1. Religion classes are optional.
Trust me, I was shocked too when I didn’t see a single religion based course on my schedule/major/graduation requirements. 75 percent of me was psyched because, well, nuns are not typically the most captivating teachers. There was that 25 percent of me though that was feeling a little empty; what is life without an hour and thirty minutes of religious discussion every other day? Fortunately, this just means more time for classes that you really want to be taking and if you really want to, there are religion courses offered so you can get your scripture/morality/world-religions fix. I’m sure you would even be allowed to read prayer at the beginning of class if you asked nicely.
2. People don’t sit (sleep/eat) on the floors.
Did you know this? I sure didn’t. I just spent the past four years of my life eating lunch on the floor in the hallway and you’re trying to tell me people don’t even sit on the ground, let alone take power naps between classes? That leaves so much unused space that is just going to waste. My thoughts? Be a trendsetter and teach the world the beauty of utilizing the ground.
3. Boys are real and they will be in your classes.
The last time you had a class with a boy, or potentially even saw one, was either in eighth grade, or driver's ed. Boys are real. Boys are in your classes. Boys. Are. In. Every. Single. One. Of. Your. Classes. It’s weird. It will never not be weird. You will not get used to it. Pull out your Serenity Prayer and take some deep breaths.
4. There are more than three sports teams per season and more than four clubs.
Hey, you actually can choose things that interest you when it comes to sports and clubs. This all has to do with the fact that there are (most likely) more than 250 people in your entire school. You've just spent the past four years with limited extracurricular options; you now have any interest at your fingertips, so go explore everything and anything you have ever wanted to.
5. Weird school-approved hazing does not exist (and other people didn’t have to go through this).
Okay, well I guess it wasn’t “hazing,” but gosh did it feel like it at the time. My high school was known for making the freshmen dress up based on a theme on our Big sister/Little sister reveal day. I have literally worn a pumpkin costume to school. We also had a freshman arts day; all of the freshmen stand in front of the entire school, in weird shirts they make in art class, and sing a song in a foreign language, do a dance and preform a short play. Talk about embarrassing. This doesn’t happen at a regular school and no one is going to be able to relate to your pain.
6. You’re not going to know everyone in your grade.
You’re not going to know everyone’s name, town they’re from, if they have siblings, what their parents do for work and you’re sure as heck not going to have a conversation with every single one of them before you graduate. You have just gone from an average fish in an average pond to being dropped in the literal ocean. You won’t know everyone and you will feel extremely weird about it.
7. Weird things are not facilitated by your school
Your professors will not be running around campus in panda costumes, or asking you to help them get Christmas decorations from the basement of the convent. A faculty flash mob probably won’t happen and I guarantee you will not be able to hold a maybe-illegal-definitely-immoral March Madness gambling pool out of an empty Starbucks cup in your locker. Weird things will still happen, but they will most likely not be prompted or promoted by your school or the faculty.
