
Three years ago if you had told me that I would end up at a small all-girlâs college I wouldâve laughed in your face until I could no longer breathe. However, it looks like now I would owe you a giant apology. I will admit that once upon a time even the thought of attending an all-girlâs school made me scrunch up my face in disgust. But the worst part is, I couldnât even tell you why. It wasnât that I was âobsessedâ with boys because believe me, that wasnât the case. I was worried I wouldnât meet anybody I could connect with. People told me that not having male opinions in the classroom would negatively impact me when I had a job and didnât know how to deal with men. Frankly, I think I was just terrified of change. I grew up going to urban, diverse public schools. I had always been surrounded by a wide variety of people and didnât know what it was like to live in any other setting. I told myself that going off to college was going to be hard enough, and that I should stick with what I was used to. I am so glad I did not listen to that seventeen-year-old version of myself. If I had, I would not be the person that I am today. I would lack the self-confidence I carry with me everywhere and I wouldnât have any idea how to speak up for myself. I am now proudly attending Simmons College, a small liberal arts womenâs college in Boston, and I can say with full confidence that it has flipped my world around in the best way possible:
I learned to bond with other women, rather than compete with them:
I went through a large part of my life where I constantly compared myself to other girls around me, and saw fellow females as competitors. It wasnât until I got to college that I figured out how much I can learn and share with other women if I just stopped constantly judging my peers. I have met some of the greatest people here, some of which are people I never would have even approached in the past. Iâve learned that by sharing experiences with other women, I not only make new friends, but also broaden my view on the world. People have some pretty amazing stories if you are just willing to listen. My school firmly believes in letting people be themselves. From my very first day freshman year, I was told to embrace my strengths (and weaknesses) and focus on what makes me unique. I am in one of the most accepting environments I have ever been in, and I couldnât be more thankful. We build each other up rather than letting ourselves be torn down by social standards.
It has allowed me to develop a voice:
I donât just mean that I have more opinions; I mean that I donât feel shy about sharing those opinions. I no longer feel like my voice doesnât matter. I donât worry about what people will think of me if I speak my mind. Like many a student, there are many topics I feel passionate about these days — and I love being able to share my opinions and discuss them with my fellow classmates. I love that even if someone disagrees with me or vice versa, we can simply agree to disagree and leave it at that. In a simple sense, there was a point in my educational career (basically all through high school) where I would go out of my way to make sure I wasnât called on during class. The idea of raising my hand and sharing my thoughts in front of the class made me sick inside. Itâs hard to tell if itâs the intimate discussion-based classroom style or the people Iâm surrounded by, but now itâs hard for me not to speak up in class. (Please note: this would not be the case if I ever had to take a math class again. Some things never change and Iâve accepted that). I love letting my voice be heard and hearing the voices of others. This world would be so boring if everyone had the same opinion on everything. I mean, what would we argue about? How would we learn from others? Finding my voice helped me discover who I am. It helped me realize that I donât want to be someone who simply sits back and watches her life go by.
Iâve learned to focus on inner beauty, rather than outer beauty:
I was always concerned with my appearance. Whether it was what I was wearing or physical features, the insecurity was always there. This isnât to say that I would get dressed up everyday, but I was always worried about whether or not other people liked the way I looked. It was a sad and twisted mindset that I developed largely due to societal factors. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to be like everyone I saw on TV or in magazines. The last person I wanted to be was myself. Now, the only person I want to be is myself. I no longer feel the need to put on a face full of makeup on my way to class. I know that I am here to learn and engage myself with some of the brightest and motivated people I have ever met. I know that people like me for me and if they donât, itâs their loss. Donât get me wrong, Iâm not super proud of the times Iâve shown up to class in a full on sweat suit because I overslept. Weâve all done it and itâs one of the many reasons why I am going to greatly miss college when itâs over. My womenâs-centered education has taught me to discover what people have to offer on the inside before looking at whatâs on the outside.
Though hesitant to embark on at first, I am so grateful and lucky to be on an educational path that is centered around women. It has greatly opened my eyes and Iâm not even halfway done. My school has taught me to appreciate other women for who they truly are, and that hiding your true personality to please someone else is never the way to go. I am still very young, but if there is anything Iâve learned so far itâs this: being a woman in this world is hard. Girls should be standing up for one another rather than tearing each other apart. If we donât stick together, then we are entirely on our own. Stay strong ladies.