I came to Middle College High School from Chapel Hill High. I loved CHHS. I was the captain of the cheerleading squad. I was always surrounded by friends and everything was great -- except for a little problem: The environment of a traditional high school just isn't for me.

I'm the type of person who needs flexibility and independence, both of which are basically impossible to get from a traditional high school. Because of this, my counselor suggested Middle College High School at Durham Tech.

I was pretty skeptical about attending. I didn't want to lose everything I had built up at CHHS. My mother pushed me to actually apply and go once I got in. She was sure that this was a great opportunity that I shouldn't pass off. So I went for it.

Soon enough, my junior year began. I was dead scared going to a whole new school, only knowing one person and all. Who wouldn't be, though? As soon as the first day came around, all doubts about liking this school went away. I started loving the place. First off, regular high school classes don't start until 12:30 p.m. This non-traditional schedule gives students great flexibility to do what needs to be done.

Every semester here I have been able to manipulate my schedule so it works for me. For example, during my junior year I worked at Target in the morning, then I would go to school in the afternoon. It worked out perfectly. Right now, I'm not enrolled in any high school courses so it's like I'm a college student. I made my schedule so I only have classes Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I work all day the other days.

It's incredible how much control you can have over your own schedule so it ends up being what's really best for you, not the whole school. Once you have your schedule down to how you want it to be, the actual classes are good, too. All the high school courses are honors level. The teachers I had my junior year in my high school courses were all wonderful. I learned much more than course material from them. They weren't just teachers; they also became mentors, always willing to help not only with school work but also with other concerns.

I think it was this way because the class sizes are so small. Fewer students in a class allows for more one-on-one time and makes things much more personal. The fact that there aren't as many students as in a traditional high school also makes it less intimidating.

MCHS is a wonderful program. Anyone who has the opportunity to attend this school should seriously check it out. It's something that you won't regret.