Though gendered stereotypes are, by-and-large, harmful and unnecessary, let’s make an exception today, with this article, right now and bring to mind an image of a stereotypical college girl.

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This is just a wild guess, but, let’s assume that the image that came to mind is something along these lines:  maybe she’s wearing leggings tucked into L.L. Bean duck boots, fair isle-patterned socks delicately peeking out the top.  Maybe she’s drinking Starbucks Medium Roast Holiday Blend with three creams and three sugars out of her white and gold thermos while writing in her bullet journal about everything she needs to accomplish that day.  Maybe she wakes up before her nine A.M. lecture and goes to the gym but still has time to do a full face of makeup, highlight glowing and wings sharp enough to slice through steel.

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However, maybe she’s more complex than that.

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(That being said, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with identifying completely with one or more stereotypes listed.  Be you no matter who that may be, and never be ashamed to love what you love.)

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On a real note, though, we need to acknowledge that, whether you’re a college girl, guy, or anything in between or outside of the heteronormative binary, not fitting into expected and accepted stereotypes is absolutely normal.  In fact, as a whole, we need to be accepting of all personality types across this campus.  

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On a personal note, when I was a freshman, I was not that accepting of myself. I knew I was kind of a weirdo, and I wanted to change that.  I saw accomplished females around me with perfect skin, with sleek hair and makeup straight out of a Youtube tutorial, and I envied them. In my young mind, I wanted to look like them. I wanted to be included in their world without recognizing the value of my own.

      

Admittedly, I’m kind of a big old literary nerd who still cries at everything and listens to punk rock way too much for someone who has grown out of the angsty puberty stage.  Now, though, I recognize those aspects of my personality as good things, especially because, in the three and a half years that have led me to my final semester, I have met so many others like me, who are sensitive and angsty and, yes, super weird.

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On Behrend’s campus, we are so fortunate to have such a diverse student body, not only in nationality and ethnicity, but in every aspect of personality that each individual brings to our Commonwealth Campus table. Finding people who are similar to you while also recognizing others who are incredibly different can help an individual grow, not only in recognizing the importance of diversity but in how he or she fits into the bigger picture.

     

So, at the risk of sounding like a proud mom or a cheesy self help book, accepting the weird aspects of your personality can absolutely change your life. They say acceptance is the first step, and I can assure you from experience, that this affirmation is absolutely true. Accepting yourself allows others to see that cliched “light” in you that maybe you’ve been ignoring or hiding for far too long.