When I got to college, I realized going to an all-girl high school or an all-guy high school was not commonly heard of. People will give you a weird look and say something along the lines of “that must of really sucked."

However, I quickly defend my stance on going to an all girls high school because I wouldn’t have it any other way.

To begin, my first and favorite thing about going to an all-girl school was rolling out of bed and putting on a uniform.

The other girls and I were truly not presentable for any public encounters, and we knew that. We just knew we were in a judgment-free zone. At my school, wearing makeup would lead to an interrogation, because the best thing about going to an all girl school is being comfortable in your own skin at all times.

My friends who went to coed schools claimed they went to school looking like a “hobo” as well, but I beg to differ. With your crush sitting next to you in class, did you just roll out of bed wearing your pajamas without brushing your hair?

Next, another great thing about going to an all girl school was the empowering environment.

We were encouraged every day to succeed and work hard. There are fewer distractions in an all-girl school, in my own personal experience. Coed schools can bring drama with boys in the mix.

A lot of girls at my school were from all sorts of neighborhoods. Everyone at school could talk to anyone no matter who they were. No boy drama, not only because there were no boys in the school, but since most of us lived in various towns, we did not need to worry about competing for anyone’s attention.

We all truly had a common theme, and that was to uplift each other and prepare ourselves individually for college. I can truly say that I needed to mature as a woman in the high school environment that I did. When being a teenager in high school, it’s sometimes hard to accept yourself. You're lacking confidence and you're not completely sure of yourself.

I can honestly say that going to an all-girl high school not only prepared me educationally, but it prepared me mentally.

I know who I am and my full worth. If I went to a coed school, I think my experience would have been harder. The distractions of a coed school would have led me to not focus on my studies enough, but more importantly not focus on myself as much.

In college, I have gone out of my shell, taken risks, and stood up for myself many times. I owe it to the privilege of going to an all-girl school, without it, I don’t think I'd be who I am today.