4 reasons why it’s okay not to fit the ‘typical college student’ persona

17 Oct 2017

Typical student — Whoever you are, it's okay to be you. Source: Shutterstock/Alessandro Biascioli.

Almost everyone turns up to college on their first day with a lot of expectations. Whether you’ve imagined the decor of your student flat down to the very last tea towel; you intend to cook complicated yet healthy meals for dinner every night; or you just want to totally reinvent yourself, chances are you’ve given some thought to how your student life will look.

Some of these ambitions may dissipate when, two nights in, your healthy cookbook is at the bottom of the pile…right underneath that grease-stricken takeaway pizza box. But no matter what your hopes are for college, academic or otherwise, your safety and happiness is the most important thing.

If the vision you had of college life doesn’t match the reality, don’t despair. It’s possible that the ideas you had about life as a college student simply wouldn’t work in practice.

Stereotypes of the typical college student are rife. The internet is filled with articles on “typical college girls” and even “how to be cool in college“. Buzzfeed have even created a check list to test “how much of a typical student” you are.The pressure to be (or not to be) these stereotypes can feel immense for some.

Here are four reasons why you really shouldn’t worry about whether you are a ‘typical student’ or not.

1. No one really minds

You want to drink pumpkin spice lattes and Instagram every one? Go for it. You want to throw exciting flat parties? You do that. You want to stay in and read your book instead? Good for you. You want to sleep in dirty bed-sheets for a whole term? Definitely not advisable, but who are we to tell you what to do?!

Just do whatever makes you feel happy and comfortable – this is your gig. Yours, and yours alone.

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2. Keeping up a persona is tiring

The age-old cliché ‘just be yourself’ comes to mind. Do you really want to get home each day and only then be able to let your guard down? Of course not. Don’t you want all your new college friends to see ‘the real you’? And if they don’t like it – who needs ’em! You’ll soon find someone who will.

Source: GIPHY.

3. People are going to like you either way

If you’re nice to people, they’ll be nice to you. There are going to be more people at college than you’ve probably ever encountered before. You’re bound to find many you can connect with. If you stand out as your authentic self we guarantee there will be many other people breathing a sigh of relief that you are just like them.

Source: GIPHY.

4. Everyone is different (that’s what makes us interesting)

If you spend your whole time at college trying to be like the ‘typical student’, you will most likely end up bored. Don’t feel pressure to do anything you don’t want to do or be anyone you don’t want to be.

College is a time for self-discovery, but it’s important to stay true to yourself.

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No one likes to feel inadequate. College is an exciting albeit emotional time and putting pressure on yourself to be anything you’re not isn’t going to be fun.

Just be yourself, whether you fit the ‘typical student’ persona or not.