"a private school moment"

Let's see... things going on in my life... well there's a lot!
- I had my second night class last night, and I actually am starting to warm up to it. The class dropped from 20 people to 13 in a week because our teacher assigned us a 5,000 word assignment (sounded impossible) that took up the bulk of my thursday and friday night... causing 7 people to drop the class. I guess that was her ploy all along, to get her class size smaller (it worked!) and I actually feel less intimidated and more willing to talk in class because there are not as many seniors in it. OH, I had one of my first "OK, so this is why my parents put me in a private school" moment last night. I was talking to one of my friends about our classes and she was saying how in one of hers participation is a big percentage and she doesn't know how well she'll do because she never talks in class. I asked why (because shes not that shy) and she said its just weird, she never has had too, even in high school. The conversation was something like,

me: "What do you mean you've never had to?"
her: "Talk in class. No one really did at my high school because there were so many of us, only the over-achievers did and they were nerds."
me: "So then how did you have discussions in class?"
her: "Discussions?"
me: "Yeah, where like the students talk ask question/raise points"
her: "No, we never did that. It was all lecture. The teacher only talked."
me: "Are you serious? You never talked?"
her: "No. Oh god, no."

SO, I've realized that CWA might have given me slightly more than I first realized. I am more than comfortable to talk in any class, participation actually helps my grade. It wasn't just a recommendation, but an expectation in high school. If you didn't talk, the teacher would assume you didn't do the reading and they would either pick on you or make you turn in your reading notes (which was super annoying.)
Imagining never talking in my 4 years of high school would definitely make me weary to ever talk in college; its a skill that although may seem like a habit, but in fact was conditioned and drilled into my head since before I can remember.
On another note, it couldn't be nicer outside. Its actually supposed to be 86 out today!! I was shocked. It definitely wasn't this warm out last year at this time. Why did I bring my scarfs down again?!?