wear whatever I want to class, especially at WWU, where pretty much anything goes.

8. Sex Ed was just not a thing.

For obvious reasons, Catholic schools have very minimal sexual education, if any at all. (Think that one scene from "Mean Girls.")

9. You knew the history of the Catholic Church frontwards, backwards, and sideways.

Because we had required theology classes every year for 13 years, we know a thing or two about the Catholic Church. Want to know about the 10,000+ saints recognized by the Catholic Church? Or about the origins of the Our Father prayer? Go spend a day at a Catholic school.

10. Friends didn't live close by.

Parents send their kids to private schools from all over the place, and there are no school district limits at private schools. I never had friends that lived down the street from me; most people were actually closer to a 30-minute drive. This made turning 16 even more of a big deal because asking your parents to drive you to a friend's house in another county wasn't always ideal.

11. Nail polish was one of few mediums of self-expression.

In elementary school, we were not allowed to wear nail polish or makeup, so anytime you could do it and get away with it was a huge victory. At 13, we thought blue sparkly nail polish was pretty damn rebellious.

12. You knew everybody super well.

This was a blessing and a curse. It meant the community was incredibly close-knit and people would be there for you if you needed them. But it also meant everybody knew everybody else's business ALL THE TIME. I mean, come on. Sharing a classroom with the same 25 kids for nine years meant that we really got to know each other.

13. Good Friday was always a blast. (JK, not at all.)

Good Friday, or the Friday before Easter, was always spent re-enacting the Stations of the Cross. This entailed live-acting the crucifixion. So fun for the seven-year-olds!

14. You found your best friends there.

A lot of people don't stay in touch that well with their high school friends, let alone classmates from middle and elementary school. I met my best friend in 4th grade and our friendship is better than ever, and we didn't even go to the same high school!

15. You were already an alumni before graduation day.

I remember having a senior class meeting and getting signed up for alumni information at least a week before graduation.

Despite what some may find annoying, at the end of the day, Catholic school was a huge family and even when you leave, you're not completely gone.