From the moment I began applying for colleges, I knew that one day I would no longer be in classes with just girls. Going to an all-girl school was an unforgettable experience that not many students get to experience in their lifetime. From the dress code to the overall atmosphere, coming to college after going to school with only girls for four years was a huge wake-up call that I will never forget.

The night before I started college, it finally hit me. I would actually have to pick out an outfit for school and look slightly presentable for the first time in a long time. For four years, I rolled out of bed, put my hair up in a mess and put my school uniform on. It took me about 10 minutes to get ready and to me, that was totally normal. Fast forward to the first day of college. I opened my closet and just stared. Do I look nice today or should I go for the homeless look and just throw on sweatpants and a T-shirt? After all, in high school I was lucky if I had matching socks every day but now I have to have an entire outfit picked out? And then there is the great makeup debate. I could either waste several minutes putting it on or I could just walk out the door and hope I looked semi decent. Getting ready each morning now seemed like a part time job and that was only the beginning.

I arrive on campus for my first class and let me just say, what a culture shock. I went from a small school with three floors to a campus that looked like a concrete jungle and of course incredibly windy. On top of that, I actually had to find my own parking spot and there are no guarantees that I would actually get a spot. Plus, there was a very diverse mix of students walking all over which was very foreign to me.

By far though, the biggest change I had to adapt to above all... Boys... I now have to attend classes with boys. I walk into my first class and there are boys everywhere. Trying to stay calm and cool, I sat down and of course, a boy sits next to me. There were more boys than girls in the class which was super weird to me but at the same time kinda cool and something I had to adapt to all over again. On top of all of that, classes no longer began with prayer and I didn't need a pass to use the restroom. In fact, I could leave class if I wanted to without the professor stopping me.

Overall, adapting to college after my high school experience was a huge change for me. I loved being in high school but that chapter of my life is over and I am so ready to continue my college career. Attending an all-girl Catholic school was amazing and quite different and if I had the opportunity to do it over again, I definitely would.