From the age of four to sixteen, I went to an all girls school. When I tell people this, their first reaction is “Oh, man”, and their thoughts on me are shaped by this fact. They may be thinking that I am stuck up, a goody-two-shoes, super religious, or a drama queen (the latter of which I will admit to). However, going to an all girls school shaped the best parts of who I am. So here are 10 reasons as to why going to an all girls school was not as bad as you may think:

1. You do meet boys.

Just because I didn’t have my classes with boys, I was not restricted to only hanging out with girls. We would go to parties with friends of ours from co-ed schools and made our connections there. We would also meet boys when we were hanging out at coffee shops, the bus stop, and in our extra-curricular activities.

2. But, you get a healthy separation from boys.

Hanging out with our male friends on the weekend was always fun, but going back to school on Monday made us appreciate each other even more. Boys (even at 21!) can be immature and create drama within groups, but having a clear separation from them was a healthy way of maintaining close friendships within our female circles.

3. Break-ups weren’t that bad.

The worst thing about a break up is the consequential fall out in the days following. I had my first experience with this once I had moved to a co-ed school. In my senior year, my boyfriend and I broke up, and it was like the seas had parted before my eyes.

People took sides, previous loyalties were shattered, and worst of all, I had to see the guy at school, every single day. I can’t imagine having done this more than once. At an all girls school, you can try and forget him as you’re not reminded every waking minute of the guy who’s broken your heart. Instead, you’re surrounded by your friends and you’re not too scared to turn a corner in case he is there.

4. Classroom etiquette was sustained.

After moving to a co-ed school in my junior year, I finally understood why the headmistress in my previous school had put so much emphasis single-sex education and its benefit to girls. As I sat in my chemistry and biology classes (as an ambitious, female, pre pre-med student), I felt stamped down by some of the overly confident boys who sat around me.

They were more outspoken, willing to yell out answers without raising their hands, and pleased to tell me that I was wrong. I noticed myself becoming less self-assured about my intelligence as my male friends would jokingly tell me that all I needed to know about Biology was that I would bear children one day.

5. Every lunchtime was a sober brunch.

Gossip, sexual reenactments, and alcohol-free mimosas. Our lunch breaks were like the brunches we see on Sex and the City. They were a time for secrets to be revealed - those about boys, what we did with them, how, where, when, and all the details in between. You think boys talk crudely about us? Girls talk more…

6. Uniforms unite.

Wearing a uniform was the bane of my life. And our uniform was about as bad as it got. We wore light blue button downs, royal blue pullovers, black socks, black shoes, and our infamous kilts, which stretched down to our knees, and was not allowed to come above that until school let out and we rolled them up for the journey home.

My school was also particularly strict: no jewelry, no makeup, no nail polish was allowed, and our hair had to be tied up with a black band. While this sounds medieval, I am so thankful for those uniforms. We were made to look the same, and not in a creepy robotic way. More in a way which meant that every girl was equal. No girl could come in wearing Prada while others were stuck in hand-me-downs (or in my case, my brother’s oversized t-shirts).

7. Girl-time is, and will always be a necessity.

Girl-time has become one of the most invaluable things in my life. There’s nothing quite like having an evening surrounded by people who understand you, and with your girls, a bottle of wine, and an episode of a crappy TV show, any boy is easy to get over.

8. Being around girls taught me to be a loyal friend.

We have all gossiped, backstabbed, and made mistakes regarding our friendships. And sometimes it takes a few of these instances to realize who is going to stick around for the hard stuff. I have been both the friend in exile, and the one who will sit with the friend in exile. Being at an all-girls school taught me to be forgiving, and how to be a loyal friend to those I love.