As a 15 -year-old teenage girl, I think I have the right to say just how much this topic, “All Girls vs Co-ed Schools” bothers me. Though the difference between these two is obvious (the lack of boys in one and the combination of both sexes in another), there are other facts that should be discussed. I attend an all-girls school and; personally, I find it very interesting. Of course, the first thing that dwells in a person’s mind at the thought of “all- girls”  is a question that irritates me.

“Are you gay?’

To answer that question, No, not all girls in same sex schools are gay.

Truthfully, like many others, I find all-girl schools hard to deal with.  It’s because of the simple difference between all-girls schools and co-ed. It seems that the fact that there are no boys leads to other problems.  Sometimes, when I find myself walking down the halls to my next class, I think. . .

“Why am I in this school?”

This is not what I “dreamed” of as my high school experience. I thought of fun and new life experiences, parties, etc. Like in TV shows, I wanted to live my high school life to the fullest! And, sad as it may be, boys were the center of my thoughts. My freshman year didn’t seem as exciting and upbeat as I imagined in a co-ed school or so I thought.

After talking to my friend who attends a co-ed school, she told me just how awesome her school was. She talked about all the activities, the rooms, the classes, and even the teachers , who gave her school the kind of spunk that would interest anyone.

Here are some of the exciting programs at her school:

• She was able to choose classes depending on your  overall interests.
• Students could borrow instruments for practice
• But most interesting. . . Her school had parties! Now, that was something my school just doesn’t have.

Then, she told me about the boys. Of course, after hearing her rave about her school, I felt a bit down. It seemed like she was having the time of her life, while I was slowly rotting away in my little bubble. But, what she told me next popped it.

” I wish I went to an all girl school like you,” she shared. What? Now that was a comment I wasn’t expecting.

I found out that boys not only make school more interesting, but they can cause girls to feel insecure which can be hard for girls to handle. Think of a day when you’ve had a bad hair day. In my all-girls school, the girls don’t care. They pass by you without a simple glance and I’m fine with that. As much as I care about my appearance, I wasn’t so concerned. I was not trying to impress any boys. In a co-ed school I might have felt different. I may have felt embarrassed, depressed, and even shy. All my thoughts may have made me think twice about my hair and how bad it looked, simply because I didn’t want to look bad around boys.

Without boys around, I feel as if girls have less pressure. They won’t necessarily feel the need to impress anyone but themselves.

– Mariah Thomas ( MAshley)