I turn off my alarm and contemplate how important going to class actually is.
Is graduating even worth waking up at the Godforsaken time of 8 am? Eventually deciding it is, I jump out of bed and choose from my many pairs of black leggings and try to decide which sweatshirt I’ve worn the least out of my growing collection. I put on my outfit and brush my teeth, then look in the mirror and see a poorly dressed and very stressed student staring back at me. I think about how different my “morning routine” is from other girls.
Waking up at least an hour prior to class or work is not a unique procedure; most people wake up and give themselves time to eat breakfast and shower and prepare themselves for the day. It is a well known fact that breakfast is the most important meal, because it gives you energy for the day. Eating breakfast is a crucial step in most people’s mornings, along with showering and doing their hair or makeup. A common philosophy is that if you look good, you feel good.
I get to class and my teacher greets me by saying, “Oh no, you don’t look so good. Are you feeling well?” It’s then that I realize what my outfit says about me. I start to wish I had put jeans on. I can now see the labels being put on me due to my outfit; lazy, sad, stressed, tired, even sick.
An expectation of girls is to dress nicely and put on makeup to hide stress, and to present themselves as happy and ready for anything. This is an unfair standard that girls are asked to follow. Girls spend so much time on their makeup and trying to impress everyone else that sometimes we forget what we actually like to wear and want to put our time and energy in.
By the time class ends I’ve come to terms with my “just left a sleepover” look, and embrace it as I rush to make breakfast before the dining hall switches to lunch. I could wear a cute outfit and do my hair, but there are other things to which I’d rather devote my time. I sleep in because I stay up late studying and doing homework. My priorities lie in my studies and that’s more important to me than wearing a nice shirt or curling my hair.
Some girls, I must admit, are amazing. Some girls can be invested in getting ready and looking put together, while having it together. Not all girls put effort into their appearance because of society but because they enjoy it and want to. That’s what it’s about, doing what you love. If you can handle setting fashion standards and setting academic standards, then do it. Credit goes where it is due to the girls who can do both.
I concluded that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. The only person I have to live with every day is myself, and what’s important is how I view myself. The same goes for everyone, at the end of the day you only have to impress yourself and make yourself proud.