Going to an all-girl high school was much more beneficial than I originally thought. It prepared me in many ways, especially outside of the classroom.
I did not realize it at the time, but wearing a uniform every day made me appreciate the freedom to pick out my outfits in the morning. I have total freedom to decide to wear a dress with my hair done and a full face of makeup. Or I can always decided to look like I just rolled out of bed, which is what I choose most days. It is just enjoyable to not wear the exact same thing as everyone else. I am so grateful to not be in uniform, I don't let my clothes distract from my education, I'm just happy to not be wearing plaid.
Being surrounded by females every day for four years made me a better student. I focused on my work and making lifelong friends. I took that same attitude with me to college. Not having guys around in high school made me challenge myself academically. I was never afraid to speak during class or give presentations.
I tried to continue this mentality during my first year of college, unfortunately boys were a bigger distraction than I anticipated. Going through high school and only seeing boys on the weekends made for an interesting transition; I looked like a confused bird for the first week, my eyes darting from boy to boy. Thankfully once I was used to being in a classroom with guys (something I had not experienced since I was 14) I went back to being studious and not fearing speaking in a classroom.
It was not just in class, though. I had to get used to boys constantly being around. Coming from a school environment of all females and growing up with two sisters I was never concerned with how much food I was taking at the cafeteria or if I was wearing a bra under my hoodie.
It took some time to adjust to boys being around, but thankfully I was able to get used to hearing deeper voices in the hallways and dealing with the cafeteria running out of curly fries and pizza. On the plus side, I was finally able to attend football games for my own school.
An all-girl high school prepared me academically for college, and taught me how to get ready for school in under 10 minutes. Although, getting accustomed to having boys around took some time, I would not change the high school experience I was fortunate enough to have. I even think it made me appreciate having boys around and befriending them.
