As a kid, I attended Catholic school for 16 years (yup, it was that long). Once I went to college, however, my life changed drastically. Here’s a list of things you’ve had to cope with if you don’t attend a Catholic school anymore:

1. Sex Ed was a thing for everyone else

While you learned that “abstinence is the best policy”, everyone else learned about how and where things work. In the small type of “sex ed” I had (if that’s what you call it), we were taught that sex is for marriage, people with STD’s were dirty, and boys and girls never share rooms until marriage.

2. No Uniforms

It is so nice to only have to do laundry once every two weeks instead of every other day.

3. “No, you don’t have to go to Church with me.”

Why would I bring you so you can ask me questions the whole time?

4. There is no room for Jesus

In school, I was so used to everyone following the “leave room for Jesus” rule . After going to my first lounge party, there was no room for Jesus. In college, the Holy Ghost must be really skinny.

5. They're sisters, not nuns

There's a big difference, trust me.

6. Religion isn’t required anymore

You can finally choose your own path and have classes with different people (instead of the same 18 every day for every class). Granted, you can add a religion minor (moi, thank you very much), so you get your Jesus fill.

7. Not everyone is Catholic

Not all of my friends celebrate Christmas and Easter, so editing the “Christmas break” out of vocabulary was fairly difficult. People don’t pray before meals in the dining hall at college.

8. Keeping up with your faith is really hard…

Sometimes you don’t feel like getting up early for Mass on Sundays, especially if you go alone. Sometimes, people will say your faith is “not worth it” or make you feel put out about having some kind of beliefs. And that hurts.

9. … But learning to keep your faith through the hard times is so worth it

My roommates freshman year weren’t very religious, but by the end of the year, they would smile and hug me every time I said “I’ll pray for you” when they were sad or upset. And the look on my mom’s face when I can keep up with the prayers during Mass when I go home makes all the difference.