When it comes to Valentine’s Day, no one is more excited or nervous than teens, especially when it comes to their relationship status. But what is the difference between girls at a co-ed school and girls at an all-girls school?

As someone who went to co-ed schools up until eighth grade, Valentine’s Day was always a huge deal in all my schools, even in second grade…yes, second grade. Throughout my years in co-ed schools, girls were anxious, hoping to receive something from their crush or anyone else. Boys were nervous too — there was an expectation for them to stand out, do something bold and declare their “love” for someone.

During Valentine’s Day in second grade, I was eager to give and receive candy. We would all anxiously wait for the end of the day when we’d pass out the candies and cards people had brought to share with their classmates.

When we were done passing out the candy, my crush told me he had planned to bring me a balloon and a special arrangement — the ones with candy and a stuffed toy. Although I knew his intentions were nice, I felt…weird.

Valentine’s Day was all about love, and I knew it was even more special when it came to relationships and wanting to start one, but I wasn’t ready to take this step. We were 7 years old, and I wasn’t worried about boys. Even though I did have a crush on him, I didn’t want him to give me something on the ‘day of love.’ It didn’t feel right. I wasn’t mad about it, but it made me conscious of the other aspect of Valentine’s day I was not worried about at that age.

My mom always told me I was a kid and I didn’t need to worry about love and boyfriends, but there was more of an expectation to have a valentine as the years went by. Middle school was when I realized the significance Valentine’s Day has for kids my age.

I noticed how anxious girls get expecting to receive something from a boy — flowers, a teddy bear, chocolates or a love letter. It’s not only girls who get anxious. Boys will also plan days before how they will confess their feelings or surprise their significant other. The circumstances surrounding this day became a bit more awkward and tense, but my awareness around it grew as well. Valentine’s Day was only fun when I was around my close friends or family, not at school. It was a bit awkward to step into a building where something was expected. But this changed when I came to Archer.

I never really thought about what Valentine’s Day would be like at an all-girls school until it was right around the corner. I was expecting to hear girls complaining about being single. Although there were a couple of girls who did wish they weren’t single, Archer did a good job of reminding us that we have our friends and family to share this day with.

From referring to the day as Galentine’s Day instead of Valentine’s day to providing opportunities for us to spread the love within our community, Feb. 14 reminded us that we have each other. For example, the ninth grade fundraiser enabled students to send valentines to their friends in the form of donuts, flowers or scrunchies. Although I didn’t participate, I liked the idea that the fundraiser not only reminded us to spread love to the community but to ourselves as well.

This year, although we did have Color Wars on Valentine’s Day, the day wasn’t completely ignored. I think Color Wars provided another outlet of fun and another opportunity to encourage each other to do better, even if it was just in relay races.

My first Valentine’s day at Archer underscored the importance of other types of love in addition to romance. Although some students may be in romantic relationships, Archer reminds you that there are many other individuals whom you can spread love to, whether they be friends, family members, or acquaintances. And above all, whether you have a special someone or not, you are reminded to love yourself too.