Religious schools (also known as survival of the fittest/trauma factories) have got a lot to offer. No matter what religious school you went to, regardless of the dogma behind it, we can all bond over these nine universal things we had to endure.
1. Having to stick with a boring costume
Just when you’ve started exploring your sense of style, you are bound to wear the boring and impersonal navy blue and grey shirts and pants.
2. Forget about makeup, a beard, nail polish, and hairstyles
Basically anything that has to do with your personal sense of style, you can forget it. Even though it is your hair, Soeur Cecile doesn’t want you to come into school as a redhead, so you won’t.
3. Code-switching
Adapt to survive. Bring forward your best right-wing lines and mannerism. There is no acting school that can compete with a non-traditional kid who graduated from a religious school.
4. Acting sexless
You may never show any sign of interest in the subject of sex until the day you graduate (and a little more because, trauma). And if you had sex ed, it was extremely weird and more about baby-making.
5. You’ll always dodge personal questions
Teachers and administrators always wanted to know about how you really felt, and all about your personal/family life. Why? Because they love you! And they may or may not keep a secret database about you.
6. Every staffer is a spy
By grade 10, they have enough data to predict your behavior.
7. Having that one flirtatious teacher
Disgusting.
8. Sexism for breakfast
Even if your girls-to-boys ratio is unbalanced, the few guys in your class will still be treated as first class citizens – while girls will be scolded for talking to guy.
9. Obviously, your religion classes still haunt you
The fact that you can cite scripture from memory is…upsetting.