It’s a regular day at St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, Ore. No baritone voices bellow through the halls, and no masculine chest-bumps or high-fives occur between classes.

Caitlin Bannan walks in and waves to all her friends — which are many, considering the small number of students attending the all-female St. Mary’s. Here, everyone knows everyone’s names, classes are made up of 15 to 25 people and, without boys to offer their opposing opinions, girls never fear speaking their mind.

Though most UW students attended a public, co-ed high school, there are those among us who spent their pre-college years in a single-sex, religious private school. For those that hail from the latter, the transition to a large public school teeming with members of both genders can be a shock.

“The first day I walked into my chemistry quiz section, there were maybe four girls in the class,” said Bannan, now a UW sophomore. “It’s a very male-heavy major. It was a bit of a surprise.”

Although at first Bannan found it unusual to interact with so many members of the opposite sex, some of her best friends now are male.

Another alumna of St. Mary’s Academy, UW freshman Sophie Gist, has experienced some of the same sentiments in her first few weeks at the UW.

“It’s definitely harder to talk to boys, but I know I’ll get used to it,” she said. “I’m just not used to seeing this many boys around 24/7.”

At times, the addition of boys can herald a shift in the temperament of girls. In a study performed by the U.S. Department of Education, teachers emphasized that fewer distractions occurred in single-sex high schools, lending to overall higher academic success. This lack of distraction could also entail a less intimidating atmosphere in which girls are able to voice their opinions without judgment from males.

“My experience in smaller English classes [at the UW] is that girls are a lot quieter than I’m used to,” Bannan explained. “I’m used to people always being outspoken and sharing their opinions, and it seems like people here are quieter.”

Junior Eric Wood, an alumnus of the all-boys school Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Ariz., holds his own views about the day-to-day class discussions.

“At an all-guys school, you can interact in classes in ways you wouldn’t normally interact with girls around,” he said. “Especially in your developmental years, it’s less restrictive with a classroom of all guys and a male teacher.”

Now in his third year at the UW, Wood has slowly acclimated to the concept of enduring lectures with members of the opposite sex scribbling notes beside him. However, he recalls his first impressions in co-ed classrooms as fairly surprising.

“I don’t want to sound sexist,” he said with a sheepish smile, “but hearing girls’ opinions in class was just kind of different. That was a viewpoint I’d never heard in high school. So, when a girl speaks up, I’m like, ‘Wow, I’ve never heard that said before’ because I’ve been to school with a bunch of other dudes for four years. It was just a new perspective that took some adjusting [to].”

Bannan also spoke of new ideas and feelings about religion attributed to St. Mary’s. Though neither she or Wood are Catholic, both agreed learning about religion enhanced their high-school education.

“I enjoyed the fact that in high school, religion was a conversation,” Bannan said. “Not necessarily, ‘Let’s talk about Catholicism,’ but more like ‘This is what I believe.’ It was very open to other people’s opinions, which I don’t necessarily think get discussed in public schools because they’re so shut down.”

For Wood, a sense of respect for religion was gained in his years at Brophy.

“I’ve never been super religious, but I always knew it was there,” he said. “I’d say I came out more spiritual — just realizing there’s something out there. I definitely have more respect for the Catechism and religion in general.”

Despite this religious education, Bannan still followed her own path in ways of spirituality.

“My parents are both Catholic. I was brought up Catholic, but my personal views have changed in learning about the religion and learning about myself,” she said.

Bannan feels she may not have gained the same sense of independence had she attended a public school.

She is not alone in this sentiment. In 2005, the U.S. Department of Education conducted a systematic review which concluded that single-sex high schools fostered higher career aspirations in girls than in regular public schools.

“I was very quiet going into high school and didn’t have very much self-esteem,” Bannan said. “I came out of it very confident in my education and who I was, ready to face a bigger school and bigger challenge.”

Reach contributing writer Kristen Steenbeeke at development@dailyuw.com.